An Excerpt From Disciples of White Jesus

Abstract

I write on a spring morning in America where we find ourselves, inauspiciously but unsurprisingly, on the brink of a Holy War in the Middle East, spurred on by the very sorts of Christian men who I reported on in my 2025 book, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood. In such times as these, it can be difficult to take a step back from the chaotic daily headlines and missives of death, from schoolgirls in Iran to American military members serving overseas, to take stock of the underlying theological motivations of the right-wing politicians dictating such military orders. That's why I'm grateful, however, for this issue of Dialog on the topic of Authoritarianism. I am grateful too for the opportunity to contribute an excerpt of my book that speaks to the manipulation and recasting of Jesus into a violent warmonger, akin to the weaponized and racist theology that undergirded the Crusades of the Middle Ages. I hope that readers see not only the danger of this White Jesus, but also find hope in lifting up instead the authentic, crucified Jesus of the Bible, in whom I place my ultimate faith even in dangerous days such as these. And so I offer this excerpt from my book, Chapter 4.