Matthew D. Taylor: The NAR’s War on Democracy & The Path to Rehumanizing Faith

Exposing the New Apostolic Reformation's anti-democratic Seven Mountain Mandate and its profound impact on Christian nationalism, urging a return to interreligious dialogue and Jesus' core teachings to rehumanize faith and defend liberal democracy - we're joined by Dr. Matthew D. Taylor to discuss all this and more.

Dr. Matthew D. Taylor is a leading scholar and practitioner in interfaith dialogue and a fierce advocate for pluralism in American society who holds a Ph.D. in Theological and Religious Studies with a focus on comparative religion and modern radical movements within both Christianity and Islam. He currently serves at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, where he works to dismantle antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Christian nationalism. Together, Corey and Matt explore the evolution of evangelicalism, the rise of Christian nationalism, the dangerous theology of the New Apostolic Reformation, and the crucial role of pluralistic democracy in a divided America.

What We Discuss:

• Why Dr. Taylor left evangelicalism and what drew him to interfaith dialogue

• The alarming growth and influence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)

• How NAR theology is shaping U.S. politics and threatening democracy

• The distinction between liberal and illiberal democracy

• How to rehumanize political and religious discourse in polarized environments

• What Christians can do to confront authoritarianism from within their own communities

Episode Highlights:
[00:01:00] Dr. Taylor’s evangelical roots and why he left the movement
[00:05:00] From aspiring missionary to interfaith scholar: Matt’s pivotal moment in Turkey
[00:15:00] Understanding spiritual manipulation in evangelical circles
[00:25:00] Introducing the New Apostolic Reformation and the Seven Mountain Mandate
[00:37:00] How Christian nationalism is reshaping America’s political landscape
[00:45:00] Trump, prophecy, and the theological foundations of MAGA
[00:54:00] What liberal democracy means—and why it’s at risk in the U.S.
[01:03:00] A call for Christians to speak theologically against authoritarianism

Featured Quotes:

"If the propaganda is theological, the response has to be theological." — Dr. Matthew D. Taylor

"We need to improve the quality of our disagreements." — Dr. Matthew D. Taylor

"Right now, the propaganda holding MAGA together is theological—and Christians have a responsibility to speak into that." — Dr. Matthew D. Taylor

"Jesus didn’t come to empower Christians to take power over others—he came to teach us to lay it down." — Dr. Matthew D. Taylor

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Taylor's book, The Violent Take It by Force: icjs.org/the-violent-take-it-by-force
• Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies: icjs.org
• Matthew D. Taylor on Substack: substack.com/@matthewdtaylor

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