Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds
by John Fugelsang
View on GoodreadsComedian and broadcaster John Fugelsang's debut — an irreverent, scripture-based takedown of far-right Christian nationalism, arguing that fundamentalists who weaponize the Bible for political power betray the actual teachings of Jesus, and equipping readers to rebut their talking points on abortion, immigration, and LGBTQ rights using the Bible itself.
Core ideas
- Fugelsang's central claim is a reclamation: the extremists who weaponize the Bible for earthly power aren't actually on the side of Jesus and historically never have been — so the fight isn't religion vs. secularism but authentic Gospel values (love, mercy, welcoming the stranger) against those exploiting faith as, in his framing, a cloaking device for hate.
- The book is built as a practical debate manual: it walks through common fundamentalist talking points — abortion, immigration, LGBTQ rights, guns — and equips the reader to counter each using chapter and verse, turning the fundamentalists' own claimed authority (scripture) back against their politics.
- The method is deliberately comedic and irreverent — pitched "in the spirit of George Carlin and Christopher Hitchens" but from inside a Christian frame (the son of a nun and a monk) — arguing that humor and biblical literacy together are the most effective tools for anyone who has to deal with a Christian nationalist.
Published2025
ISBN9781668066898
ReadAug 2026
