What do you think?
Rate this book
God and Race in American Politics: A Short History
The combustible mix of race and religion in American history
Religion has been a powerful political force throughout American history. When race enters the mix the results have been some of our greatest triumphs as a nation--and some of our most shameful failures. In this important book, Mark Noll, one of the most influential historians of American religion writing today, traces the explosive political effects of the religious intermingling with race.
Noll demonstrates how supporters and opponents of slavery and segregation drew equally on the Bible to justify the morality of their positions. He shows how a common evangelical heritage supported Jim Crow discrimination and contributed powerfully to the black theology of liberation preached by Martin Luther King Jr. In probing such connections, Noll takes readers from the 1830 slave revolt of Nat Turner through Reconstruction and the long Jim Crow era, from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to "values" voting in recent presidential elections. He argues that the greatest transformations in American political history, from the Civil War through the civil rights revolution and beyond, constitute an interconnected narrative in which opposing appeals to Biblical truth gave rise to often-contradictory religious and moral complexities. And he shows how this heritage remains alive today in controversies surrounding stem-cell research and abortion as well as civil rights reform.
God and Race in American Politics is a panoramic history that reveals the profound role of religion in American political history and in American discourse on race and social justice.
Religion has been a powerful political force throughout American history. When race enters the mix the results have been some of our greatest triumphs as a nation--and some of our most shameful failures. In this important book, Mark Noll, one of the most influential historians of American religion writing today, traces the explosive political effects of the religious intermingling with race.
Noll demonstrates how supporters and opponents of slavery and segregation drew equally on the Bible to justify the morality of their positions. He shows how a common evangelical heritage supported Jim Crow discrimination and contributed powerfully to the black theology of liberation preached by Martin Luther King Jr. In probing such connections, Noll takes readers from the 1830 slave revolt of Nat Turner through Reconstruction and the long Jim Crow era, from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to "values" voting in recent presidential elections. He argues that the greatest transformations in American political history, from the Civil War through the civil rights revolution and beyond, constitute an interconnected narrative in which opposing appeals to Biblical truth gave rise to often-contradictory religious and moral complexities. And he shows how this heritage remains alive today in controversies surrounding stem-cell research and abortion as well as civil rights reform.
God and Race in American Politics is a panoramic history that reveals the profound role of religion in American political history and in American discourse on race and social justice.
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2008
18 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
About the author
Mark A. Noll
124 books214 followersMark A. Noll (born 1946), Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, is a progressive evangelical Christian scholar. In 2005, Noll was named by Time Magazine as one of the twenty-five most influential evangelicals in America. Noll is a prolific author and many of his books have earned considerable acclaim within the academic community.
The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind
, a book about the anti-intellectual tendencies within the American evangelical movement, was featured in a cover story in the popular American literary and cultural magazine, Atlantic Monthly. He was awarded a National Humanities Medal in the Oval Office by President George W. Bush in 2006.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 28, 2020
This was a helpful overview of the role that the church/religion played in politics regarding race. Noll discusses the Civil War era, reconstruction, civil rights movement & even more modern day politics. Its sobering to you see the role that white southern evangelicals played in these periods. I’m thankful for the persevering faith of many in the black community through unimaginably difficult times.
November 23, 2015
Summary: This text explores the interwoven story of religion, race, and politics in American history, with a concluding theological reflection.
Mark Noll makes the observation in this book, derived from his Stafford Little Lectures at Princeton University in 2006, that we have one of the most enlightened political systems in human history and yet we have failed signally in the matter of race. From our beginnings we accepted the slave trade that treated forcibly seized Africans as cargo that were simply one more asset to serve American interests. After the Civil War and the failure of Reconstruction, we settled for systemic injustices in the form of Jim Crow laws that a number would argue continue in some form down to the present.
What Noll does in this “short history” is look at the interplay of religious influences, shifting party affiliations and voting patterns and the continuing saga of race in America. As a careful scholar, he documents his narrative with numerous tables on denominational populations and party voting patterns by various states and populations.
He begins by looking at how the Bible was used to argue both for and against slavery. Interestingly, those who were pro-slavery held back from arguing for White slavery, revealing the racial animus behind this issue. In this racial divide he traces the origins and rise of African-American churches who would be a critical factor in years to come in civil rights advocacy. He concludes this chapter (2) with these prophetic words by W.E.B. DuBois:
“This nation will never stand justified before God until these things are changed….Especially are we surprised and astonished at the recent attitude of the church of Christ–on the increase of a desire to bow to racial prejudice, to narrow the bounds of human brotherhood, and to segregate black men in some outer sanctuary” (cited on p. 59).
