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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Welcome to straight white American Jesus. I'm Brad O'Niche faculty University of San Francisco here today with my co host.

I'm Dan Miller professor of religion and social thought at Lamar College. It's nice to see you Brad. I'm out here in like New England where it'll be 90 degrees today.

I don't know how the weather is in California, but I feel like the world has like flipped or something. I am down in Los Angeles.

I gave a talk last night at Occidental thanks to bunch of folks who came out.

And it rained. It was like, you know, 50 degrees in it rained. So I have no idea either what's going on.

And so down in LA this week, recording the audio version of my book, which is fun. And I'm super excited to share with everybody.

But reading your own writing is hard. It turns out because you're pretty easy to critique yourself.

When you read your own writing for like six hours a day and yeah, I'll just leave it there.

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