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The origins of white supremacy and its threat to democracy

 October 4, 2023 at 1:19 PM PDT
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Supporters of former President Donald Trump protest as U.S. Capitol Police officers shoot tear gas during the assault on the Capitol Jan. 6.
Jose Luis Magana AP
Supporters of former President Donald Trump protest as U.S. Capitol Police officers shoot tear gas during the assault on the Capitol Jan. 6, 2021.

About 1 in 10 Americans are defined as “adherents to Christian nationalism,” according to a joint survey by the Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings Institute. Midday Edition looked at the history behind white Christian nationalism in the United States and what it means today.

Robert P. Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, joined Midday Edition to talk about his latest book and how far-right white Christian nationalism affects our democracy.

Also, a local author draws the connection between early Protestant Christianity and today’s religious extremism and violent nationalism – and how this manifests in San Diego.

And finally, how the next generation is coming to terms with Christianity’s ties to racism.

Guests:

Robert P. Jones, author of “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: and the Path to a Shared American Future”

John Fanestil, author of “American Heresy: The Roots and Reach of White Christian Nationalism”

Montague Williams, professor of church culture and society at Point Loma Nazarene University, author of “Church in Color: Youth Ministry, Race, and the Theology of Martin Luther King Jr.”