You’ve heard of Jeremiah Wright. You’ve heard of John Hagee. Now meet The Family.

Who exactly were the “Founding Fathers” of the United States of America? Were they the political leaders who established the prolific Declaration of Independence? Were they patriots and leaders of the American Revolution who later went on to framing one of the greatest pieces of writing in America; the United Stated Constitution? Or were they something never really described in our history textbooks?

Or were they something never really described in our history textbooks? A “family” that waged spiritual wars in the guise of American pursuits? The Family, written by Jeff Sharlet, recounts the story of businessmen and an immigrant preacher they followed who together built a global network of fundamentalists and achieved enormous political power. Sharlet argues that this power has been used to manipulate national and foreign policies that have preserved for generations, even now.

In Sharlet’s interview, Laura Flanders discusses his alternative views of conventional American fundamentalism. He also speaks about how American fundamentalism has impacted the economics of globalization and use of war past and present.