Religion of White Supremacy in the United States

Eric A. Weed was awarded his PhD from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

• Introduction: Why a Religion of White Supremacy?Part One: The Theological Foundations of White SupremacyChapter 1: The Religion of White SupremacyChapter 2: The White ChristPart Two: The Historical Foundations of White SupremacyChapter 3: The Promised LandChapter 4: The Ritual of SacrificeChapter 5: The Priesthood of All BelieversConclusion

This analysis of US racism examines white supremacy as a religion that has endured perpetual challenges and continues to affect the lives of non-white people in the US. Key themes include the Naturalization Act of 1790, which stipulated whiteness as a requirement for citizenship; the Puritans’ rationalization for seizing the land of Indigenous peoples; the ritual function of lynchings; the Tulsa riots; and the contemporary revival of ethno-nationalism under the administration of Donald Trump. Weed identifies a clear pattern of whites opposing the right of blacks to self-defense. He analyzes why enraged whites murdered African Americans who refused to hand over their family members to white lynch mobs, arguing that such violence presumed a divine right to sacrifice blacks to a white god. Weed also addresses the racial history of jurisprudence (e.g., United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind) that denied national membership to non-white races. Throughout the book, the author emphasizes the theological and ritual aspects of racism. In so doing, Weed makes an important case for why elucidating white supremacy as a religious formation is analytically compelling and enables unique insights into the function of racial politics.Summing Up: Essential. All public and academic levels/libraries.