With “White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America”, Anthea Butler gives us an important piece of work on the origins and continued persistence of White Evangelicalism in American right-wing politics, as well as the foundation of racism that continues to influence the White Evangelical church in America. Through a survey of the White Evangelical’s rise to political power through the Republican establishment, Dr. Butler shows just how insipid the movement has been and how White Christian racism continues to be a force in the Republican party. If you think that White Nationalism started with Trump and the MAGA crowd, you need to read this book!

Although I had a cursory knowledge of the subject matter going into the reading of this book, I did not understand how fully intertwined White Evangelicalism is in politics. Knowing that lobbies exist to restrict women’s, civil, and human rights is just the tip of the iceberg to fully understanding the motivations and ways in which the right has infiltrated the republican party and played it to their advantage. Dr. Butler clearly maps out the path that has been taken by White Evangelical leaders to embed in the existing structures and mold them to their will.

This well researched and presented tome is important reading. If you think you understand the politics of America, but you have never considered how the structures are built upon centuries of racism, you need to read Dr. Butler’s work. She also builds upon a wealth of knowledge previously published, shown in her endnotes of selected readings.

I am extremely grateful to Dr. Butler for compiling this work for the general public as it will add to the canon of important reads on the topic of race, society, religion, and American political theory. The book will be out on 22 March 2021, but don’t delay – pre-order a copy now here: UNC Press