Gerardo Martí is L. Richardson King Professor of Sociology at Davidson College. Active in several research collaborations, he publishes broadly on religion and social change. His book, The Deconstructed Church: Understanding Emerging Christianity, was awarded the 2015 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.
Writing with accessible clarity, Marti takes us through the long and deep history that has shaped the American system of white privilege, woven it into our identity and economic order, and sanctified it in the churches. Through both original historical sources and the best recent scholarship, this book shows us why we should not have been surprised by the 2016 election and its aftermath.--Nancy T. Ammerman, professor emerita, Boston University and author, Baptist Battles: Social Change and Religious Conflict in the Southern Baptist Convention Examining intersecting inequalities based on race, religion, and economics, Gerardo Marti argues that Donald Trump's election revealed--rather than upended--deep histories in American culture and society. This engaging read, based on the latest scholarship, presents Trump as the embodiment of deep ethno-religious undercurrents. An unsettling, but important, message for those of us who hope for better from our nation.--Rhys H. Williams, professor of sociology, Loyola University Chicago