The 2016 United States presidential election yielded a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, and questions. One thing that has puzzled political, religious, and social science pundits since this monumental election is the widespread support for Donald Trump by evangelical Christian voters. Namely, how could a group with such staunch conservative views support a presidential candidate whose words and actions blatantly contradict Christian tenets and conservative values? Anthea Butler joins the discourse with her enlightening work, White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America. Using a critical historical lens, the author traces the lineage of evangelical politics to its racist roots, demonstrating that white evangelicals’ support of Donald Trump is not at all surprising.
The introductory chapter lays out the author's main argument: “Evangelicalism is synonymous with whiteness,” in that the evangelical movement has always supported policies that benefit the interests of whites and eventuate the suffering of non-whites (p....
