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Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding A True Faith
A hilarious and eye-opening account of leaving Christian Nationalism behind to follow Jesus better. April Ajoy wouldn’t have called herself a Christian Nationalist when she performed her original song “America Say Jesus” on the Jim Bakker show, or when she participated in Jesus Marches across America, or when she posted cringe-worthy videos on YouTube to campaign for Mitt Romney. April just considered herself a good faithful, Republican, and determined to make America a Christian nation once again. But as her view of the world widened, Ajoy began to see cracks in her steadfast beliefs and recognized the ways her conservative politics and religion were intertwined in her mind. Did God really bless America? Is it actually by His red, white, and blue stripes that we are healed? Ajoy, TikTok influencer and co-host of the Evangelicalish podcast, shares funny stories from her time deep within Christian nationalism, exploring how aspects of evangelical culture such as purity pledges, product boycotts, Satanic panic, and end-times theology have all been exploited to advance the Christian Nationalist narrative. She also illuminates the ways nationalist thinking has infiltrated our churches and political arenas, shaping not only modern evangelical culture but also American public policy and international relations. Part memoir, part guidebook, part call to action, Star-Spangled Jesus explores how the fight to make America a “Christian nation” has damaged us all and shows how one woman left Christian Nationalism and why America should too.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
July 9, 2024
I recommend "Star-Spangled Jesus" to anyone interested in Christian nationalism. This book is a helpful introduction to the Christian nationalist movement in America, especially those with an evangelical background. I recommend this book to anyone who thinks the threats of Christian nationalism are being sensationalized. "Star-Spangled Jesus" is a mix of a memoir and a breakdown of April's experience with Christian nationalism, and a challenge to the reader to oppose Christian nationalism and its harmful rhetoric.
About 2 pages into the book, and I knew I was going to enjoy reading it. April provided a helpful "are you a Christian nationalist" quiz. Hilarious. April has an engaging, honest, impactful writing voice. I can hear her coming through the page. I personally found her humor, jokes, and hyperbole to be an entertaining way to engage in such thoughtfully demanding subject material. Coming from an evangelical background, it was amusing to read this book and realize many of her statements weren't hyperbolic and that she is describing very real concerns from the perspective of a former Christian nationalist. April tells the reader at the start that she copes with humor, and 99% of the time, it lands and makes her point.
It was really troublesome to see so many of the trite Christianese phrases and arguments I grew up with explained in the context of Christian nationalism. April helped me realize just how common the rhetoric of Christian nationalism is in evangelical spaces. I wouldn't describe my upbringing as a Christian nationalist. Yet, so many of the arguments and perspectives April discussed are ones I was taught in Sunday school, in youth groups, at church , etc. This book was also heart-wrenching to read because I learned how to identify Christian nationalist talking points, and I realize how I've engaged in that same rhetoric in the past.
Throughout it all, April has found hope in the life and words of Jesus. I think this is what inspires me the most. Reminding people of the life and words of Jesus is perhaps the most helpful way to thoughtfully engage with those who are Christian nationalist. Love God, love others. Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly.
Thanks Worthty Publishing, for an early digital copy to read and review.
About 2 pages into the book, and I knew I was going to enjoy reading it. April provided a helpful "are you a Christian nationalist" quiz. Hilarious. April has an engaging, honest, impactful writing voice. I can hear her coming through the page. I personally found her humor, jokes, and hyperbole to be an entertaining way to engage in such thoughtfully demanding subject material. Coming from an evangelical background, it was amusing to read this book and realize many of her statements weren't hyperbolic and that she is describing very real concerns from the perspective of a former Christian nationalist. April tells the reader at the start that she copes with humor, and 99% of the time, it lands and makes her point.
It was really troublesome to see so many of the trite Christianese phrases and arguments I grew up with explained in the context of Christian nationalism. April helped me realize just how common the rhetoric of Christian nationalism is in evangelical spaces. I wouldn't describe my upbringing as a Christian nationalist. Yet, so many of the arguments and perspectives April discussed are ones I was taught in Sunday school, in youth groups, at church , etc. This book was also heart-wrenching to read because I learned how to identify Christian nationalist talking points, and I realize how I've engaged in that same rhetoric in the past.
Throughout it all, April has found hope in the life and words of Jesus. I think this is what inspires me the most. Reminding people of the life and words of Jesus is perhaps the most helpful way to thoughtfully engage with those who are Christian nationalist. Love God, love others. Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly.
