Jerry Smith's Reviews > White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity

This is an interesting addition to the literature on racism and white supremacy in that it specifically addresses the role of Christianity in the perpetuation of said moral evils, seemingly with particular emphasis on white, evangelical christians who seem to be the most egregious offenders in the opinion of RPJ - to be fair there is a chapter dedicated to the studies that provide some empirical evidence to back this up.

In essence this is another book where the author has "seen the light" of racism and white supremacy after spending his life prior to this realization, drinking the Coolaid so to speak. Many of the themes of racism are revisited here; the prevalence of structural and institutional racism, the lack of awareness of racism in themselves and their lives by white people, the vile apologetics of the War of the Rebellion and promotion of the "Lost Cause" narrative and erection of confederate memorials by the UDC etc. However, as befits the subject matter and title, this is couched in terms of Christianity and whilst I am in total agreement on his overall approach, I felt, at times, some of these links might be a bit of a reach. Maybe I have read too much about the confederacy and its traitor in chief Robert E Lee to find this commentary at all novel of surprising.

The literature is replete with accounts of how christianity has been used for millennia to justify racism from the mark of Cain to the curse of Ham to the fact that slavery is specifically condoned in Exodus 21 (as well as other places) so again, this doesn't surprise me. What I thought was very interesting, and that I hadn't previously considered, was the christian view that sin is an individual failing versus what God wants us to be and therefore it is much easier, in fact almost required, to consider racism/police brutality/racially divisive policies etc. as a failing on a personal level or a one off. The idea that there could be institutionalized racism, or structural racism therefore doesn't fit comfortably, if at all, into that world view. This is interesting and explains a lot to me. However I think it undeniable that there is profound and deep structural racism in society and it is the work of antiracism to identify and dismantle that.

This is a well written and easy to read book, I just didn't find all that much that surprised me but that's probably because I don't subscribe to the worldview. I do like to read books from authors who have changed their mind in the light of evidence that challenged and ultimately reversed the way they see the world, and forces them to change some views they previously held as simple truths. I hope I would be capable of this but most people are not, and simply refuse to look at the evidence in front of them that refutes such deeply help views and simply double down. I think Christianity generally fails in this, but it is hardly unique in that regard. Ultimately the whole of the US has a legacy of white supremacy as do far too many countries including my country of birth, the UK. The sooner we accept that, either through the lens of christianity or through secular analysis, the better.