Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right

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Patient and thoughtful: a crucial contribution to the growing body of work on the intersectionalism of the far right.--Jeff Sharlet, author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War

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Many women involved with conservative Christian politics see themselves as in effect countercultural warriors--even as feminists. Esther's Army gracefully asserts their centrality to the American Right. It should change the way you think about evangelical politics.--T.M. Luhrmann, author of When God Talks Back

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Written with a generous, lighthearted touch as well as critical eye, Esther's Army is not just an essential guide to our political times, but a captivating portrait of the power Christian women wield in the post-Covid age. A riveting and illuminating must-read.--Darren Dochuk, author of From Bible Belt to Sunbelt: Plain-Folk Religion, Grassroots Politics, and the Rise of Evangelical Conservatism

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Katie Gaddini opens the door to usher us into a large living room of women activists behind the Christian Right, the ones forging the future direction of the United States of America.--Scot McKnight, author of Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple

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Katie Gaddini balances a sense of familiarity and empathy with scholarly incisiveness. A must-read for anyone trying to comprehend the everyday women who are the engine of Christian Trumpism.--Bradley Onishi, author of Preparing for War: the Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--and What Comes Next

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"Inviting readers to see the world through the eyes of conservative women, Esther's Army is essential reading for anyone who has ever puzzled over why so many women appear to vote against their interests. As Katie Gaddini expertly demonstrates, understanding the motivations of conservative Christian women is key to understanding American politics today."--Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne

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Gaddini's desire to make sense of the sometimes bewildering world from which she came is both familiar and provocative in a secularizing and polarizing country. Her distinct combination of experience, sensitivity, and scholarly approach sidesteps easy scapegoats and trending sensations to discern an explanation of President Trump's--and the Republican Party's--gains among a surprisingly diverse group of female voters. A respectful and essential perspective on the realignment and entrenchment of conservative Christian women.-- "Kirkus"

Publisher Marketing:

For decades, conservative Christian women have been dismissed as naive and brainwashed, victims of political coercion by the men in their lives. Yet that narrative doesn't explain how they have also become some of the most influential political organizers of our time: the backbone of the modern conservative movement whose strategic efforts over the past six decades have culminated in the 2024 election of Donald Trump.

To understand this unique and growing political force, sociologist Katie Gaddini conducted over ten years of ethnographic research, interviewing key players in the field and joining them across the country as they organized, rallied, and celebrated. As a former evangelical, Gaddini speaks the language of the Christian Right fluently and in Esther's Army, she profiles six distinct archetypes: college idealists, (anti)feminist powerhouses, Black conservatives, MAHA social media influencers, white suburbanites, and "Mama Bears" marching on state capitols to ban books and gender initiatives.

Observing Christian women's activism from grassroots networks to conservative universities to public politics and jobs at the White House--as they borrow feminist rhetoric to "lean in" to their executive skills while rejecting liberal feminism--Gaddini reveals how these women have turned being underestimated into a strategic force. The result is a sweeping portrait of the women shaping the political future of the United States.

Review Citations:

• Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2026 (EAN 9781324123767, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Gaddini, Katie
Dr. Katie Gaddini is a visiting scholar at Stanford University and associate professor of sociology at University College London. She's written for Time, The Hill, and the San Francisco Chronicle and has appeared on BBC, NPR, and international media outlets.