Understanding Christian Nationalism
By Andrew L. Seidel
By Andrew L. Seidel
Christian Nationalism is an existential threat to the American Republic. If we fail to acknowledge, understand, and neutralize this threat, we will see a repeat of the January 6th Insurrection, only worse—it might succeed. Read up. Arm yourself with the knowledge to fight this threat. Three books on this list explore January 6—The Founding Myth, The Flag and the Cross, and White Too Long—but a more comprehensive report details the role Christian Nationalism played in that insurrection and includes contributions by many of the same authors. See Christian Nationalism and the January 6 Insurrection.
American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom
Andrew L Seidel
$27.99 $26.03Christian Nationalists are rewriting our Constitution. This details the coordinated campaign--the crusade--waged over the last decade to "religious freedom" from a protection applied equally, into a weapon that gives Christians a special, favored status and turns everyone else into second class citizens.
Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States
Samuel L. Perry and Andrew L. Whitehead
$31.95The first comprehensive scholarly exploration of Christian Nationalism in the Trump era.
The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism
Katherine Stewart
$18.00 $16.74An investigative journalist and amazing writer exposes the web of power behind the rise of Christian Nationalism.
The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American (New in Paper)
Andrew L Seidel
$17.99 $16.73It's not enough to understand Christian Nationalism—you must also fight it. This book gives you the facts and arguments needed to beat back CN disinformation and undermine the entire identity.
White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America
Anthea Butler
$25.00 $23.25A brilliant, concise, and easy to read history of racism, American evangelicalism, and history by a leading scholar.
Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--and What Comes Next
Bradley Onishi
$28.99 $26.96Onishi grew up a Christian Nationalist and asks a fascinating question about January 6th, if he were still a CN "would I have been there." Tons of interesting history, too.
Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind
Sarah Posner
$19.00One of the most brilliant journalists working in this space exposes the broad sweep and retrogressive goals of CN.
The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy
Samuel L. Perry and Philip S. Gorski
$21.95 $20.41Where Taking America Back for God is a scholarly explanation of CN from a sociological standpoint
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
$28.95 $26.92A look at the last seven decades of white evangelicalism that argues a toxic masculinity replaced the gospel. A fascinating take that pissed off all the right people.
The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power
Jeff Sharlet
$17.99 $16.73One of our finest writers blows the lid off a huge story. You may have seen the Netflix series, the book is so much better.
One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America
Kevin M. Kruse
$19.99 $18.59Another brilliant historian shifts the paradigm on our history. Focused on the mid-20th century, Kruse shows that much of mythology of modern Christian Nationalism was invented by conservatives and ad men to seize political power and undo the New Deal.
The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism
Jemar Tisby
$22.99 $21.38"A a concise history of the way white supremacy wrapped itself in Christianity in the American story..."
The End of White Christian America
Robert P. Jones
$17.00 $15.81Jones knows demographics and his exploration of those demographics helps explain the turn of so many Americans to White Christian Nationalism.
White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity
Robert P. Jones
$17.00 $15.81The overlap of American Christianity and white supremacy must be understood to understand Christian Nationalism.
Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
Michelle Goldberg
$16.95The first book I read on Christian Nationalism that predicted this wave back in 2006. Indispensable.
Inventing a Christian America: The Myth of the Religious Founding
Steven K Green
$35.59A good historical primer on many of the myths underlying Christian Nationalism.
Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? Revised Edition: A Historical Introduction
John Fea
$40.00 $37.20Fea is a historian and an evangelical himself, making this book indispensable for explaining the myths of Christian Nationalism to devout family members.
There are many more writers, scholars, and journalists working to fight Christian Nationalism and not all have books on the subject: Chrissy Stroop, Jack Jenkins, Frederick Clarkson, Peter Manseau, Brad Onishi, and more. There are also great groups out there fighting Christian Nationalism, especially Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. I know I'm missing books, authors, and groups, and will add as the body of knowledge grows.