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Saving History: How White Evangelicals Tour the Nation's Capital and Redeem a Christian America
Millions of tourists visit Washington, D.C., every year, but for some the experience is about much more than sightseeing. Lauren R. Kerby's lively book takes readers onto tour buses and explores the world of Christian heritage tourism. These expeditions visit the same attractions as their secular counterparts—Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument, the war memorials, and much more—but the white evangelicals who flock to the tours are searching for evidence that America was founded as a Christian nation. The tours preach a historical jeremiad that resonates far beyond Washington. White evangelicals across the United States tell stories of the nation's Christian origins, its subsequent fall into moral and spiritual corruption, and its need for repentance and return to founding principles. This vision of American history, Kerby finds, is white evangelicals' most powerful political resource—it allows them to shapeshift between the roles of faithful patriots and persecuted outsiders. In an era when white evangelicals' political commitments baffle many observers, this book offers a key for understanding how they continually reimagine the American story and their own place in it.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2020
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143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 12, 2019
What a great, thought provoking book.
To be fair, I know a Christian Tour Guide. However, as I was reading this book, I was NOT hearing her voice. I was hearing the voices of my white Evangelical friends.
The author laid out her argument that white Christians take these tours to be spoon fed history that shows that America was purportedly governed and founded by an elite group of Christians.
I loved that the author points out the 4 narratives of white evangelical christians make and how the tour guide promoted each one.
I also liked that the author talked about the 2016 election, the Museum of the Bible, and the history of the rise of the righteous right.
I think every person should read this book. Christians should read it to understand that there is NO WAR on them and that they are not saviors.
Secularists should read it to understand why White EVangelical Christians believe what they believe in.
To be fair, I know a Christian Tour Guide. However, as I was reading this book, I was NOT hearing her voice. I was hearing the voices of my white Evangelical friends.
The author laid out her argument that white Christians take these tours to be spoon fed history that shows that America was purportedly governed and founded by an elite group of Christians.
I loved that the author points out the 4 narratives of white evangelical christians make and how the tour guide promoted each one.
I also liked that the author talked about the 2016 election, the Museum of the Bible, and the history of the rise of the righteous right.
I think every person should read this book. Christians should read it to understand that there is NO WAR on them and that they are not saviors.
Secularists should read it to understand why White EVangelical Christians believe what they believe in.
September 4, 2020
For anybody who loves American history and politics, this is a must read. Dr. Kerby skillfully distills the investments of the Christian heritage tourism industry in constructing and promoting a narrative of Christian heroism that positions white evangelical Christians as both insiders and outsiders in terms of national/religious identity. Probably the most insightful analysis of the book in my opinion is the way that she describes how Christian heritage tours condition particular ways of (not) seeing the world that map onto the dominant white evangelical conservative worldview. The searing analysis in the final chapter highlights how many tourists were uninterested in hearing about Rosa Parks' or Barack Obama's Christian motivations for their politics and in fact often do not consider versions of Christianity that are not white, straight, male, or conservative evangelical as legitimate versions of Christianity that both continue to exist in the present day and have played profound roles in shaping the nation's history (especially in terms of, for example, advances in civil rights for Black Americans). The analysis was so insightful that I was left wishing the author had expounded more on this. While the author spends the majority of the book focused on the founder, exile, victim, and savior narratives of white evangelical Christians as they are presented through the Christian heritage tours (and the analysis stands on its own well), I was left curious to know more about how these tours exclude multiple other ways of seeing the influence of Christianity on the nation's history. Making space for re-telling many of the stories of those Black women and mainline Protestant Christians that could have been included might have made for a fruitful fifth chapter. Nevertheless, as someone who both grew up a white evangelical and is a scholar of memory politics, I can confirm that this book successfully accomplishes its goal of setting out to analyze how white evangelicals make sense of the nation's past and their role in its present through Christian heritage tourism. The book is a valuable contribution to American religious history, religious studies, critical memory and heritage studies, and critical tourism studies. It would make for a great assigned reading for a graduate level course in any of these disciplines or to the interested educated lay reader.
March 30, 2025
She mentioned a red-coat Capitol tour guide who was a black woman that upset the Christian tourists by talking too long about Rosa Parks. I really hope that was me. I used to joke with visitors that I was starting to look like her because I studied her so much. Countless times I was asked to give a ‘Christian’ version of the Capitol tour. I didn’t mind pointing things out but I quickly realized that there was a greater agenda. To avoid complaints or headaches I just did it and let them leave in a good mood. A very important analysis of these tours and I would love to see an updated chapter on these tours post COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter uprisings, January 6th and the reelection of Trump.
October 11, 2021
An interesting examination of white Evangelical mythmaking told through the experience of Christian heritage tourism in DC. Kerby does a good job revealing how hard white Evangelicals work to be angry, for instance by singling out a few verses inscribed in a wall that were obscured by scaffolding during repairs after the 2011 earthquake in DC. There are objects of Christian heritage virtually everywhere you look in DC, but the fact that they couldn't see these verses was the only thing that mattered to the tourists, convinced as they were that it was nothing more than a scheme to erase the Bible from the American landscape. Never mind that the repairs do the exact opposite, preserving the integrity of the building so that future visitors can see these verses.