The book traces the the failed efforts of Reconstruction (“Redemption” in the South) and the alignments of southern Whites (comprised of large Baptist and Methodist populations) with the Democratic Party while Blacks who could vote as well as northern Protestants aligned with “the party of Lincoln.” He recounts the rise of Jim Crow and the failure of the courts and political processes along with the lack of engagement (and some complicity) of white Evangelicals with these injustices.
Meanwhile, an African-American church was rising in organizational strength and the training of its pastors. Noll traces the antecedent influences on King and other civil rights leaders and how central the religious voice was to this movement.
A significant turning point came in 1964 with the passage of sweeping civil rights legislation under Democrat Lyndon Johnson. A major political realignment began, where the once Democratic white south became Republican, and the Democratic Party became one of northern liberals, mainline Protestants (a declining group) and ethnic minorities while Evangelicals and some Catholics identified with the small government, morally conservative policies of the Republicans.
One fascinating sidelight Noll observes is the emergence of southern Evangelicals on the national stage in this period. Having come out from an apparent identification with racism as a result of civil rights legislation, denominations like the Southern Baptists and figures like Jerry Falwell (and Bill Clinton) gain national platforms.
Noll concludes the book with a theological reflection. He notes the mixed history of Christian complicity with racial injustice and advocacy for civil rights and “the beloved community.” While not justifying the evils, he argues that in Christian theology’s understanding of both human evil and the redemptive arc of the gospel, there are the resources to help us neither be surprised by evil nor the acts of so many who selflessly pursue justice. It is a theology of realistic hope rather than starry-eyed optimism or pessimistic despair.
This is a book for anyone engaged in issues of racial reconciliation or who are trying to understand the complex interplay of religion and American politics around these issues. As in so many things, understanding where we’ve come from is critical to understanding where we are and discerning the road before us. This book can help.
Mark Noll makes the observation in this book, derived from his Stafford Little Lectures at Princeton University in 2006, that we have one of the most enlightened political systems in human history and yet we have failed signally in the matter of race. From our beginnings we accepted the slave trade that treated forcibly seized Africans as cargo that were simply one more asset to serve American interests. After the Civil War and the failure of Reconstruction, we settled for systemic injustices in the form of Jim Crow laws that a number would argue continue in some form down to the present.
What Noll does in this “short history” is look at the interplay of religious influences, shifting party affiliations and voting patterns and the continuing saga of race in America. As a careful scholar, he documents his narrative with numerous tables on denominational populations and party voting patterns by various states and populations.
He begins by looking at how the Bible was used to argue both for and against slavery. Interestingly, those who were pro-slavery held back from arguing for White slavery, revealing the racial animus behind this issue. In this racial divide he traces the origins and rise of African-American churches who would be a critical factor in years to come in civil rights advocacy. He concludes this chapter (2) with these prophetic words by W.E.B. DuBois:
“This nation will never stand justified before God until these things are changed….Especially are we surprised and astonished at the recent attitude of the church of Christ–on the increase of a desire to bow to racial prejudice, to narrow the bounds of human brotherhood, and to segregate black men in some outer sanctuary” (cited on p. 59).
The book traces the the failed efforts of Reconstruction (“Redemption” in the South) and the alignments of southern Whites (comprised of large Baptist and Methodist populations) with the Democratic Party while Blacks who could vote as well as northern Protestants aligned with “the party of Lincoln.” He recounts the rise of Jim Crow and the failure of the courts and political processes along with the lack of engagement (and some complicity) of white Evangelicals with these injustices.
Meanwhile, an African-American church was rising in organizational strength and the training of its pastors. Noll traces the antecedent influences on King and other civil rights leaders and how central the religious voice was to this movement.
A significant turning point came in 1964 with the passage of sweeping civil rights legislation under Democrat Lyndon Johnson. A major political realignment began, where the once Democratic white south became Republican, and the Democratic Party became one of northern liberals, mainline Protestants (a declining group) and ethnic minorities while Evangelicals and some Catholics identified with the small government, morally conservative policies of the Republicans.
One fascinating sidelight Noll observes is the emergence of southern Evangelicals on the national stage in this period. Having come out from an apparent identification with racism as a result of civil rights legislation, denominations like the Southern Baptists and figures like Jerry Falwell (and Bill Clinton) gain national platforms.
Noll concludes the book with a theological reflection. He notes the mixed history of Christian complicity with racial injustice and advocacy for civil rights and “the beloved community.” While not justifying the evils, he argues that in Christian theology’s understanding of both human evil and the redemptive arc of the gospel, there are the resources to help us neither be surprised by evil nor the acts of so many who selflessly pursue justice. It is a theology of realistic hope rather than starry-eyed optimism or pessimistic despair.