Thanks Worthty Publishing, for an early digital copy to read and review.
October 6, 2024
As someone who grew up Southern Baptist, there was so much of this book that was relatable. April’s humorous anecdotes & personal experiences really put in to perspective how Christian Nationalism can be a sneaky thing.
April does a a great job of explaining how Christian Nationalism got to where it is today & what it is trying to accomplish. This book is a powerful testimony of how a person leave an entire belief system behind to find something better.
April does a a great job of explaining how Christian Nationalism got to where it is today & what it is trying to accomplish. This book is a powerful testimony of how a person leave an entire belief system behind to find something better.
October 8, 2024
This book explains the dangers of Christian Nationalism and dives into its union with evangelicalism and the GOP. It’s written from the perspective of someone who spent decades on the front lines of the Religious Right, but slowly and painfully exiting— and soon vocalizing opposition to— the movement.
There are a few books on this subject written from a purely academic lens, but what makes this book unique is that it comes from a place of personal experience and April Ajoy’s reflections from her time in the movement.
There is a surprising amount of humor and sarcasm in the book, which I’m sure Ajoy’s social media followers will appreciate (she is known for her viral comedy videos touching on the MAGA movement and evangelical hypocrisy). At the same time, it is also very moving and heart-felt. I laughed out loud more than once, and teared up a handful of times.
I highly recommend this read for those wanting to learn more about Christian Nationalism’s impact on evangelicalism and society at large, and how this led to Trump and January 6. This book is especially great for those who want a more enjoyable read on the subject. Five stars.
There are a few books on this subject written from a purely academic lens, but what makes this book unique is that it comes from a place of personal experience and April Ajoy’s reflections from her time in the movement.
There is a surprising amount of humor and sarcasm in the book, which I’m sure Ajoy’s social media followers will appreciate (she is known for her viral comedy videos touching on the MAGA movement and evangelical hypocrisy). At the same time, it is also very moving and heart-felt. I laughed out loud more than once, and teared up a handful of times.
I highly recommend this read for those wanting to learn more about Christian Nationalism’s impact on evangelicalism and society at large, and how this led to Trump and January 6. This book is especially great for those who want a more enjoyable read on the subject. Five stars.
November 3, 2024
This is gonna be a long one, so be prepared.
As a person that grew up in the church and had similar views to April Ajoy (just not to those extremes), this book resonated very deeply. For the past 7ish years of my life, I have struggled with Christianity and how it is represented by the church. I couldn't understand how the religion of "love and peace" supported harassing women outside of a Planned Parenthood or telling LGBTQ+ children that they were going to hell. I wanted to believe, but the two things didn't compute, and a younger me really struggled with coming to terms with that reality.
This book put into words, much more coherently than I ever could, the "cognitive dissonance" between organized religion Christianity and real faith. I can't say that I'm completely changed and ready to jump back into church and religion, but it reminded me that not every Christian is a Bible-twisting, Democrat-demonizing, bigotry-fueling asshole. Below are just some of my favorite quotes, because nobody wants me to include all of them, even me.
"'Why is the church so pro-life, but when a girl gets pregnant, they just shame her and kick her out? Like, she actually kept the baby, and did the thing they wanted her to do.'"
"I still consider myself pro-life. But pro-all life -- the mothers, children even after they're born, immigrants, the man on death row, people killed by gunfire. All life is sacred, not just the unborn."
"Up until this point, my youth pastors, Sunday School leaders, and Christian teachers had told me WHAT to think. But now I had someone teaching me HOW to think for myself."
"It was like a lightbulb went off and I realized my personal beliefs shouldn't be enforced on others who think differently. I could support a person's legal rights, even if they didn't align with my religious beliefs."
"But the patriarchy keeps men in power, which is key to fundamentalist Christian Nationalism . . . A godly nation should be run by godly men. And pesky feminists wanting a voice and rights are getting in the way of men running their households, their churches, and the country."
"It's hard to demonize people once you're close enough to see the divine in them. And if you can't see God in the LGBTQ+ rainbow, you're not looking."
As a person that grew up in the church and had similar views to April Ajoy (just not to those extremes), this book resonated very deeply. For the past 7ish years of my life, I have struggled with Christianity and how it is represented by the church. I couldn't understand how the religion of "love and peace" supported harassing women outside of a Planned Parenthood or telling LGBTQ+ children that they were going to hell. I wanted to believe, but the two things didn't compute, and a younger me really struggled with coming to terms with that reality.
