White Evangelical Racism

The Politics of Morality in America

By: Anthea Butler

Narrated by: Allyson Johnson

Length: 3 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

The American political scene today is poisonously divided, and the vast majority of white evangelicals plays a strikingly unified, powerful role in the disunion. These evangelicals raise a starkly consequential question for electoral politics: Why do they claim morality while supporting politicians who act immorally by most Christian measures? In this clear-eyed, hard-hitting chronicle of American religion and politics, Anthea Butler answers that racism is at the core of conservative evangelical activism and power.

Butler reveals how evangelical racism, propelled by the benefits of whiteness, has since the nation's founding played a provocative role in severely fracturing the electorate. During the buildup to the Civil War, white evangelicals used scripture to defend slavery and nurture the Confederacy. During Reconstruction, they used it to deny the vote to newly emancipated Blacks. In the 20th century, they sided with segregationists in avidly opposing movements for racial equality and civil rights. Most recently, evangelicals supported the Tea Party, a Muslim ban, and border policies allowing family separation. White evangelicals today, cloaked in a vision of Christian patriarchy and nationhood, form a staunch voting bloc in support of white leadership.

©2021 The University of North Carolina Press (P)2021 Tantor

As a White Evangelical ... or Formally So ...

I’m a Baby Boomer. I’m white. A man. A Southerner. A Bob Jones University graduate. And an evangelical leader—at least until 2016 when many Evangelical leaders began to suck up and throw down behind Donald Trump. I chose not to and that decision was both painful and alienating.

This book is an important, sharp critique of my religious tradition. It cuts deep. And it took four years of watching Evangelicals’ support of Trump for me to come to grips with the deeper sins of my community of “faith” other than the blind endorsement of a wretched president.

Anthea, if you read this, great book. And thank you for writing it in such an unflinching and disciplined way.

If you are a reader and not an Evangelical, read it to understand. But be full of compassion to those who remain in the movement. They don’t see this truth yet. They as individuals want to do the right thing. But the system of information in which they live keeps them blind, ignorant and contemptible of others who criticize them.

And if you’re an Evangelical, this is tough medicine for all of us. Read it with an open heart. You’ll be tempted to try to excuse our actions. But, let’s be honest, they are inexcusable...

Time to see

The Author shows how white Christian Evangelicals espouse political power perpetuating structural racism in our country. It is for everyone to see, but the caring religion of the white Evangelicals with their right-wing media and political allies muddy the waters with the grandeur of patriotism and use scare tactics and boogie man words like socialism, communism, and riots. To quote an unknown author: "Bigotry and racism – that maintain the status quo of innocent souls not being given a chance – embedded in the policies of the ekklesia."

essential reading

this is essential reading for those brave enough to take on the hard truths of christian facism.

Full of Valuable Information

First book I've finished on Audible. Thoroughly enjoyed. I hope people hear this and decide to follow the golden rule

Superficial overview of a serious cultural threat

DISAPPOINTED! The author strings together a series of headlines that anyone interested in the title of her book would already be well versed in. Wanting a deep dive into the insidious christian nationalism and white supremacism takeover of the Republican party culminating in Trumpism . . . I was left wanting. In contrast, Frank Schaeffer in his "Crazy for God" details how his father used craven Christian leaders from Graham, Falwell, Robertson, et.al. to garner cash and power. Cash from the Christian rubes and power for the politicians who saw Evangelicals as easily manipulated by "culture wars."

Almost didn't finish the book.

The narrator was terrible. Sounded like a machine or a robot. Was difficult to listen to.

All intro and no conclusion.

There are quite a few must-read books on racism these days but this isn't one of them. That flat narrator, who does a fine imitation of a text to speech reader, drones on through what is nothing but an endless historical introduction to the topic. Then the book ends by asking white evangelicals to quit being this way. The one sentence plea of Rodney King to all get along was more effective.

Skip this book and try "Caste", "White Fragility, "So You Want to Talk About Race", or "The Devil You Know."