In this challenging and necessary episode, we confront a dark and often ignored history: the unholy alliance between white supremacy and a co-opted American Christianity. By examining the foundational documents of the Ku Klux Klan alongside modern Christian Nationalist movements, we trace a direct and disturbing line of ideology that has fractured the Church's witness for over 150 years. The Klan did not see itself as anti-Christian; it claimed to be the ultimate defender of a "Protestant Christian nation" and the "true" U.S. Constitution.

This episode argues that the Klan’s ideology was not an aberration but a grotesque symptom of a deeper malady within American Christianity—a malady that persists today. Drawing on historical analysis from Jared Goldstein's "THE KLAN'S CONSTITUTION" and the theological framework of

Finding the Way of Christ, we explore how the Church’s entanglement with worldly power, its fear of losing cultural dominance, and its idolatry of sanitized leaders have made it complicit in baptizing hate in the name of faith.

Ultimately, this is a call to repentance (metanoia). It is a call to reject the path of cultural supremacy and return to the humble, sacrificial, and counter-cultural way of Christ—the cruciform path. It is a challenge to choose our allegiance: will we serve the throne of worldly power or the cross of our humble King?

In This Episode, We Discuss:

The KKK’s explicit self-identification as a patriotic, Protestant Christian organization dedicated to defending the Constitution.

How the Klan’s "gospel" was built on an idolatry of race and nation, twisting the "city upon a hill" ideal into a justification for white supremacy.

The historical roots of this compromise can be traced back to Constantine's entanglement of church and empire, which involved trading spiritual authority for worldly power.

The role of fear in theology, both in the Klan’s defence of privilege and in modern evangelical anxiety about "losing the culture".

The ongoing echo of the Klan’s ideology in modern Christian Nationalism, from rhetoric to the symbols seen at events like the January 6th insurrection.

The call to reclaim the "cruciform path"—a discipleship of humility, service, and love of enemies—as the only authentic antidote to a weaponized faith.

Reflection & Action:

Look Inward: Prayerfully ask the Spirit to reveal where your own allegiances have been divided. Where has fear of cultural change or loyalty to a political party replaced your trust in the King and His transcendent Kingdom?

Look Backward: Explore the sources discussed in this episode to gain a deeper understanding of this history for yourself. Confronting the past is a necessary step toward a more faithful future.

Look Outward: Find one small, unseen act of cruciform love to perform this week. Nurture the garden of your local community. Welcome the stranger. Advocate for the marginalized. This is how the Kingdom is truly reclaimed.

Sources & Further Reading:

Goldstein, Jared A. "THE KLAN'S CONSTITUTION." Alabama Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Law Review, vol. 9.2, 2018.

"Principles and Purposes of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan." Pamphlet outlined by an Exalted Cyclops of the Order, circa 1920.

Bower, H. H. "WHY I AM A KLANSMAN." The Watcher on the Tower, August 4, 1921.

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