There were occasions where it seemed Kerby could have added further context to the claims she reports being made by tourists and tour guides, but in general she did a good job, revealing, for instance, how some would cite the early war with Barbary pirates as proof that "we've been fighting Muslim terrorists and protecting others from the beginning", which requires an incredible feat of mental gymnastics to square with the reality, as well as attempts to redact any evidence against Jefferson's Christian bona fides.
She looks at how seamlessly these white Evangelicals shift between insider and outsider narratives, going in one breath from being the powerful founders and rulers of America, surrounded by heritage in evidence to this view, to being exiles and victims, with every scrap of Christian heritage at risk of destruction, at least in their imaginations. As she explained, "White evangelicals move fluidly among these roles, as each offers a different position from which to claim moral authority. They are political shape-shifters, playing whichever part grants them the most power in a given situation."
Finally, the very exclusive nature of the Christianity that mattered to these tourists and tour guides was also clearly evident. Essentially anybody who wasn't a white, male conservative Evangelical - or could be anachronistically mapped onto that identity - only annoyed them to see. They had not the slightest interest in the Christianity of liberals, African Americans, or suffragettes. Theirs is a traditional patriarchal white Christianity that insists on absolute subservience by anyone else. In the end, their accusations that Islam is nothing but a totalitarian political system seems like it could fairly be thrown back at them.
There were occasions where it seemed Kerby could have added further context to the claims she reports being made by tourists and tour guides, but in general she did a good job, revealing, for instance, how some would cite the early war with Barbary pirates as proof that "we've been fighting Muslim terrorists and protecting others from the beginning", which requires an incredible feat of mental gymnastics to square with the reality, as well as attempts to redact any evidence against Jefferson's Christian bona fides.
She looks at how seamlessly these white Evangelicals shift between insider and outsider narratives, going in one breath from being the powerful founders and rulers of America, surrounded by heritage in evidence to this view, to being exiles and victims, with every scrap of Christian heritage at risk of destruction, at least in their imaginations. As she explained, "White evangelicals move fluidly among these roles, as each offers a different position from which to claim moral authority. They are political shape-shifters, playing whichever part grants them the most power in a given situation."
Finally, the very exclusive nature of the Christianity that mattered to these tourists and tour guides was also clearly evident. Essentially anybody who wasn't a white, male conservative Evangelical - or could be anachronistically mapped onto that identity - only annoyed them to see. They had not the slightest interest in the Christianity of liberals, African Americans, or suffragettes. Theirs is a traditional patriarchal white Christianity that insists on absolute subservience by anyone else. In the end, their accusations that Islam is nothing but a totalitarian political system seems like it could fairly be thrown back at them.
November 9, 2021
Saving History by Lauren Kerby (2020)
Have you ever been curious about the reasoning and history behind the rise of the evangelical Christian Right in America? I certainly have. Have you ever wondered why the concept of “the war on Christmas” exists, even though Christians have a position of power in American society? All of my questions and much, much more are eloquently answered in Lauren Kerby’s 2020 book, Saving History.
Millions of people visit Washington D.C. every year. However, for some people, touring the nation’s capital is about more than simple tourism. Kerby takes the reader into the niche of Christian Heritage tours, and their social and cultural implications. These expeditions visit the same attractions as their secular counterparts: Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument, the war memorials, and much more. However, the white evangelicals who flock to these tours are mostly searching for evidence that America was founded as a Christian nation.
Probably the most damning analysis in the book in my opinion is the way that she describes how Christian heritage tours condition particular ways of (not) seeing the world that map onto the dominant white evangelical conservative worldview. Evangelical Christians “save history” by telling of the nation's Christian origins, the subsequent fall into moral and spiritual corruption, and the need for repentance and return to founding Christian principles. Kerby asserts that American history, however warped, is a powerful political resource for the evangelical right. It allows them to shift roles from patriots to persecuted outsiders. (Eg. America is a Christian country, BUT Christians are being persecuted, the war on Christmas, etc.) these beliefs confuse many observers, and I never really understood the Evangelical right’s political reasoning UNTIL I read this fantastic book.
I absolutely recommend this book. It is engaging, immensely interesting and educational, and very important in today’s political climate. I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Kerby talk about religion and American elections in my religious and cultural studies class a couple of months ago.
Have you ever been curious about the reasoning and history behind the rise of the evangelical Christian Right in America? I certainly have. Have you ever wondered why the concept of “the war on Christmas” exists, even though Christians have a position of power in American society? All of my questions and much, much more are eloquently answered in Lauren Kerby’s 2020 book, Saving History.
Millions of people visit Washington D.C. every year. However, for some people, touring the nation’s capital is about more than simple tourism. Kerby takes the reader into the niche of Christian Heritage tours, and their social and cultural implications. These expeditions visit the same attractions as their secular counterparts: Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument, the war memorials, and much more. However, the white evangelicals who flock to these tours are mostly searching for evidence that America was founded as a Christian nation.