This book put into words, much more coherently than I ever could, the "cognitive dissonance" between organized religion Christianity and real faith. I can't say that I'm completely changed and ready to jump back into church and religion, but it reminded me that not every Christian is a Bible-twisting, Democrat-demonizing, bigotry-fueling asshole. Below are just some of my favorite quotes, because nobody wants me to include all of them, even me.
"'Why is the church so pro-life, but when a girl gets pregnant, they just shame her and kick her out? Like, she actually kept the baby, and did the thing they wanted her to do.'"
"I still consider myself pro-life. But pro-all life -- the mothers, children even after they're born, immigrants, the man on death row, people killed by gunfire. All life is sacred, not just the unborn."
"Up until this point, my youth pastors, Sunday School leaders, and Christian teachers had told me WHAT to think. But now I had someone teaching me HOW to think for myself."
"It was like a lightbulb went off and I realized my personal beliefs shouldn't be enforced on others who think differently. I could support a person's legal rights, even if they didn't align with my religious beliefs."
"But the patriarchy keeps men in power, which is key to fundamentalist Christian Nationalism . . . A godly nation should be run by godly men. And pesky feminists wanting a voice and rights are getting in the way of men running their households, their churches, and the country."
"It's hard to demonize people once you're close enough to see the divine in them. And if you can't see God in the LGBTQ+ rainbow, you're not looking."
November 17, 2024
Fantastic book that is part memoir and part analysis of Christian Nationalism.
Unfortunately, it already feels a bit dated with the reelection of Trump. I mean, there’s so much more horrible stuff she could have written about!
This week I listened to a local church sermon from prior to the election where the pastor was pontificating on how the church is moral and must vote family values…which apparently meant voting for the convicted felon and adjudicated rapist? Who chose a dude who probably trafficked children as attorney general?
Its disgusting. But it continues to prove April’s point. Christian Nationalism is evil. I imagine in 20 or 30 years white evangelicals will act like it has always been seen that way while they conveniently forget most of them supported it.
I’m glad I’ve never supported it. Hopefully April can help convince more how evil it is.
Unfortunately, it already feels a bit dated with the reelection of Trump. I mean, there’s so much more horrible stuff she could have written about!
This week I listened to a local church sermon from prior to the election where the pastor was pontificating on how the church is moral and must vote family values…which apparently meant voting for the convicted felon and adjudicated rapist? Who chose a dude who probably trafficked children as attorney general?
Its disgusting. But it continues to prove April’s point. Christian Nationalism is evil. I imagine in 20 or 30 years white evangelicals will act like it has always been seen that way while they conveniently forget most of them supported it.
I’m glad I’ve never supported it. Hopefully April can help convince more how evil it is.
Want to read
November 13, 2024This is a really great book. Listening to it definitely enhanced the experience, because April is a great storyteller and it brings a lot of life to her book. She described so many experiences I related to (like having visceral rapture anxiety and not being able to tell anyone, or how christian nationalism has to try and kill your sense of empathy to make you a good soldier) and in a way, that made it weirdly comforting to read even after such an awful election. I enjoyed this a lot and recommend it to anyone, whether you do or don't have experience with christian nationalism, whether you are or aren't an evangelical.
October 11, 2024
The memoir aspects of this book are excellent and I feel they may initiate breakthrough for uncertain people reading this. I did find the evidence part a bit dry and it didn't add anything new to the conversation. It dragged the pace down a bit and filled areas where April could have gone until further detail.
November 5, 2024
Informative and alarming, yet somehow also entertaining and maybe even a little hopeful. Gives a good foundation for some of the intrinsic differences in our polarized society.
October 5, 2024
If you can read this before you vote in the 2024 election, please try to do so.
If you can't get a copy, read it after. Think about what you've read and think about our solemn responsibility to make sure power is transferred peacefully, we uphold that which the constitution requires, and we keep our republic as our founding fathers saw it.
"A republic, if you can keep it....."
If you can't get a copy, read it after. Think about what you've read and think about our solemn responsibility to make sure power is transferred peacefully, we uphold that which the constitution requires, and we keep our republic as our founding fathers saw it.
"A republic, if you can keep it....."
October 15, 2024
I’ve followed April Ajoy (the author of this book) for a few years on TikTok, and she has always made me feel less alone as I grappled with something very difficult; she even called the process by its proper term (“religious deconstruction”) when I didn’t know what to call it—I just knew that I FELT it, but it was SO freeing and less isolating just to know that the “big feeling,” “big reading,” and “big soul-searching” I had been doing for so many years had an actual name. Moreover, it was so important to me to enrich and strengthen my faith by asking the difficult questions, mainly because lately, a lot of American-centric Christian practices have really unsettled me, when in the past, they hardly fazed me—and I desperately wanted to be able to understand why.
