Thanks to NetGalley and Worthy Publishing for the ARC!

April Ajoy’s "Star-Spangled Jesus" is a rambunctious, TikTok-style takedown of Christian nationalism, offering readers a glimpse into a life redirected away from evangelicalism.

I mention Ajoy’s social media presence because it feels key to understanding the book. The tone is acerbic but earned, and Ajoy finds an effective balance between her own story and outside research, although I wish she leaned more heavily on the memoirish parts of the book. The author’s approach here is admirable, as she never succumbs to the tendency to rewrite her own history—to suggest that she always “saw through” her nationalistic beliefs. Instead, she is very forthright about how deeply she held them, and the result is a self-forgiveness that allows for genuine self-examination. It also makes "Star-Spangled Jesus" stand out from its peers because it flouts the sociological detachment that characterizes many similar books.

I found "Star-Spangled Jesus" to be really resonant because I share a lot of the life experiences Ajoy describes. She grew up in the world of Target boycotts and "Adventures in Odyssey" and "Left Behind." She describes crying for two days after Obama’s election; I remember that I was convinced it was the beginning of the "end times." It’s an embarrassing belief system to reflect on, but Ajoy is remarkably gracious and forceful in her calls for accountability. She still identifies as religious, and she accepts that there are conservative people who aren’t nationalists. Regardless of whether or not that’s a tenable argument, it reflects the humility that prevents the author’s critiques from becoming self-promoting.

Despite the book’s strengths, I found myself struggling to get through parts of it. Parts of "Star-Spangled Jesus" form an excellent memoir. The problem, however, is that the other parts—the analytical, research-based parts—really drag because they don’t add anything to the discourse that hasn’t been done better elsewhere. It may not matter if this is the only book someone reads on the subject, but I think Ajoy excels at describing the real-world impact Christian nationalism has on an individual’s life, and every move away from that focus feels like a loss.

My other critique is a matter of taste, so take it accordingly. I know humor is subjective, but I found every attempt at it really grating here, as it’s about as sophisticated as “NOT” jokes. You know what I’m talking about—where someone makes a blatantly wrong statement and follows it with an emphatic “NOT,” and that’s the joke. If that description feels unclear, in response to a pastor saying people should preach from the constitution, Ajoy writes: “You know, because the Bible says ‘In the beginning was the constitution,’ or something.” It’s a terminally online sensibility, and the humor feels reflective of our collective cultural burnout—the fatigued, obligatory need to point out absurdity that has grown humdrum over the past decade. It’s tired. I’m tired. We’re all tired. If you’re a fan of Ajoy’s TikTok account or SNL’s Trump sketches, it’ll probably work for you, but I found it cringeworthy.

All in all, "Star-Spangled Jesus" is an excellent addition to the conversation on the pervasiveness of Christian nationalism, and I greatly appreciate April Ajoy’s conviction and skill in writing it. This feels like a perfect book for people who need to read personal narrative to grasp the significance of an issue.