Probably the most damning analysis in the book in my opinion is the way that she describes how Christian heritage tours condition particular ways of (not) seeing the world that map onto the dominant white evangelical conservative worldview. Evangelical Christians “save history” by telling of the nation's Christian origins, the subsequent fall into moral and spiritual corruption, and the need for repentance and return to founding Christian principles. Kerby asserts that American history, however warped, is a powerful political resource for the evangelical right. It allows them to shift roles from patriots to persecuted outsiders. (Eg. America is a Christian country, BUT Christians are being persecuted, the war on Christmas, etc.) these beliefs confuse many observers, and I never really understood the Evangelical right’s political reasoning UNTIL I read this fantastic book.
I absolutely recommend this book. It is engaging, immensely interesting and educational, and very important in today’s political climate. I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Kerby talk about religion and American elections in my religious and cultural studies class a couple of months ago.
May 26, 2021
Lauren R. Kerby shares the interesting findings of her study and observation of Christian tours in Washington D. C.. She specifically shares how white evangelicals are curating their own narrative of American history. Sometimes that narrative is to show how secular our nation has become and the obvious results if this nation doesn't "repent" and turn back to biblical moralism. The other times this narrative is curated to highlight the ways Christianity has created and saved this nation to make it who we are today. As someone who grew up in the white evangelical fear narrative that demonizes marginalizes, and excludes anyone who doesn't conform to the strict moral codes of their culture, I thought this book did a great job of explaining how we got to where we are today.
White evangelicals in my humble experience lack the vision to see they are not heroes nor are they victims in this nation. They can not accept that they are ordinary humans. They are not exceptional or special. But like many of us, they are indeed ignorant and willing participants in systems of white supremacy. Instead of contemplating how they may be unintentionally causing harm to their neighbor, they would rather blame the sores of our society on the "secularist" who took the ten commandments and prayer out of schools so they can play the victim. Being the victim is much easier than actually internalizing the message of Jesus's Sermon On The Mount and seeing how we are all complicit inside systems of power.
White evangelicals in my humble experience lack the vision to see they are not heroes nor are they victims in this nation. They can not accept that they are ordinary humans. They are not exceptional or special. But like many of us, they are indeed ignorant and willing participants in systems of white supremacy. Instead of contemplating how they may be unintentionally causing harm to their neighbor, they would rather blame the sores of our society on the "secularist" who took the ten commandments and prayer out of schools so they can play the victim. Being the victim is much easier than actually internalizing the message of Jesus's Sermon On The Mount and seeing how we are all complicit inside systems of power.
May 3, 2022
Nonfiction about the author's anthropological study of "Christian Heritage" tours of DC – tours sold to white Evangelicals tourists promoting a view of American history in which, yup, Thomas Jefferson was definitely a devout Christian, and Starbucks is leading a War on Christmas to hide this truth.
Let's be real: I absolutely read this book because I wanted the hot gossip about how crazy these tours are, and was less interested in the academic analyzing of cultural narratives. There is, unsurprisingly but unfortunately, very little hot gossip and quite a lot of academic analyzing. Which is not a critique of Kerby! Her analyzing was actually very interesting – her take on how Donald Trump came to be embraced by evangelists, despite seemingly failing at every moral qualification, was thorough and insightful. One of the points she made that I found particularly insightful were how evangelicals are able to manipulate their messaging by deploying both insider and outsider narratives; ie, America was founded as a Christian nation BUT ALSO Christians are oppressed by the libs who are trying to take away their freedom of speech. It lets them somehow be both the heroes and the underdogs depending on which gives them the advantage. Once I read Kerby on this, I started seeing it all over the place, as it's clearly an effective strategy.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
Let's be real: I absolutely read this book because I wanted the hot gossip about how crazy these tours are, and was less interested in the academic analyzing of cultural narratives. There is, unsurprisingly but unfortunately, very little hot gossip and quite a lot of academic analyzing. Which is not a critique of Kerby! Her analyzing was actually very interesting – her take on how Donald Trump came to be embraced by evangelists, despite seemingly failing at every moral qualification, was thorough and insightful. One of the points she made that I found particularly insightful were how evangelicals are able to manipulate their messaging by deploying both insider and outsider narratives; ie, America was founded as a Christian nation BUT ALSO Christians are oppressed by the libs who are trying to take away their freedom of speech. It lets them somehow be both the heroes and the underdogs depending on which gives them the advantage. Once I read Kerby on this, I started seeing it all over the place, as it's clearly an effective strategy.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
May 10, 2022
A must read for public historians. Kerby peels back layers of the Christian Right’s approach to American History.
June 1, 2024
Fine. Depressing.
May 28, 2021
American history is one area in which Christians need to care more about the truth than sentimental nostalgia. Unfortunately, "Christian heritage" tours are built on fostering the sentiment over historical accuracy. The author attended numerous tours and interviewed guides and attendees as part of her research. It's fascinating and a little discouraging.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews