Tabernacle of Hate

In the summer of 1984, Noble was within seconds of committing what would have been the largest domestic terrorist act in United States history at that time. As one of the founders of the Covenant, Sword, and Arm of the Lord (CSA), a cult paramilitary group, Noble carried a bomb into a gay church, intending to murder over seventy individuals. In Tabernacle of Hate, Noble provides an unprecedented first-person account of how this small spiritual community progressed from mainstream religious beliefs into increasing extreme positions, eventually transforming into a domestic terrorist group. Written after his release from prison, the author’s cogent narrative reveals the deceptive allure of extremist movements and the unmatched power of charismatic leadership. Noble chronicles the intense stand-off with federal agents at the group’s compound in Northern Arkansas in April of 1985. As the group’s spiritual leader he helped mediate the peaceful surrender of the military leader Jim Ellison and many of the group members, considered by federal agencies to be one of the most success­ful negotiations of a domestic terrorism situation. Originally published in 1998, this second edition includes an au­thoritative introduction, placing Noble’s narrative and the CSA into the broader picture of American religio-political extremism. Combined with two pamphlets, ""Witchcraft and the Illuminati"" and ""Prepare War,"" written by Noble for the CSA, Tabernacle of Hate gives readers extraordinary access to the sources of right-wing extremism and valuable insight into how to address this growing concern.