The False White Gospel

Reviews

"[An] ardent manifesto...Wallis’s passion for justice and creative interpretation of the Bible generate more than enough energy to keep readers’ attention....a conversation starter."
—Publishers Weekly

"A balm and an irritant, a peace AND a trouble-maker, Jim Wallis wants to understand the divine truths AND how to live them, not just in private, but in our daily lives. His faith isn’t the happy-clappy kind — it’s a deeper dive, sometimes in murky waters."
—Bono

“Jim Wallis once again demonstrates why he is America’s prophet and moral philosopher. His latest book speaks to the idolatry of a Christian faith baptized in whiteness and false notions of supremacy. A must read for anyone concerned about the future of this republic called America.”
—Otis Moss III, senior pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Illinois

"Using religion to bless hate is the supreme blasphemy. If you don't believe that, read this book. If you do, urge others to read the book. We need it."
—Garry Wills, author, What the Gospels Meant

"An urgent, necessary and essential book by one of the most important Christian voices of our time. Christianity is in danger of being hijacked for purposes that would subvert not only the longstanding traditions of Christian social teaching but, more fundamentally, the Gospel itself."
—Rev. James Martin, SJ, Editor at Large, America Media

“This book is for those who don’t think Christianity has anything constructive, effective, or loving to offer in society. It is also for those who believe there is a place for faith to inform politics but need the words and receipts to prove make the case.”
—Jemar Tisby, PhD, author of bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism, Professor of History at Simmons College of Kentucky

"A must-read, eye-opening, high alert for everyone who cares that our precious democracy and increasingly multicultural America lay perilously on the chopping block."
—Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Convener, National African American Clergy Network and author of I Prayed, Now What?

"Wallis makes a cogent call for White Christians to 'cross the color line' and embrace the struggle for multiracial democracy—the great challenge of our time. The False White Gospel reminds us, once again, that Christianity can be a potent force for inclusion, equality, and justice."
—Steven Levitsky, Professor of Government, Harvard University, co-author of How Democracies Die

"For more than fifty years, Jim Wallis has been calling on his fellow white evangelicals to live up to the teachings at the heart of their shared faith: loving their neighbors, doing justice, and pursuing peace. With American democracy hanging in the balance, Wallis’s message has never been more urgent. Without shying away from hard truths, The False White Gospel draws on Christianity itself to point the way forward to a multiracial democracy in which people of all faiths can flourish."
—Kristin Kobes Du Mez, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

"Drawing on more than five decades of experience as a minister and activist, Rev. Jim Wallis sounds the alarm—arguing that the rise of white Christian Nationalism is not just another symptom of partisan conflict but a false white gospel that threatens to destroy both democracy and the integrity of white churches. At this hinge point of American history, this book is an important and urgent call for white Christians to undertake a new discipleship out of whiteness and to unequivocally declare their support for the equality of all."
—Robert P. Jones, president and founder, Public Religion Research Institute; author of The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future

"Almost twenty years ago, in his book God's Politics, my friend Jim Wallis prophetically called people of faith to look at the realities in our nation through a radically different lens and challenge the unjust structures of racism all around us. Now, in his new book, False White Gospel, he rightly notes that the need for justice and equity is greater than ever and implores us to reclaim the Jesus of the Gospels in the face of the White Christian Nationalism that threatens our democracy, our faith, our common life. Read this book...and be part of the desperately needed change."
—The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, author of Love is the Way

"Thank God for Pastor Jim Wallis. As a Jew and a Rabbi, I am comforted and inspired by this book. Pastor Wallis calls Christians to their conscience and all people to action: live and breathe ancient wisdom that call us to see the divinity in every human, overcome racism and bigotry, and be the multiracial, interfaith democracy America aspires to be."
—Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director, Religious Action Center, SVP, Union for Reform Judaism

“Jim Wallis is a national treasure. In this powerful new book, he focuses our attention on the pernicious problem of American racism, but more importantly he inspires us to never give up hope on the great promise of American pluralism.”
—Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith America; author of We Need To Build

"A powerful and essential roadmap on how to save the church from the heresy of white Christian nationalism and save our fragile democracy from the real and present danger of racialized fascism by reclaiming the transformational teachings and witness of Jesus."
—Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, president, Sojourners, author of A More Perfect Union

"Wallis’ own roots in evangelical faith, and his witness over decades of engagement with faith and politics allows him to see a way forward for white evangelicals, and the renewal of a faith anchored in the compassion, love, and transformation that is the promise, the 'good news'.”
—Sherrilyn Ifill, The Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights, Howard University and former president and director-counsel, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund

“Insightful books analyzing White Christian Nationalism have begun appearing. But Jim Wallis asks the next crucial question—What does this mean for the church? His prophetic answer should galvanize our attention: a ‘Remnant Church,’ shaped by repentance, return, and restoration. Beyond analysis, this book provides clear answers which offer the hope of real transformation.”
—Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America; author of Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage

"The False White Gospel is an Altar Call. It is an essential book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the challenges confronting our society today. It serves as both a sobering reminder and a powerful catalyst for change, urging us to rise above the destructive forces that threaten to erode the foundations of our democracy." —Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, President and General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

"With the searing honesty and poignant clarity that we have come to expect from Jim Wallis, The False White Gospel calls white Christians to account for their faith. This begins, he says, with seeking and speaking the truth about America’s original sin of White Supremacy and the false gospel of White Christian Nationalism that protects it. It is only with truth, Wallis proclaims, that the nation can become the democracy it aspires to be, and that Christianity can become the faith that Jesus meant it to be. Yet, The False White Gospel is not a merciless indictment. Rather, it is a passionate invitation for us all to become the loving and just people that God created. For those who believe that we can indeed be better than we are, this book is a must read."
—Kelly Brown Douglas, Honorary Professor, Emmanuel Theological College; author of Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God

"The prophetic voice of Jim Wallis is never more welcome or more needed than it is now; his voice is always reliable, well informed, and emitting great moral passion. In this book Wallis continues his critical assessment of our current social context. At the same time—but without any confusion—he sees that White Nationalism is a distortion of democracy, and a profound Christian heresy in which the good truth of the Gospel is mobilized to nefarious idolatrous ends. Wallis’s wheelhouse is biblical faith. He sees that Genesis 1 offers “a theology of democracy,” and he takes the parable of Matthew 25 as the “final test of discipleship. He insists simply that the truth be told about our common pathology and about the deep claim of the Gospel. Along the way, his riff on “woke” in the New Testament is worth the price of the book. This is Wallis at his courageous best; he is the real thing; attention must be paid."
—Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary