the gospel of self -- a book review

Terry Heaton's The Gospel of Self:  How Jesus Joined the GOP is a personal memoir that explores one of the most interesting periods in American political history:  That moment when the modern conservative movement joined with religious faith.  Heaton here recounts the story of the rise and fall of Pat Robertson and his 700 Club through the 1980s.  As a former executive producer of the 700 Club, Heaton was a daily confidant of Robertson during his period of greatest fame and success.  He helped orchestrate the program's rise to a zenith of televangelism while also taking part in its metamorphosis into a vehicle for the religious right, culminating in Robertson's own run for the presidency in 1988.

Heaton is able to make the direct connection between his work with the 700 Club, the rise of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News in the 90s, and, ultimately, the election of Donald Trump.  So Heaton's Gospel of Self is more than a simple memoir:  It is a prophetic call against wrongfully conflating American politics with religious faith.  After recounting the political downfall of Robertson and his subsequent investigation by the IRS, Heaton concludes with a lengthy discussion of postmodernism, "post-Christianity", and journalism's switch from an era of objectivity to an era of transparency. 

His story is a warning for those Americans who think we should do again what they attempted in the 80s.
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I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review here.