American Idolatry

“We need this book. Now. Whitehead uses his academic expertise and personal experience to explain how we can be both faithful Christians and faithful citizens without being seduced by Christian nationalism. With skill and grace, he 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

“Sociologist Andrew Whitehead’s scholarship has greatly deepened America’s understanding of white Christian nationalism. In American Idolatry he powerfully engages the subject on intimate terrain, that of a Christian believer deeply grieved by the ways white Christian nationalism has weaponized the faith he loves. With both passion and acuity, he cites the dangers it portends for both American society and the Christian faith. But just as importantly, he also looks at the ways that it is being confronted on the terrain of faith. A lively and lucid read, American Idolatry is a significant contribution to our understanding of white Christian nationalism and the social and psychological forces that underlie it.”

Obery M. Hendricks Jr.

“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. Whitehead combines his incisive perspective as a sociologist with his personal journey as one whose early faith was shaped by this ideology. American Idolatry moves beyond an academic analysis and reveals the deep and harmful human impact of white Christian nationalism.”

Jemar Tisby

“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

“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. He also makes clear that it is not enough simply to declare that one is not a Christian nationalist; rather, one must embody what it means to be Christian—beginning with recognizing Christianity’s complicity in creating and sustaining racism and actively working for racial justice. 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. American Idolatry is required reading for anyone who claims to be Christian in this time of Christian nationalist fervor.”

Kelly Brown Douglas

“With a rare combination of sociological insight and pastoral concern, Whitehead has given us an invaluable field guide to recognizing the threat that Christian nationalism poses for the integrity of Christian theology and the health of American churches, particularly those that are predominantly white. This timely and practical book serves as a much-needed moral compass in these bewildering times.”

Robert P. Jones

“In American Idolatry, Whitehead enters the belly of the beast, where he ventures forth not with a sword or with a dagger but with a light—shining beautifully and brightly in the form of his own journey, his own imagination, his own witness. It is said that salvation is not only about life in the future but also about life right now. Whitehead reveals that life, that love, and the truths that remake us. At a moment in time when people are not taking Christianity seriously, or have been hurt by the faith, Whitehead invites us into repair. American Idolatry is a reckoning with a faith that desires power more than love. But it is also a redemption. A resurrection. And quite possibly for those who need it—a revolution.”

Danté Stewart