Taking America Back traces the Christian nationalism movement from Barry Goldwater to the Trump era and examines its political strategy, institutions, and influence

Christian nationalism stands at the center of this book's account of modern US conservatism, linking Barry Goldwater's rise to the contemporary Trump era through a shared religious and political project. Andrew L. Whitehead maps how networks of activists, churches, media, and institutions helped turn that project into durable political power. The book situates Christian nationalism within broader battles over identity, race, authority, and the meaning of the nation. Its framing emphasizes movement building, historical continuity, and the social forces that made this ideology influential across decades. Psychedelics are not a central subject here, and no specific substance appears to structure the book's focus. The main relevance is indirect, through wider culture-war politics and social currents that can shape drug policy, public morality, and debates about national identity.