This episode of Faithful Politics takes a deep dive into the impact of white Christian nationalism on American democracy with Robert P. Jones, president of PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute). Host Will Wright and Jones analyze the pivotal role white Christians played in the 2024 election, drawing from Jones’s Time Magazine article, “What White Christians Have Wrought,” and his latest book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future. The conversation traces the historical and cultural forces that have shaped white Christian political allegiance, explores the divide between religious and racial groups in voting behavior, and examines how Trump’s continued support reflects deeper systemic challenges. This episode provides a candid look at the intersection of faith, politics, and social identity, highlighting what’s at stake for the future of pluralistic democracy.
What White Christians Have Wrought: https://time.com/7174260/white-christianity-trump-election-essay/
Why Christian Democrats Are Seen as the “Wrong Kind” of Christian: https://open.substack.com/pub/faithfulpolitics/p/why-christian-democrats-are-seen?r=1bt7sx&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: and the Path to a Shared American Future: https://a.co/d/3jLsPfQ
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Conversation
01:32 Contextualizing the Recent Election Results
05:48 The Role of White Christians in Politics
12:01 Historical Shifts in Political Party Alignments
18:02 The Consistent Support for Trump Among White Evangelicals
24:06 The Impact of Politics on Theology
27:08 The Divide in American Christianity
28:35 White Supremacy and Christian Identity
30:27 James Baldwin's Influence on Christian Thought
35:00 Voting Patterns Among Religious Groups
38:17 The Role of White Supremacy in Voting
46:15 Defining Christian Identity in Polling
52:29 Protecting Democratic Norms in a Pluralistic Society
Guest Bio:
Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future (published September 5, 2023), as well as White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, which won a 2021 American Book Award. He is also the author of The End of White Christian America, which won the 2019 Grawemeyer Award in Religion.
Jones writes regularly on politics, culture, and religion for The Atlantic, TIME, Religion News Service, and other outlets. He is frequently featured in major national media, such as CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. Jones writes a weekly newsletter for those dedicated to the work of truth-telling, repair, and healing from the legacy of white supremacy in American Christianity at www.whitetoolong.net.