My Latest at TIME: Trump's Christian Nationalist Vision for America

It's Publication Day for The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy, now in paperback.

Dear #WhiteTooLong readers,

I’m thrilled to announce that the paperback edition of my latest book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future, is on the shelves today. It contains a new Afterword that connects the long sweep of history in the book to the contemporary threat of white Christian nationalism we are facing in this election.

TIME is running an excerpt from my book this morning under the headline, “Trump’s Christian Nationalist Vision for America.” Here’s a taste:

Trump’s cavalier treatment of the supposedly sacred issue of abortion has exposed the Republican Party’s best kept secret: The connection between Republican voters and their leaders was never primarily about abortion. Rather, as Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) transformation of the party reveals, Trump’s bond with his supporters is forged from different material: namely, his militant mission to return power to white Christian America.

The excerpt includes a striking chart, showing the strong positive correlation between support for Christian nationalism and support for Donald Trump in the 2020 election among white voters—not just at the national level but at the state level. Among white Americans, the positive correlation between a state’s average score on the Christian nationalism scale and the proportion of residents who cast votes for Trump in 2020 is a textbook example of a strong linear relationship. The more strongly white residents of a state support Christian nationalism, the more likely they were to have cast their votes for Trump in 2020.

I conclude the TIME piece with some thoughts about what is at stake this fall:

More than any other discreet moment in the last half century, the 2024 election will present us with a choice that is much more than partisan. We will have an opportunity to choose between a regressive fantasy of America as a white Christian nation and an aspirational vision of America as a pluralistic democracy. Until we find the will to finally reject the dangerous, authoritarian political theology that now controls one of our two political parties, it will continue to undermine the potential for a truly democratic American future.

As we watch the historic presidential debate tonight between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, these contrasting visions of who we are as a country, more than any policy disagreements, will be the most critical. Here’s hoping the debate moderators, ABC's David Muir and Linsey Davis, will not treat this debate as if it is taking place during a normal election. I’m hoping they will embrace the significance of its location—the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia—and push the conversation toward protecting our fragile democracy.

You can read the full excerpt at TIME.

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It’s Paperback Publication Day!

If you have been considering buying the book for yourself or for friends and family, today is a great day to pick up the paperback—perfect for a book club or congregational adult education groups. And if you are not already a paid subscriber to my newsletter and you purchase the book this week, you can get 25% off a paid annual subscription (see details below).

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LIMITED TIME OFFER: Buy Hidden Roots before 9/14 and Get 25% Off a Paid Annual Newsletter Subscription

THE OFFER: If you’re not already a paid subscriber and buy a copy of Hidden Roots before the end of publication week (09/14), you can get 25% off a paid annual subscription to this newsletter. This discount is roughly the same value as the book, so it’s (well, sort of) like getting the book for free! Thanks so much to the dozens of you who have pre-ordered book and already taken advantage of this offer.

We’ll do this on the honor system. Just send me an email at robertpjones.substack@gmail.com confirming you’ve pre-ordered the book (hardcover, audiobook, or ebook), and I’ll send you a link to receive the discounted annual subscription.

Paid subscribers get access to the full newsletter archives and access to live events such as WTL Author Forums, where you get to hear about the story behind the book and ask questions of authors. We’ll have an exciting lineup of other authors all year, including:

• 10/30: Brad Onishi, author of Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--and What Comes Next

• Date TBD: Sam Perry, author of Religion for Realists: Why We All Need the Scientific Study of Religion--Now More than Ever

• Date TBD: Amanda Tyler, author of How to End Christian Nationalism

• others coming soon!