The Religious Influences of White Supremacy in the United States 1

This chapter addresses the history of white supremacy in the United States, particularly as it relates to white evangelical Christianity. In most white churches, God and Jesus are depicted as white men, despite Biblical and historical records to the contrary. The chapter looks at the correlation between Christian imagery and perceptions of white and Black people. We then address some of the history and theory of white supremacist thought, including the “Lost Cause” and “Great Replacement” ideologies. The chapter goes on to look at cultural and political influences on religious thought and the white evangelical support for white nationalist policies.