"Of all the important studies of the American right, The Family is undoubtedly the most eloquent. It is also quite possibly the most terrifying. This story of a secretive and unmerciful church of 'key men' goes way beyond Jesus Christ, CEO�it's Jesus Christ, lobbyist; Jesus Christ, strikebreaker; and maybe even Jesus Christ, fuehrer."

--Thomas Frank, author of What's the Matter with Kansas?

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From BuzzFlash.com:

In the spirit of new found Democratic Party unity, we won't name names. But the elitist "Christian" -- and some would argue nearly fascist -- cult known as "The Family" received some attention because one of the former presidential primary candidates was known to have been involved in the group, at least for some time, while in D.C.

In some ways, they are a non-Catholic version of the mysterious Opus Dei, which Antonin Scalia and other members of the Catholic hard right belong to.

"The Family" definitely believes in a sort of Straussian Christianity, in which the religiously enlightened guide the masses to higher ground.

In a recent interview, Jeff Sharlet, offered some insight into this ministry to the powerful and privileged:

Lindsay Beyerstein What is the Family?

Jeff Sharlet: It's an international network of evangelical activists in government, military and business. The Family is dedicated to this idea that Christianity has gotten it all wrong for two thousand years by focusing on the poor, the suffering and the weak.

The Family says that instead, what Christians should do is minister to the up-and-out -- as opposed to the down-and-out -- to those that are already powerful. Because if they can win those people for Christ, they win the whole deal. That's what this network is dedicated to. It includes nonprofit organizations, it includes think tanks, it includes various ministries.

Lindsay Beyerstein: Where did they get the idea that they should be ministering to the up-and-out? There doesn't seem to be a lot basis in Christianity for that view.

Jeff Sharlet: Two places. The founder of the Family, Abraham Vereide, would describe it as his "new revelation" that came to him in the middle of the night, very literally: in a vision from God in 1935 in response to the Great Depression and, more particularly, to a series of very successful labor strikes that he saw as challenging God's sovereignty. So, God comes and gives him

Early on, Vereide and the Family weren't actually talking about scripture, but as time went on they began invoking more and more a particular verse of Paul's Letter to the Romans, which is popular among fundamentalists, Romans:13: "The Powers that Be are Ordained of God." And it goes on to say that if you resist those powers, you're in a lot of trouble. Interpreted literally, this is the key text in authoritarian Christianity. So, that's where they're getting it.

Lindsay Beyerstein: In "The Family," a lot of subjects explicitly state their admiration for Hitler and other authoritarian political figures. How much of that is admiring their style, and how much is admiring their substance?

BuzzFlash: Uh, read the book to find out the answer to the last question.

"The Family" is a hot book right now and deservedly so. It's a religious cult that preaches the antithesis to democracy. And it may explain why some politicians -- no names please -- believe that only they, as individuals, can save America.