So, when I heard April was writing a book, I preordered it immediately, and I’m so glad I did. In it, she delves into so many heavy concepts that I struggled to fully wrap my head around as a child, teenager, and adult who was taught to see the world primarily through an “American Church” lens—as it turns out, most of our nation’s biggest “hot topic,” religious issues are not as black and white as I was once taught they were. Of course, this is something I had a gut/heart feeling about for a long time, but this book does an excellent job explaining the “why” behind that inkling with research, Scripture, and sincere, broken-down explanations.
This book was a well-researched, well-written, and incredibly well-annotated. It’s also got a lot of heart and humor! I recommend it to anyone and everyone who is on their own deconstruction journey or just wants to know more about how Nationalism influences the political climate in America. 4.5⭐️s.
So, when I heard April was writing a book, I preordered it immediately, and I’m so glad I did. In it, she delves into so many heavy concepts that I struggled to fully wrap my head around as a child, teenager, and adult who was taught to see the world primarily through an “American Church” lens—as it turns out, most of our nation’s biggest “hot topic,” religious issues are not as black and white as I was once taught they were. Of course, this is something I had a gut/heart feeling about for a long time, but this book does an excellent job explaining the “why” behind that inkling with research, Scripture, and sincere, broken-down explanations.
This book was a well-researched, well-written, and incredibly well-annotated. It’s also got a lot of heart and humor! I recommend it to anyone and everyone who is on their own deconstruction journey or just wants to know more about how Nationalism influences the political climate in America. 4.5⭐️s.
November 4, 2024
"I came to think differently and question what I had been taught because the life I experienced and the knowledge I learned pushed me beyond what Christian nationalism taught me... There was no atheist professor brainwashing me, I just lived my life, expanded my knowledge of the world, and came to see that things didn't add up."
What a poignant, timely, and unfortunately exceptionally relatable listen for me! I learned about April through her TikToks and loved her sense of humor and view of the world. I was really excited to read this book and I was not disappointed at all. April is painfully real, hilarious, and rehashed a lot of the same things I have had to reconcile with my faith and the world I was brought up in. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to learn more about conservative Christianity/Christian nationalism, especially via the personal experience of a woman like April. Here's to putting the "Christ" back in Christianity; the greatest of these is love.
What a poignant, timely, and unfortunately exceptionally relatable listen for me! I learned about April through her TikToks and loved her sense of humor and view of the world. I was really excited to read this book and I was not disappointed at all. April is painfully real, hilarious, and rehashed a lot of the same things I have had to reconcile with my faith and the world I was brought up in. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to learn more about conservative Christianity/Christian nationalism, especially via the personal experience of a woman like April. Here's to putting the "Christ" back in Christianity; the greatest of these is love.
October 27, 2024
I've been following April Ajoy ever since I came across her deconstruction video on social media and immediately resonated as I'd been going through my own deconstruction right at that time. She illustrates the process well where the expectations of one's faith does not line up with the morality that the faith had formed. The part that got me the most (I was visibly, audibly crying at it) was her experience in the summer of 2020. I wish I'd had the courage to do what she did but I was too afraid of blowback coming from my job at the time or from the people in the community I worked with for my job.
October 21, 2024
A must-read if you've ever been evangelical, are evangelical, or ever knew an evangelical. I knew this would be funny, but I didn't expect it to be so educational. April's story so closely mirrors my own, I've actually started to wonder if she's been stalking and spying on me my whole life. In all seriousness: April represents what true Jesus follower should look like. (Except maybe the JNCO jeans...Jesus has his limits).
October 21, 2024
This book takes you on the journey of a super conservative Christian nationalist leaving behind dogma. It’s full of love and wit, showing the good while not sparing the bad. A great and vulnerable read for anyone who’s ever wondered about the people on the other side, regardless of which side you’re on.
November 4, 2024
Think: Christian Nationalism for Dummies, with a side of humor and personality. Highly suggest starting with this, then finishing up with Bradley Onishi’s Preparing for War.
October 16, 2024
I saw myself and my experiences so clearly in this book. It's a very important book for this time in history.
October 8, 2024
“I had been so consumed with the culture wars of putting Christ back in schools, back in the country, and back in Christmas that I hadn’t even noticed he needed to be put back in Christianity.” 👏👏👏
I’ve enjoyed April’s content since I first found her on TikTok shortly after starting my own deconstruction journey. While we ultimately ended up in different places with our faith, so much of her experience growing up in evangelicalism/Christian Nationalism is relatable.
April does an amazing job at sharing personal anecdotes combined with facts and statistics to tell a poignant (and horrifying) story of how Christian Nationalism is impacting both Christianity and the United States as a whole.
This was everything I wanted from Jesus & John Wayne, which I read last year. It was funny, and infuriating, and heartbreaking, and unfortunately very real.
I’ve enjoyed April’s content since I first found her on TikTok shortly after starting my own deconstruction journey. While we ultimately ended up in different places with our faith, so much of her experience growing up in evangelicalism/Christian Nationalism is relatable.
April does an amazing job at sharing personal anecdotes combined with facts and statistics to tell a poignant (and horrifying) story of how Christian Nationalism is impacting both Christianity and the United States as a whole.
This was everything I wanted from Jesus & John Wayne, which I read last year. It was funny, and infuriating, and heartbreaking, and unfortunately very real.
October 18, 2024
I wanted to read this book because I am also a Christian who has become deeply frustrated by the church. I feel that Christians are manipulated and pandered to by politicians and in return Christians make idols out of politicians.
I think April does a good job of pointing out a lot of the issues with the Christian nationalist base and the end goals, but I think her arguments could have been a lot stronger. I also think it’s very brave to share your experience, but again I think some of the validity of the issues are somewhat lost because her change of heart could be construed as “this happened to me so now I think this way”. There is enough power in pointing out that a lot of Christian behavior is very un-Christlike and using the words and teachings of Jesus to establish why.
Overall, this book makes good points and April shares a lot of her journey but I felt like it was repetitive at times and could have been more concise.
I think April does a good job of pointing out a lot of the issues with the Christian nationalist base and the end goals, but I think her arguments could have been a lot stronger. I also think it’s very brave to share your experience, but again I think some of the validity of the issues are somewhat lost because her change of heart could be construed as “this happened to me so now I think this way”. There is enough power in pointing out that a lot of Christian behavior is very un-Christlike and using the words and teachings of Jesus to establish why.
Overall, this book makes good points and April shares a lot of her journey but I felt like it was repetitive at times and could have been more concise.
October 15, 2024
April touches on the blurred lines of evangelicalism and Christian Nationalism in a way that is witty, nuanced, introspective, honest, empathetic, and timely. She calls out absurdities, hypocrisy, and harm in this mindset, while openly (and often comically) discussing her former role in it. She comes from first hand experience as someone who grew up a pastor’s kid, and was a Christian Nationalist before knowing that’s what it was. That is, until Evangelical Christians aligned themselves unapologetically with Donald Trump, and April was unwittingly thrown into deconstruction - of her faith, her politics, and the very core beliefs that had always defined her. Her cognitive dissonance was put in the spotlight, and she could no longer ignore it.
April uses care to avoid demonizing Christian Evangelicals or painting them as a monolith, while still discussing the dangers of Christian Nationalism. At the core of this journey, she was guided by the heart of Jesus.
Rachel Held Evans would have blurbed this book.
April uses care to avoid demonizing Christian Evangelicals or painting them as a monolith, while still discussing the dangers of Christian Nationalism. At the core of this journey, she was guided by the heart of Jesus.
Rachel Held Evans would have blurbed this book.
October 3, 2024
April Ajoy goes through her time as an evangelical and shows how many evangelicals fall into the alt-right, ultra-patriotic side of politics.
I think I was confused about what this book wanted to be. It wasn't exactly a memoir. It wasn't exactly a deep dive into alt-right evangelicalism. It wasn't really a research or investigative piece. I think it needed to fall more into one of those categories for me to enjoy it more. I like April's voice and I've enjoyed other media she has created but I think the book tried to do too many things. Overall, the information was good and the anecdotes were interesting. I just wanted it to be approached differently.
I think I was confused about what this book wanted to be. It wasn't exactly a memoir. It wasn't exactly a deep dive into alt-right evangelicalism. It wasn't really a research or investigative piece. I think it needed to fall more into one of those categories for me to enjoy it more. I like April's voice and I've enjoyed other media she has created but I think the book tried to do too many things. Overall, the information was good and the anecdotes were interesting. I just wanted it to be approached differently.
