Here at Straight White American Jesus, we discuss Christian nationalism and racism often on the show.

But an important new book points out that the hidden roots of white supremacy can be found in a little known but powerful Christian doctrine

developed five centuries ago in the wake of the discovery of the so-called New World.

And it convincingly shows that understanding this history sheds new light on the menace of Christian nationalism in contemporary America.

Many of you will be familiar with Robert P. Jones as the founder of PRRI and the author of two previous books, White Too Long and the End of White, Christian America.

His new book is the hidden roots of white supremacy and the path to a shared American future.

It is a compelling historical analysis of the roots of white supremacy that shows the connections between the lynching of three black circus workers in Duluth and the mass execution of 38 Dakota men in Mancato.

Between the murder of 300 African Americans during the burning of Black Wall Street and Tulsa and the Trail of Tears.

Between the murder of Emmett Till and the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto in the Mississippi Delta.

By excavating this history and telling the powerful stories of people reckoning with it today, Jones illuminates the possibility of a new American future in which we finally fulfill the promise of a pluralistic democracy.

The hidden roots of white supremacy and the path to a shared American future by Robert P. Jones is out now from Simon & Schuster.

Check the show notes for a special link to the book.

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Hello and welcome to the series. It's in the code. This is part of the podcast straight white American Jesus. My name is Dan Miller, professor of religion and social thought at Lamar College.

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