The ^AReligion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith

by Michael O. Emerson

the elections of 2016 and 2020, with most white Christians voting for Donald Trump despite, in the view of the leaders we interviewed, his personal immorality and support of white nationalism, was the breaking point. What broke? Their spirits. Their illusions. Their hope of ever being seen as truly equal by their white Christian brothers and sisters. The events of this five-year period, these leaders told us, showed definitively that white Christians do not really care about them. In the end, whatever issues white Christians are concerned about will always take precedence over seeking racial justice and finding unity across color lines. They saw this as a betrayal, and it sent many of them into tailspins. The common themes can be summarized in single words: “betrayed,” “duplicity,” “deception,” “rejected,” “trampled,” “unimportant,” “devastated.” They described feelings of anger, confusion, bewilderment, and hurt. In short, they were experiencing betrayal trauma.1