November 12, 2024
BRILLIANT!
As an immigrant living in the USA, I found this book incredibly illuminating. I had ideas about “Christian nationalism” but this really spelled it out. I was impressed with April’s understanding of the “seven mountain mandate” and how intertwined it is with Christian nationalism. That was definitely a revelation for me as more of an outsider.
This book helps explain the relationships between the Republican party, Christian nationalists and USA Christians in general. It is nearly impossible not to be touched by Christian nationalism as an evangelical Christian in this country (though other Protestants and Catholics may be slightly further removed from the conversation. Evangelicals from other countries, like myself from Australia, would also be less influenced by Christian nationalist rhetoric as it seems to be a very American-Evangelical bent).
April delves into American exceptionalism, right-wing media, conspiracy theories, satanic panic, queer and trans conservative views, gun rights, racism, abortion, the obsession with the end-times, fear-mongering with regard to both heaven and hell, the persecution complex, the education system, and the flipped theology from loving our enemies, to demonizing every perceivable enemy (communists, immigrants, socialists, democrats, pro-choicers, queer people, Muslims after 9/11 etc.).
Her personal stories are delightful. She takes ownership of the mistakes she now believes she made as a Christian nationalist. She is entertaining, quirky, funny, full of life and joy as her name implies. She is able to address the seriousness dangers of Christian nationalism in the USA, with satire, humor, and personality.
This book is an easy read. It is clever, witty, intelligent and I believe it has been written by one of the best possible people for the job: someone who was immersed in Christian nationalism, who eventually identified the many holes and problems in this line of thinking—this religious and political force that is scarily on the rise here in the United States.
Thank you so much for this illuminating book, and for all your work in the deconstruction sphere, April Ajoy!
As an immigrant living in the USA, I found this book incredibly illuminating. I had ideas about “Christian nationalism” but this really spelled it out. I was impressed with April’s understanding of the “seven mountain mandate” and how intertwined it is with Christian nationalism. That was definitely a revelation for me as more of an outsider.
This book helps explain the relationships between the Republican party, Christian nationalists and USA Christians in general. It is nearly impossible not to be touched by Christian nationalism as an evangelical Christian in this country (though other Protestants and Catholics may be slightly further removed from the conversation. Evangelicals from other countries, like myself from Australia, would also be less influenced by Christian nationalist rhetoric as it seems to be a very American-Evangelical bent).
April delves into American exceptionalism, right-wing media, conspiracy theories, satanic panic, queer and trans conservative views, gun rights, racism, abortion, the obsession with the end-times, fear-mongering with regard to both heaven and hell, the persecution complex, the education system, and the flipped theology from loving our enemies, to demonizing every perceivable enemy (communists, immigrants, socialists, democrats, pro-choicers, queer people, Muslims after 9/11 etc.).
Her personal stories are delightful. She takes ownership of the mistakes she now believes she made as a Christian nationalist. She is entertaining, quirky, funny, full of life and joy as her name implies. She is able to address the seriousness dangers of Christian nationalism in the USA, with satire, humor, and personality.
This book is an easy read. It is clever, witty, intelligent and I believe it has been written by one of the best possible people for the job: someone who was immersed in Christian nationalism, who eventually identified the many holes and problems in this line of thinking—this religious and political force that is scarily on the rise here in the United States.
Thank you so much for this illuminating book, and for all your work in the deconstruction sphere, April Ajoy!
October 17, 2024
God I have been waiting for this since the reveal!!!
April Ajoy is a lovely human who makes tiktoks poking fun at Christian nationalism and/or it's more culty parts. (My favorite are dramatic readings of Facebook posts!) + She has a podcast and I just really appreciate her humor, and how she was able to find a healtheir expression of faith.
Star-Spangled Jesus is a behind-the-curtain look into Christianity but moreso the toxic nationalism. Part-study into how Christianity got to where it is, part-memoir where Ajoy can present her credentials on why she able to speak so clearly and truthfully about it. Basically she was very involved in her church community up until Trump was elected and people around her were considering him "godly."
I've been really digging into deconstructive content, but I still learned a fair bit and I was super impressed with how much work and research Ajoy has put into her book. One takeaway I got was how Christianity represses anger and negative emotion, and it's why we're seeing anger being funnelled into political stance. I also totally remembered how often churches taught me that I would be "persecuted" for my faith; I can only remember my fellow students considered it with apathy at best.
