Sarah Posner is one of the new wave of journalistic experts on the radical Christian right. Her January 29, 2008, book, "God's Profits," could not be more timely. Recently, there have been senate hearings into how some high-profile Evangelical leaders have been making a financial killing off of peddling Jesus and God.

One just need look at the recent scandal at Oral Roberts University, involving Oral Roberts the Junior and his wife, to get a glimpse of how "dialing dollars for Jesus" often ends up enriching those at the top of the "faith business."

And a business it has become. There's no room for the poor in this "Biblical" worldview where wealth is a sign of being in "God's graces." Poverty, in this Mega-Church enterpirse, is a sign of God's scorn.

In short, to be wealthy is to be Godly.

How much more perverted can it get?

Well, read Posner's insightful book.

From the publisher:

Keenly observed and meticulously reported, God's Profits examines the unholy alliance between a new breed of corrupt televangelists and the Republican Party, which is eagerly courting "values voters" in the nation's largest megachurches.

Author Sarah Posner exposes the activities of Kenneth Copeland, John Hagee, Rod Parsley, T.D. Jakes, and other politically connected, skillfully marketed, and increasingly influential religious leader s. Preaching the "prosperity gospel"�the notion that faith and tithing alone can ensure financial security�both in their churches and over the airwaves, these charismatic leaders scam the gullible even as they enjoy unprecedented access to top Bush Administration officials.

Admired by Republican strategists for their antigovernment ideology and authoritarian leadership styles, these televangelists work together to maximize profits; protect themselves legally; influence elections, judicial nominations, and legislation; and promote their pro-war, apocalyptic ideas about the Middle East and its critical role in the "End Time."

About the author:

Sarah Posner is an investigative journalist covering the activities of conservative evangelicals. She has written for The Nation, The American Prospect, AlterNet, The Washington Spectator, and The Gadflyer. She also writes The FundamentaList, which counts down the week�s top news about the religious right, for The American Prospect Web site www.prospect.org.