“What is truth?” said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer. 
—Francis Bacon 
 
Although Christians are followers of the Truth, many find themselves tempted by the alternate “truths” offered by conspiracy theories. Christianity and conspiracy theories have had a long, complicated relationship. But today conspiracy theories are bringing our already polarized society to the brink of chaos. QAnon, the Big Lie, and anti-vaccination theories thrive online, disrupting faith communities. This timely essay collection explores the allure of conspiracy theories and their consequences—and ultimately offers gospel-based paths forward. 
 
Accessible to all concerned believers, QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross features scholars of religion, ethics, and public life on the following topics:
     • evaluating evidence and forming beliefs 
     • the Satanic Panic of the 1960s–1990s 
     • understanding scientific methodology 
     • conspiracy theories’ appeal to those searching for meaning 
     • the consequences of social media and echo chambers 
     • productive dialog with people who hold different opinions 
     • intellectualism in the life of faith 
     • conspiracy theories in Scripture 
     • QAnon’s religious rhetoric 
 
Complete with a guide to reasoning, which outlines both logical fallacies and intellectual virtues, QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross is an indispensable resource for all Christians seeking the truth.

Table of Contents

Concerns about Conspiracy Theories for Christians 
          1. Jesus as the Truth, by Stephen T. Davis and Eric T. Yang
          2. Is It Always Wrong to Believe a Conspiracy Theory?, by Chad Bogosian 
          3. The Cost of Debunking Conspiracy Theories, by Scott Culpepper 
          4. Can We Trust Science?, by Garrett J. Deweese 
          5. Conspiracy Theories and Meaning in Life, by Marlena Graves and Shawn Graves 
          6. The Lost Christian Virtue of Reasonableness, by David A. Horner 
          7. A Failure of Humble Proportions, by Michael W. Austin 
          8. Getting Angry, by Gregory L. Bock 
          9. It’s Much Worse than You Think, by J. Aaron Simmons and Kevin Carnahan  
          10. All Christians Are Conspiracy Theorists, by Christian B. Miller 
          11. Christianity, Conspiracy Theories, and Intellectual Character, by Nathan L. King and Keith D. Wyma 
          12. How Shall We Then Think?, by Dru Johnson 
          13. Faith, Reason, and Conspiracy Theories, by Domonique Turnipseed 
          14. The Greatest Conspiracy Ever, by Susan Peppers-Bates 
          15. Testing Teachings and Torching Teachers, by Rick Langer 
          16. Word Spoken at the Proper Time, by Tim Muehlhoff 
          17. Following Christ into Controversy, by Jason Cook 
          18. The Religious Rhetoric of QAnon, by Chase Andre 
          19. Loving Our Online Communities, by Rachel I. Wightman 
          20. Conspiracy Theories, Political Trust, and Christian Witness, by Daniel Bennett 
          21. A City Divided, by Kaitlyn Schiess 
          22. They Are Coming for the Children, by Michelle Panchuk 
          23. Parenting Teenagers in Gullible Times, by Bradley Baurain 
          24. Jesus Was Also Conspired Against, by Steven L. Porter 
Appendix: Careful Reasoning Guide 

Contributors:

Chase Andre, Michael W. Austin, Bradley Baurain, Daniel Bennett, Gregory L. Bock, Chad Bogosian, Kevin Carnahan, Jason Cook, Scott Culpepper, Stephen Davis, Garrett J. Deweese, Marlena Graves, Shawn Graves, David Horner, Dru Johnson, Nathan King, Rick Langer, Christian Miller, Timothy Muehlhoff, Michelle Lynn Panchuk, Susan Peppers-Bates, Steven Porter, Kaitlyn Schiess, Aaron Simmons, Domonique Turnipseed, Rachel I. Wightman, Keith Wyma, Eric Yang