My only criticism is I wish Ajoy talked about what her faith looks like now, because I am genuinely interested how to reconcile faith with biblical contradictions. I am told God is perfect, man is not, but like, not to be a cliche, but how does a God allow evil in holy places? How did the Holocaust happen "under God?"
I am absolutely going to try to sneak this book to members of my family, but I hope overall it helps just one person to reevaluate the harm of their beliefs when churches think Jesus is "not alpha enough "
April Ajoy is a lovely human who makes tiktoks poking fun at Christian nationalism and/or it's more culty parts. (My favorite are dramatic readings of Facebook posts!) + She has a podcast and I just really appreciate her humor, and how she was able to find a healtheir expression of faith.
Star-Spangled Jesus is a behind-the-curtain look into Christianity but moreso the toxic nationalism. Part-study into how Christianity got to where it is, part-memoir where Ajoy can present her credentials on why she able to speak so clearly and truthfully about it. Basically she was very involved in her church community up until Trump was elected and people around her were considering him "godly."
I've been really digging into deconstructive content, but I still learned a fair bit and I was super impressed with how much work and research Ajoy has put into her book. One takeaway I got was how Christianity represses anger and negative emotion, and it's why we're seeing anger being funnelled into political stance. I also totally remembered how often churches taught me that I would be "persecuted" for my faith; I can only remember my fellow students considered it with apathy at best.
My only criticism is I wish Ajoy talked about what her faith looks like now, because I am genuinely interested how to reconcile faith with biblical contradictions. I am told God is perfect, man is not, but like, not to be a cliche, but how does a God allow evil in holy places? How did the Holocaust happen "under God?"
I am absolutely going to try to sneak this book to members of my family, but I hope overall it helps just one person to reevaluate the harm of their beliefs when churches think Jesus is "not alpha enough "
November 17, 2024
Star-Spangled Jesus by April Ajoy
Wow. This book was fantastic. It was informative, compelling, humorous and easily-digestible, while giving me a lot to think about.
In this book, Ajoy describes her own religious upbringing, which she recognizes in hindsight was in line with Christian Nationalism, and what life experiences lead her to reexamine her beliefs. While I grew up in a Christian household, much of her specific Christian upbringing was different from my own, but I related SO much to her political evolution.
I want to be clear, this book is NOT anti-Christian. Ajoy describes how her faith and her understanding of Jesus lead her away from the extreme, hateful and nationalistic beliefs she grew up with and proudly professed herself in her youth. She managed to put into words much of what I have seen and experienced with the Christian Nationalism movement and the thoughts and fears I’ve had.
I absolutely loved this book and would definitely recommend it. It was entertaining while being powerful and eye-opening. I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a while. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks to NetGalley and Worthy Books for the free egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. This book was fantastic. It was informative, compelling, humorous and easily-digestible, while giving me a lot to think about.
In this book, Ajoy describes her own religious upbringing, which she recognizes in hindsight was in line with Christian Nationalism, and what life experiences lead her to reexamine her beliefs. While I grew up in a Christian household, much of her specific Christian upbringing was different from my own, but I related SO much to her political evolution.
I want to be clear, this book is NOT anti-Christian. Ajoy describes how her faith and her understanding of Jesus lead her away from the extreme, hateful and nationalistic beliefs she grew up with and proudly professed herself in her youth. She managed to put into words much of what I have seen and experienced with the Christian Nationalism movement and the thoughts and fears I’ve had.
I absolutely loved this book and would definitely recommend it. It was entertaining while being powerful and eye-opening. I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a while. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks to NetGalley and Worthy Books for the free egalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2024
Finished this one on audio and LOVED it. I am a strongly agnostic borderline atheist person and so I was a little hesitant to listen to this as April is still Christian. I’ve been trying to be more open minded toward religion as I think I just have an aversion to Christianity due to being raised in Catholic school etc.
This read taught me ALOT. From the history of Christian nationalism, to the beliefs within the political ideology, and overall the true meaning of what it is to be a Christian. It made me admire her and the population of Christians in general. I also was laughing out loud at some of her ridiculous anecdotes of her religious upbringing😭😂.
There were a ton of quotes throughout this book that resonated with me - but the one that got to me the most was “How can I be pro life and reconcile with so much death?” I.e. how can you call yourself pro life and be OK with trans folks dying by violence, women dying after being denied abortion care, children and innocent people dying in Gaza, children being shot at school in mass shootings, suicide completion by guns, and so much more.
I recommend this book to everyone - Christian or not.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5!!