This is a book for anyone engaged in issues of racial reconciliation or who are trying to understand the complex interplay of religion and American politics around these issues. As in so many things, understanding where we’ve come from is critical to understanding where we are and discerning the road before us. This book can help.
January 14, 2021
Noll provides a brief primer into the connection between race and religion as the two most important factors when discussing American politics. Engaging with the civil war, reconstruction, civil rights, and G W Bush eras, Noll draws a line from Scripture being largely used in defense of slavery and the oppression of black people, to the prophetic use of Scripture in the black church during the civil rights era and beyond. An important portion of this book was the the reality that while the issue of slavery was addressed with the conclusion of the civil war, and the reconstruction era, what was not addressed was the issue of race and in particular, racism.
As with all of history, these eras were not black and white (the North cannot just be seen as the “good guys” and the south as “bad guys,” for example), and Noll does a fine job in displaying that. Among the biggest insights in this work was the resilience of the black church to hold onto their God as they suffered unto glory, and also the defense of Christianity (despite our faults as sinful people) as giving an account/explanation for this dark side of American history.
As with all of history, these eras were not black and white (the North cannot just be seen as the “good guys” and the south as “bad guys,” for example), and Noll does a fine job in displaying that. Among the biggest insights in this work was the resilience of the black church to hold onto their God as they suffered unto glory, and also the defense of Christianity (despite our faults as sinful people) as giving an account/explanation for this dark side of American history.
July 28, 2018
With insightful historical analysis and an impressive moral and “theological conclusion”, Noll provides an incredibly helpful book for understanding America’s religious and political failures and successes concerning race. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to further understand the complex relationship between religion and race in the political sphere throughout American history. It is a must read for any white Christian (evangelical, mainline Protestant, or Catholic) wrestling with their own faith’s egregious errors and hypocrisy with regards to race. Thankfully, Noll offers a glimpse into what the redemptive power of the Christian faith can do moving forward in addressing the continuing social, political, and economic issues surrounding race in 21st century America.
July 14, 2022
This was an interesting read, and Noll adds anecdotes and details that keep this historical discussion interesting and engaging. It was published in 2008, so it doesn’t include a discussion about the racism surrounding Trump’s candidacy and presidency, which would add an important update. This one is 5 stars because of the information I learned and the many book suggestions from it.
September 22, 2017
In this book, Dr. Mark Noll shows the fascinating history of religious, racial, and cultural influence on American politics, up until 2004. Dr. Noll makes it accessible and understandable, and he's not afraid to say hard things when truth demands it.
March 23, 2018
Excellent all the way around! Noll weaves through the intricacies of religion and race to show the powerful effect those two ingredients have had on politics. This book is engaging, as well as mind-shaping and thought-provoking.
January 20, 2020
This is a great and insightful book about the role of our Christian faith in our country, especially in the social justice arena. highly recommended.
February 13, 2025
***another one for class***
this was a good overview of the history of race and religion in america (if a bit over-simplistic and outdated at points)
this was a good overview of the history of race and religion in america (if a bit over-simplistic and outdated at points)
March 19, 2025
Read this while sick so I might like it more if I read it again.
February 27, 2017
This book by renowned historian Mark Noll started as a series of lectures about the history of religion and race in America, in particular the historical connection between the two. The most significant take away from this book was the history of the white church in their defense of slavery in the pre-antebellum South. After reading some of the original tracts themselves, I was sick to my stomach and couldn’t help but think two thoughts: First, this is disgusting. How could anyone justify race-based slavery like this? For a moment I felt a self-righteous air of disapproval. But after reading some of the arguments, I then had my second thought, which was “If I were alive and in the church at that time, I too would be pro-slavery. The arguments all seemed Biblical and sounded plausible. After all, it is true that Jesus did not outright condemn slavery and Paul urges conformity with our current condition (even if the condition one finds himself in is slavery). However, I was repulsed by the notion that slavery could be justified on the grounds of actual racism. That blacks are inferior and cursed by God (the “curse of Ham”). Noll’s historical analysis opened my eyes to the blind spots the church is prone to having, and of the importance for white’s to continue adopting a posture of humility, seeking to be reformed according to God’s word but with the help of our brothers and sisters of other races.
On another level, though I had a hard time following all the details, I was struck by the inseparability of race and politics in our nations history. I simply have never considered how the issues of our day aren’t really new and they flow from a historical context, a context that must be understood and appreciated if the church is to move forward in reconciliation. Race and politics are still intertwined as ever before, and that won’t change. The church needs to grapple with this and recognize that justice must be achieved both inside and outside of the political arena.
