"Like all great satire, the book is cerebral, irreverent and hilarious, while also edifying" — Publisher's Weekly
"This book is hilarious... [Lanham] didn't skimp on his research. The book provides a telling overview of the religious right's leadership, the beliefs they espouse, and just how incredibly absurd and hypocritical they are." — The Campaign to Defend the Constitution
Editor's Pick: "From the author of The Hipster Handbook comes this irreverent navigation of all things Evangelical. Learn enough slang to fit in at a church picnic or why SpongeBob SquarePants is an agent of the Devil" — Chicago Sun-Times
"This guy has written quite a funny book." — Alan Colmes, Fox News
"A funny book with some funny cartoons on everyone from Rick Warren as the evangelical Jimmy Buffett to a guide for Christian haircuts that is hilarious... I was chuckling until I saw that I am the postscript" — Mark Driscoll, pastor of the largest megachurch in Washington State
"Every good little liberal will have this book on order as a stocking stuffer come Jesus' birthday." — Time Out
"A handbook for coping with bible thumpers.... When considering the power and influence evangelical Christians wield in this country, you have to laugh to keep from crying. Robert Lanham... understands this well and offers much needed, totally biased comic relief." — Village Voice
"Not only is this an important book, it's a funny book." — Marc Maron, Air America Radio
"Author Robert Lanham is an observer... but with his latest, The Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right, Lanham's keen eye has hit perhaps his most entertaining target." — Metro Paper
"It’s hard to remember a more pointed and scathing attack… Lanham launches a focused, sustained barrage on the Pat Robertsons and James Dobsons of the world… He’s done his homework. The book is thoroughly researched and packed with quotes and analysis of the famous and not-so-famous leaders of the evangelical right… the research is truly impressive. " — The Reader
"An utterly biased, humorous one-stop guide to the major evangelical players." — Details
"Check out Robert Lanham's (author of the fabled Hipster Handbook and former Bible Belt resident) Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right. It's funny because it's true." — Elizabeth Spiers, founding Editor of Gawker
"Like the Daily Show or The Colbert Report, it's humor reveals the basic truth. Which is to say that the "sinners" of the world may be closer to Jesus and the divine than those who use God's name for personal enrichment, power building, and political gain." — Buzzflash
"The book does for religion what Jon Stewart does for politics." — CanWest News Service
"Informative, laugh-out-loud funny and horrifying at times, check out this snide, leftie-geared guide to the major evangelical players... Robert Lanham has a writing style that resembles... McSweeney's, and the irony-stacked humor of TV programs such as "The Daily Show" — Style Weekly, Richmond VA
"Hilarious... go out and buy this book now." — Sam Seder, The Majority Report
"This book should lay at the lifeless feet of your corpse as a silent, yet
powerful and all encompassing explanation as to why you took your own life."
— David Cross, Arrested Development
Our Statement of Beliefs All evangelical ministries post a Statement of Beliefs. Here is ours:
WE BELIEVE... Jesus was a progressive liberal. WE BELIEVE... Love the political ministry, hate the tax exemption. WE BELIEVE... Jesus hates Christian rock, Pat Robertson diet shakes, and pastors who pronounce his name "Jay-sus." WE BELIEVE... Wearing WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) and NOTW (Not of this World) logos is AGWTEA (A Great Way to Ensure Abstinence). WE BELIEVE... Good deeds with a conversion agenda are not good deeds. WE BELIEVE... The church's biggest heresy can be summed up in six words: John Tesh: Worship at Red Rocks. WE BELIEVE... Malachi is an inspirational book in the Old Testament, but he also ruled in the movie Children of the Corn. WE BELIEVE... Christianity is no better than Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or Judaism. Its does kicks Scientology's ass though. WE BELIEVE... Eternal condemnation for finite sin?! And you actually want us to endorse your Supreme Court picks? WE BELIEVE... We're not anti-family. We're anti-Bush family. WE BELIEVE... The good ole days when sensible folk could make fun of the French without feeling like rightwing nutjobs will probably never return. WE BELIEVE... The Passion of the Christ is a horrible, horrible movie. WE BELIEVE... Your choir director is probably gay too, so get over it. WE BELIEVE... Sin is in the eye of the beholder.
About the author, Robert Lanham Robert Lanham was raised in Richmond, Virginia in the heart of the Bible Belt and was raised in a strict Southern Baptist church. He grew up in an environment where rock music was considered the devil's music and with parents who speak in tongues, vote Republican, and have a vanity plate that says Prayzin. Lanham's first babysitter was Republican Senator Tom Coburn, best known for advocating the death penalty for abortion providers. As a teen, before his fall from grace, Lanham tried to speak in tongues, but failed. Lanham now lives in the den of iniquity, New York City. Despite the prayers and efforts of many, Lanham did not get "saved" during the course of this study, but is confident he'll be just fine. He's the author of The Hipster Handbook and Food Court Druids, Cherohonkees and other Creatures Unique to the Republic and is the editor and founder of FREEwilliamsburg.com.
About the artist, Jeff Bechtel Jeff Bechtel grew up in Richmond as well—the one in Indiana. Raised in a household where there was little mention of God, religion was bewildering to Bechtel. He recalls being scorned by a religious fanatic for buying the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook as a child and hearing disturbing tales about cult leader Jim Jones, another native of Richmond, Indiana. Making sure he avoided Kool-Aid, Bechtel ran off to art school before eventually moving to Brooklyn, New York to become a draughtsman for hire. Bechtel has drawn weird pictures for Robert Lanham's past two books. He remains among the lost, destined to be left behind should the Rapture arrive.
Bill McCartney
