Church & State 250: The Bible, Slavery, and White Christian Power

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: [email protected] happens when Christianity becomes a tool for defending racial hierarchy? Robert P. Jones, founder and president of PRRI and author of White Too Long, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy, and the forthcoming Backslide, joins Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram to examine how white Christianity shaped slavery, segregation, public memory, and American democracy. Jones traces the story through his own Southern Baptist family history, the denominational splits over slavery, the religious defense of the Confederacy, lynching, the Lost Cause, segregation academies, and the long refusal of many white Christians to fully repent of white supremacy. The conversation also looks at why terms like “white Christian” and “white evangelical” are uncomfortable but necessary, and how racial identity still shapes religious and political behavior. This episode asks a hard question: if Christians once used the Bible to justify slavery and Jim Crow, what are Christians being asked to confront now?Guest BioRobert P. Jones, PhD, is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute, known as PRRI, and a New York Times bestselling author. His work examines the intersection of religion, race, politics, democracy, and American identity. He is the author of The End of White Christian America, White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future, and the forthcoming Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy. His research and writing connect directly to this episode’s focus on white Christianity, slavery, segregation, Christian nationalism, public memory, and the future of democracy.Book MentionedBackslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy by Robert P. JonesBookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/56272/9781250431134The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy  by Robert P. JonesBookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9781668009529Relevant Links & ResourcesPRRI - Robert P. JonesURL: https://prri.org/staff/robert-p-jones-ph-d/ Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026.  Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/Support the showKeep the conversation going.Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, suggest a future guest, or connect with us directly?Visit our website:faithfulpoliticspodcast.comBrowse our bookstore, featuring books from many of our guests:faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstoreSupport the show and help us keep these conversations going:patreon.com/cw/FaithfulPoliticsSubscribe for behind-the-scenes content, reflections, and updates:faithfulpolitics.substack.comContact the hosts:Josh Burtram, Faithful Host: [email protected] Wright, Political Host: [email protected] Faithful Politics:Instagram: faithful_politicsFacebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast