Our democracy is under threat. It's hard to imagine, but imagine we must if we are to prevent it.

This is why I recommend you take some time to read "The Authoritarian Playbook for 2025: How an authoritarian president will dismantle our democracy and what we can do to protect it," a report released this month by Protect Democracy.

As I've noted before in this newsletter, there is a "new center" in American politics. People from across the political and religious spectrum — conservatives, progressives, liberals, libertarians, and more — have united in a common cause to protect our democracy from the authoritarian impulses and designs coming from various quarters of American culture. Protect Democracy is a good example of this project.

The new report examines one imminent threat — the reelection of former President Donald Trump. It looks at what Trump is promising to do if elected, and the means to fulfill those promises. While some supporters and pundits have argued, and continue to argue, that Trump's extremist rhetoric shouldn't be taken seriously, Trump has demolished those arguments over and over through his own actions.

The report examines, for instance, Trump's promises to use presidential authority to pardon his J6 rioting supporters and himself, seek retribution against political opponents, use federal law enforcement and the military against undocumented immigrants and peaceful protestors, and to control elections and stay in power after his second term.

The report ends with 10 strategies to protect our democracy.

Read the report.

AVC Pastor Conferences

I look forward to seeing some of you in Phoenix on Monday. If you're a pastor, ministry leader or lay leader, it's not too late to sign up. We start at 8:30am at Central Christian Church in Mesa, AZ. You'll get a chance to hear from Curtis Chang and Elizabeth Neumann. The evening keynote speech by Russell Moore will be at Phoenix Bible Church at 6:30pm and is open to the public.

Phoenix Conference Registration

If you're in central Florida, our Orlando conference will be on Feb. 15 at Cathedral Church of St. Luke. Please help us spread the word to all the Florida pastors, ministry leaders, lay leaders and seminary students you know. Our guest speakers will be David Ritchie and Carmen LaBerge, and we'll hear from local leaders Jim Davis, Joel Hunter, and Gabriel Salguero. Russell Moore will again be with us to deliver the evening keynote.

Orlando Conference Registration

What Else We're Reading

Ryan Burge: "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Church Attendance and Voting for Trump"

It’s the one statement that won’t die: Trump rode to victory on the backs of Republicans who aren’t that religiously active. I wrote about it in my book, 20 Myths about Religion and Politics in America because it just kept coming up over and over again. Here’s why this myth is so pernicious. It can be incredibly useful for people on either side of the political debate.

Read the rest.

NAE: "Evangelical Leaders Oppose Using Violence to 'Save Our Country'"

A recent survey from PRRI indicated that nearly a quarter of Americans (23 percent) agree that “because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country,” up from 15 percent in 2021. Evangelical leaders are unanimous in disagreeing with this statement, according to the November/December Evangelical Leaders Survey.

“It is disturbing to see that the distrust and polarization in our country has led to such strong feelings of desperation among Americans,” said Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), of the PRRI report. “Our democracy provides many productive means to work through our differences.”

Read the rest.

WaPo: "Science is revealing why American politics are so intensely polarized"

Trump “is not just saying be afraid. He’s saying, ‘Be angry,’” said Dannagal Young, a professor of communication and political science at the University of Delaware. “Anger is a mobilization emotion because it makes people do things. When you’re angry, you’re angry at someone.”

The media do their part to keep things inflamed. Conflict grabs attention.

“We’re evolutionarily predisposed to pay attention to conflict, because we might be in danger. We don’t turn our head really quickly to look at a beautiful flower. We turn our heads quickly to look at something that may be dangerous,” Mason said.

That’s a part of human nature anyone can exploit.

“There are politicians who are good at this,” Mason said. “Trump is the best.”

Read the whole thing.