Devils of Democracy
America's Love Affair with Political Demons from the Revolution to Today
- Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
- Publisher: Broadleaf Books (Augsburg Fortress)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
From the founding fathers to the rise of Christian nationalism, Devils of Democracy reveals how America's centuries-long obsession with evil has shaped--and endangered--our democracy. Americans love political demons. From the Revolutionary War to today, in fact, America has been steeped in the demonic and the devilish. Demons populate the spaces of American daily life in ways we might be inclined to dismiss, and they exert a power and a hold over our political imaginations that is, arguably, downright diabolical. Yet as strange as our collective obsession with the interaction between demons and politics might seem, this deep-rooted fascination is a meaningful part of our culture and communities, our history and heritage, our religion and recreation, the personal and the political. And it may be precisely this obsession that has led us to our present-day political crisis. While we may be tempted to turn our attention away from the discomfort of demons, author Michael E. Heyes challenges us to a clear-eyed reckoning that requires us to do the opposite. Arguing that we live in a nation that could not exist in its present form without the demonic beliefs that built it, he invites every one of us to join him in confronting spiritual-political demonization in the US head-on, starting with the frightening political point currently confronting our nation, then circling back in time to explore and illuminate the role of demons in US politics throughout our history, drawing connections along the way to our present Trump-era moment and building to the current disturbing demonization of democratic people and institutions, as performed by some groups in the powerful Christian right. As a country, we need to find our way out of this mess, and an important first step is looking at how we got here. If we are to forge a new path forward, we have no choice but to deal with our demons.
Endorsements (9)
“Michael Heyes's Devils of Democracy exposes a simultaneously fascinating and sobering history of the rhetorical use of demons and demonization in American political discourse and action.... Heyes shows that from the witch trials to the Satanic Panic to the Seven Mountains Mandate, and down to today, the gravitational pull of the demonic has a way with the tide of American history. Most sobering of all, Heyes demonstrates that thoughtful folks concerned for the nation's future ought to start taking far more seriously the influence of conspiratorial demonology.”
“This is the ideal book for anyone puzzled by the sudden surge in talk about angels, demons, and spiritual warfare in our politics. Heyes ably demonstrates that the American religious imagination has always tended toward the lurid and apocalyptic. While openly agnostic about the existence of actual demons, Devils of Democracy offers a valuable (and alarming) history of the role of demonizing in American rhetoric and politics.”
“Heyes reveals how the extremist delusion of 'spiritual warfare' has become a profound threat to American civility, tolerance, and neighborliness. Anyone who seeks to understand the current state of the United States--and to rescue it from delusion and conspiracy-fed lies--must urgently read Devils of Democracy.”
“In this bracing and historically grounded book, Heyes traces the long history of Christian demonology, revealing how an ancient theology has come to shape today's volatile political climate. By grounding today's spiritual warfare in its deep theological past, he asks a vital question: If demons are not going away, what does their resurgence mean for American democracy?”
“Thoroughly researched and carefully argued, Devils of Democracy deserves serious attention.”
“This fascinating book lays out in great detail and digestible narrative the intertwined political and religious history of demons, spirits, and the like in America.... This book is a tour de force of forces from another world.”
“Heyes has written the definitive guide to a dark and often misunderstood corner of the American psyche.... Devils of Democracy is a must-read for all who wish to understand the religious logic driving today's headlines.”
“Devils of Democracy is frighteningly relevant for our current political moment. Heyes offers haunting insight into America's centuries-long project of demonizing religious, racial, and sexual outsiders--showing that the real monsters among us are those most determined to undermine the nation's commitment to individual liberty and religious freedom.”
“Devils of Democracy reveals how, for millions of voters, the ballot box has become a front line for 'strategic-level spiritual warfare,' transforming political opponents into cosmic enemies whose defeat is imagined as reclaiming dominion over the earth.”
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