Jones builds his case with evidence, drawing on an eclectic blend of history, theology, sociology and memoir. His use of autobiography works especially well. Before the cascade of data can turn his narrative into a detached analyst’s clinical dissection of the problem, Jones gets personal ... White Too Long convincingly reveals the myriad ways that white Christianity has cultivated the religious, political, economic and social superiority of white people despite all efforts, modest though they may have been, to fight these tendencies. If everything he says is true, there remains then a chilling question to address: Is there anything worth salvaging?
As well as a searing indictment, White Too Long is a passionate call to action ... If White Too Long has a shortcoming, at least for general readers, there are some slow patches, including one chapter and lengthy appendices with an abundance of supporting statistical data for his views. For a pollster, it’s an understandable weakness. But as this book demonstrates, Robert Jones is a man of conscience, raised as a Deep South evangelical, who is now a progressive and a committed anti-racist. Implicitly, his book raises compelling questions for Democrats in the upcoming election: Are there others like Jones, among the Sun Belt’s white evangelicals, a cohort constituting a redemptive minority?
... a wonderful book. Along with being required reading for white Americans (its intended audience), it’s also a resource for Americans of color, if only to learn about the contours of white America’s dialogue on race ... Not surprisingly, the book takes the form of a sermon delivered by author Robert P. Jones, a Southern Baptist theologian. But Jones is also a skillful number-cruncher, having degrees in the seemingly disparate fields of religion and computing science/mathematics ... One of the great strengths of this sermon lies in the fact that Jones draws on his own personal history along with a masterful mix of careful historical research and sophisticated statistical analysis to make a compelling case for the ugly truth of that tight embrace.
... wide-ranging work ... Though the scope of the book is far-reaching, survey data are presented throughout, showing differences on racial issues between white and black Christians. Especially illustrative is a chart tabulating the number of Confederate statutes erected in each decade ... Jones provides hard figures and historical examples illustrating racial relations in the United States, and how people can work toward reconciliation.
This book is a marvel. It manages to quietly excoriate the insidious, entrenched attitudes that continue to sow racial hatred and division and to show the large and small ways that they continue. Devoid of moralizing, this powerful, heavily researched and annotated book is a must-read for religious leaders and academics.
... a concise yet comprehensive combination of deeply documented religious history, social science research about contemporary religion, and heartfelt memoir ... consistently illuminating studies, mentioned throughout the book, paint a damning portrait ... The most hopeful case study focuses on his hometown of Macon, where there are efforts between white and black Baptist churches to pull together. As Jones has sought various paths out of the morass, he has often turned to the writings of James Baldwin about 'the white problem' in U.S. society. An indispensable study of Christianity in America.
Sociologist Jones...offers in this vociferous work a refreshing blend of historical accounting, soul-searching reflection, and analysis of white supremacy within the American Christian identity ... Jones’s introspective, measured study is a revelatory unpacking of influence and history of white Christian nationalism.
