American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church - Paperback

by Andrew L. Whitehead (Author)

2024 Midwest Book Award Winner in Religion & Philosophy

Power. Fear. Violence. These three idols of Christian nationalism are corrupting American Christianity.

Andrew Whitehead is a leading scholar on Christian nationalism in America and speaks widely on its effects within Christian communities. In this book, he shares his journey and reveals how Christian nationalism threatens the spiritual lives of American Christians and the church.

Sharing stories from pastors, teachers, and other lay Christians, Whitehead explores

● the harm we cause our neighbors when we embrace the idols of power, fear, and violence;
● key examples that demonstrate how these idols violate core Christian beliefs;
● expressions of Christianity that confront Christian nationalism;
● the work we can do to disentangle Christianity from Christian nationalism; and
● a faithful path forward, embodying the life and teachings of Jesus and the gospel.

"Heartfelt, incisive, and worthy of thoughtful consideration."--Library Journal

"A fascinating investigation of politics and racism in American Christian evangelicalism."--Foreword Reviews

Back Jacket

Foreword INDIES 2023 Book of the Year Award (GOLD Winner for Religion)

2024 Midwest Book Award Winner (Religion & Philosophy)

"Crisply written and utterly compelling"

Power. Fear. Violence. These three idols of Christian nationalism are corrupting American Christianity.

American Idolatry reveals the theological and spiritual costs of Christian nationalism for the American church. It also illuminates expressions of Christianity that confront Christian nationalism and offer a faithful path forward.

"American Idolatry is the book I would hand to anyone who is just beginning their journey of understanding white Christian nationalism or who is suspicious that it is even a problem. It moves beyond an academic analysis and reveals the deep and harmful human impact of white Christian nationalism."
--Jemar Tisby, New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism; professor, Simmons College of Kentucky

"What is Christian nationalism and why does it matter? Whitehead cuts through the confusion with this powerful and timely book. Crisply written and utterly compelling, American Idolatry will serve as an essential primer for anyone seeking to understand our current moment so we can chart a path toward a more just and compassionate future."
--Kristin Kobes Du Mez, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

"This is a book whose time has come. With the precision of a scholar and the passion of a faithful Christian, Whitehead clarifies the difference between Christianity and Christian nationalism. By the end of this book, one discovers that it's not only Christian nationalists who betray the gospel but also those Christians who remain quiet in the face of it. Required reading for anyone who claims to be Christian in this time of Christian nationalist fervor."
--Kelly Brown Douglas, former dean of Episcopal Divinity School, professor, Union Theological Seminary

"We need this book. Now. With skill and grace, Whitehead explains the dangerous ideologies undergirding Christian nationalism, traces how it has infected the church, and provides practical guidance for those of us fighting it in our own communities. This is a book you should give to your friends, your family, and your pastor."
--Beth Allison Barr, professor, Baylor University; author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth

Author Biography

Andrew L. Whitehead (PhD, Baylor University) is professor of sociology at Indiana University Indianapolis, where he codirects the Association of Religion Data Archives at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture, and is a research fellow with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. He is the coauthor of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, which won the 2021 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Whitehead has written for The Washington Post, NBC News, Time, and Religion News Service and speaks frequently about Christian nationalism.