ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is the product of many years, during which I have been the
bene ciary of the e orts and generosity of many friends and col-
leagues. First among them is my editor at Ha rp er’s, Bill Wasik,
without whose early encouragement this book would not exist. I’m
grateful, too, for the insights of several other magazine editors who
helped me develop my ideas, sharpen my prose, and get my facts
straight along the way, including but not l imited to: Ben Austen,
Naom i Kirsten, Lewis Lapham, Miriam Markowitz, and Ben Metcalf
at Harper’s; Will Dana, Sean Woods, Eric Bates, Eric Magnuson, and
Coco MacPherson at Rolling Stone; Bob Moser at The Nation; and
Monika Bauerlein at Mother Jones. Claire Wachtel at HarperCollins
saw the whole thing through with patience, wit, and wisdom. Her
assistant, Julia Novitch, shepherded it along with care, for which I’m
grateful. Vicki Haire saved me from capitalizing heaven. Special
thanks to Kathy Anderson, who helped me understand what this
book should be, found the right publisher, and made sure I actually
nished it. Giulia Melucci, vice president of public relations at Harp-
er’s, advised me on launching it.
My most critical and trustworthy readers were Julie Rabig,
Robert Sharlet, JoAnn Wypijewski, Kathryn Joyce, and Peter Manseau.
Thank you.
Kim Nauer and Joe Conason at The Nation Institute provided
support, as did the incomparable MacDowell Colony, at which sev-
eral of these chapters were written and revised during three visits.


390 | A CKNO WLEDGMENTS
I’m especially grateful for MacDowell’s Michelle Aldredge, without
whose account of her secondary education this book would not have
its thirteenth chapter. Hampshire College, a strange and wonderful
school unlike any other, is present in everything I write. I’m also
grateful to the KGB Bar, which has given me a forum to test out
much of this book piece by piece. The results are incalculably better
than they would have been otherwise for the in uence of New York
University’s Center for Rel igion and Media, where I have been an as-
sociate research scholar for the last four years—which is to say, a
sponge soaking up the ideas and insights of some very smart people. I
am particularly indebted to Angela Zito, Faye Ginsburg, Barbara
Abrash, Adam H. Becker, and Omri Elisha. Scholars at other institu-
tions to whom I’m indebted include Diane Winston, Michael Janson,
Kenneth Osgood, Ron Enroth, and Jamie K. A. Smith.
I’m li kewise indebted to a number of journalists and researchers
who shared their knowledge of Christian conservatism with me, in-
cluding Chip Berlet, Max Blumenthal, Frederick Clarkson, Doug
Ireland, Scott McLemee, Suzanne Pharr, Michael Reynolds, and
Bruce Wilson.
Several former members, associates, and neighbors of the Fam-
ily, as well as a few current ones, spoke with me. Many of them pre-
ferred to remain on background; among those I’m able to than k
publicly are Cli Gosney, Ben Daniel, Carl von Bernewitz, Steve
Bauer, Mary McCutcheon, and David Kuo. I’m also very grateful to
the hundreds of evangelical conservatives and other Christians who’ve
agreed to speak with me about their faith and their politics over the
years, especially Matt Dunbar and Lisa Anderson. Several evangelical
journalists have kept talking to me even when my work infuriated
them, and it’s the better for those conversations. Among them are
Bob Smietana, Patton Dodd, Ted Olsen, and Tony Carnes.
Then there are the friends, family, and fellow travelers who pro-
vided the kind of crucial support—responding to chapters on short
notice, providing me with housing, sharing ideas —without which
the book would have zzled. Which is to say, for better or worse, the
accomplices. I’ve been working on this book for a long time, which


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 391
means there are more than I can l ist, but among those who spent
time on the front lines of this book’s production were Gretchen Agu-
iar, Je Allred, Laura Brahm, Fiona Burde, Colleen Clancy, Stellar
Kim, Michael Lesy, Victoria McKernan, Paul Morris, David Rabig,
Don Rabig, Jude Rabig, Irina Reyn, Gwen Seznec, Jocelyn Sharlet,
Darcey Steinke, Baki Tezcan, and Tom Windish. And the research-
ers: Martha Lincoln, Sherally Munshi, Meera Subramanian, Jaime
Pensado, and Seonaid Valiant.
Most of all, Julie Rabig, wise as serpents and innocent as doves,
and also as funny as a sea otter, brave as a bu alo, and more beautiful
than a great blue heron. Thank you for enduri ng, provoking, and i n-
spiring.