This read taught me ALOT. From the history of Christian nationalism, to the beliefs within the political ideology, and overall the true meaning of what it is to be a Christian. It made me admire her and the population of Christians in general. I also was laughing out loud at some of her ridiculous anecdotes of her religious upbringing😭😂.
There were a ton of quotes throughout this book that resonated with me - but the one that got to me the most was “How can I be pro life and reconcile with so much death?” I.e. how can you call yourself pro life and be OK with trans folks dying by violence, women dying after being denied abortion care, children and innocent people dying in Gaza, children being shot at school in mass shootings, suicide completion by guns, and so much more.
I recommend this book to everyone - Christian or not.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5!!
October 14, 2024
I was somewhat familiar with April Ajoy from her social media posts although I didn’t start following her until after I started reading this book. Her content is sometimes goofy and is definitely satirical and based on that I thought this book would be too. Instead, it was a thoughtful, heartfelt and yes, often funny, look at April’s past in Christian Nationalism and how she has grappled with her well intentioned past beliefs and bigotry.
There is well cited research, many personal stories and social media posts, and (most surprising to me) a lot of Bible verses to support her repudiation of Christian Nationalism. Unlike me, April has managed to retain her Christian faith while leaving extremism and evangelicalism behind. I really loved this book and listened to the audiobook version, narrated exceptionally well by April.
While April is younger than me, many of her experiences as a mostly homeschooled/Christian schooled girl who fervently believed in the faith she was brought up in, could have been written by me. I am currently mostly removed from any real life or social media contact with that world and so I did find the more recent conspiracies she talks about in her book to be fascinating and disturbing.
Overall this was a delightful book written by someone whose sincere, empathetic, and funny take was a perfect balance.
There is well cited research, many personal stories and social media posts, and (most surprising to me) a lot of Bible verses to support her repudiation of Christian Nationalism. Unlike me, April has managed to retain her Christian faith while leaving extremism and evangelicalism behind. I really loved this book and listened to the audiobook version, narrated exceptionally well by April.
While April is younger than me, many of her experiences as a mostly homeschooled/Christian schooled girl who fervently believed in the faith she was brought up in, could have been written by me. I am currently mostly removed from any real life or social media contact with that world and so I did find the more recent conspiracies she talks about in her book to be fascinating and disturbing.
Overall this was a delightful book written by someone whose sincere, empathetic, and funny take was a perfect balance.
October 26, 2024
This book was like a big warm hug for me. I'm not sure if it's for everyone, but to anyone who grew up in church and had politics preached from the pulpit, I think it is worth the read. As a former pastor's daughter, I identified with April and her journey. I laughed; I teared up. You better believe I offered up a sarcastic "Amen!" or two. It also gave me a LOT of peace now that we're in another shit-show of an election season. So encouraging. So inspiring. Thank you, April, for sharing your words, and for the beautiful reminder that Christ called us to LOVE one another. Period.
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:35
⭐- 5.0
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:35
⭐- 5.0
October 29, 2024
I loved this book. Bonus - I listened to the audio book and it was great to hear the authors voice.
I’ve read a bunch of books about Christian fundamentalism, nationalism, and extremism. Those were informative but academic- this was so personal with real stories that really helped me understand some questions I have about this movement today.
I’ve read a bunch of books about Christian fundamentalism, nationalism, and extremism. Those were informative but academic- this was so personal with real stories that really helped me understand some questions I have about this movement today.
November 2, 2024
What a great overview of the history and evils of Christian Nationalism from someone who was once on the inside, and who is now a Christian on the outside. I've watched April's reels for a year or so, and really appreciated this direct view into her path of deconstruction. She reads the audiobook with the same familiar empathy and humor I've come to know and love from her.
November 4, 2024
Won’t lie this book is triggering if you have ✨religious trauma✨ and have people close to you that are ✨Christian nationalists✨ lollllllll but this was such a good read, April has a way of writing that makes this depressing topic that makes my stomach hurt enjoyable to read. I listened to the audiobook and will also be getting the physical copy at some point. Highly recommend
November 1, 2024
This was such a great biography/insider view of Christian Nationalism. I hate to say that much of it was uncomfortably relatable. My own journey through deconstruction to a stronger faith mirrored April’s in almost every way.
“No one chooses to [deconstruct their faith]. It just happens. One day you wake up and the years of little things that never made sense rise to the surface.”
“No one chooses to [deconstruct their faith]. It just happens. One day you wake up and the years of little things that never made sense rise to the surface.”
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