On another level, though I had a hard time following all the details, I was struck by the inseparability of race and politics in our nations history. I simply have never considered how the issues of our day aren’t really new and they flow from a historical context, a context that must be understood and appreciated if the church is to move forward in reconciliation. Race and politics are still intertwined as ever before, and that won’t change. The church needs to grapple with this and recognize that justice must be achieved both inside and outside of the political arena.
October 8, 2013
Short Review: This is a good follow up to Noll's earlier The Civil War as Theological Crisis. Noll takes a step back and looks at US politics from a wide angle lens and in a surprisingly short book discusses the continued role and both Religion and Race in US politics. As always Noll is subtle with his arguments. He does not suggest that there is always an overlap with religion and racial issues, but that religion and racial issues have a continuing influence that does not always play in the same direction at the same time.
So pre-civil war, the much of the discussion around slavery and race was an explicitly religious case that the simple reading of scripture allowed for slavery. Post civil war, Noll suggests that white support of segregation used revivalist tactics and language but almost completely dropped explicit scriptural support, while the rise of the independent African American church started explicitly finding support for racial equality within scripture.
Noll finds that post civil rights era, race and religion still have a very clear relationship but again it is not single directional and continues to play out in ways that might not be predicted.
I am working through Paul Krugman's book The Conscience of a Liberal and it is interesting to see that especially in the post civil war era, Noll and Krugman's different theses, have a lot of overlapping details where they agree.
Noll ends with a theological reflection. He is clearly a small government conservative and Evangelical, but he is uncomfortable with the direction that race plays in negatively motivating the small government conservative Evangelicals in the US.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/god-race-politics/
So pre-civil war, the much of the discussion around slavery and race was an explicitly religious case that the simple reading of scripture allowed for slavery. Post civil war, Noll suggests that white support of segregation used revivalist tactics and language but almost completely dropped explicit scriptural support, while the rise of the independent African American church started explicitly finding support for racial equality within scripture.
Noll finds that post civil rights era, race and religion still have a very clear relationship but again it is not single directional and continues to play out in ways that might not be predicted.
I am working through Paul Krugman's book The Conscience of a Liberal and it is interesting to see that especially in the post civil war era, Noll and Krugman's different theses, have a lot of overlapping details where they agree.
Noll ends with a theological reflection. He is clearly a small government conservative and Evangelical, but he is uncomfortable with the direction that race plays in negatively motivating the small government conservative Evangelicals in the US.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/god-race-politics/
February 9, 2025
“In other words, rather than any specific configuration of race and religion, it has been the general interweaving of race with religion, along with a discernibly religious mode of public discourse, that has pervaded the nations political history… it is rooted in the United States’ broadly Calvinistic-evangelical heritage that bequeathed a style of public discourse that continues to exert great influence, even for many who have passed far beyond the religious convictions of early Americans.”
—Mark Noll, God and Race in American Politics
—Mark Noll, God and Race in American Politics
July 26, 2016
Noll does a fine, if occasionally dry, job of tracing the intricate relationship between race, religion, and politics from antebellum times until the early 2000s. There are unlikely to be any surprises in this book for the careful observer of these phenomena, yet the book is well worth reading for Noll's ability to synthesize seemingly disparate streams of information into a coherent thesis. Recommended.
January 20, 2015
Mark Noll, who claims to be a specialist in Revolutionary American religion, is in fact a great synthesizer of all American history through the lens of faith. In GOD AND RACE IN AMERICAN POLITICS, he is at his best. This is a treasure of thoughtful interpretation and a treasure trove of well-organized and annotated sources.
Currently reading
September 14, 2011Noll seldom seems to overreach in his historical analysis but does a phenomenal job of distilling copious amounts of information down to its necessary inferences all the while retaining nuance. thus far, this book is proving to be no different.
December 20, 2014
A brilliant book. I purchased this before the events in Ferguson, but only just picked it up. Noll provides a concise but masterful analysis of the connection between race and religion in American's political history.
December 2, 2008
One of the best books on the topic from one of America's best historians of religion.
July 15, 2012
Dry. But good.
I think this is a good introduction to/summary of US racial and religious history, but its certainly not in depth.
I think this is a good introduction to/summary of US racial and religious history, but its certainly not in depth.
May 31, 2013
Love the chapter on Southern redemption post-Reconstruction. Depressing stuff.
January 10, 2018
An informative look at how religion interacted with race during the Civil War, Reconstruction era, Civil Rights movement, and the recent past.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews