"Jonathan is a moral prophet and spiritual physician for our time. In this timely book, with the precision of a heart surgeon, he exposes the sickness that has long plagued American Christianity and infected our society and politics, revealing that none of us is untouched by the disease. With the credibility of his life lived in solidarity with systemically oppressed people, he resounds a clarion call to reform the way in which we live the gospel. This is a must-read for all Christians in America. You will be humbled, enlightened, and motivated to heal the ailing heart of our country and recover its soul."Phileena Heuertz, founding partner, Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism
"It has become obvious to any who seriously study our sources that much of what we call Christianity in the West today is in radical discontinuity with our faith in its early centuries. Our spiritual healing now depends on corporately facing our past with hope, just as any individual must do in our personal journey to wholeness. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is an honest, courageous, and compelling guide on this path of radical conversion."Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico
"A poignant, compelling, and eye-opening journey that recognizes the racism in us, Christian churches today, and the implicit bias of the dominant culture. The blinders come off through stories, history, and creative biblical insight. We are left amazingly hopeful for ourselves and the church, with Jesus’ invitation to follow him to a whole new world."Mary Nelson, Executive Director Emeritus, Parliament of the World’s Religions
"So what happened to Christianity in America? This is the question my brother Jonathan faces head-on in this book. He follows this question to the heart of America's original sin, and he invites all of us to join him there and face another question: Is our God greater than America's racism? This is a question we must answer, no matter the color of our skin. Slaveholder religion has infected every corner of the church in America—including the black church. We must never forget that there wereenslaved people who accepted the theology fed to them on plantations."From the foreword by Dr. William J. Barber II
"Racism in American religion, especially in its most subtle forms, isn’t something we’ve had language for describing helpfully—until now. This is a masterful work, invaluable for coming to terms with the hidden wounds of racism and the awful lie that Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove calls, 'Christianity of the slaveholder.' Jonathan is a reflective soul, at home in his own skin, fully aware of the contradictions and struggles in his own heart. This transparency proves to be the perfect gift for therest of us who have our own soul work to do in helping end whiteness as a religion."Peter W. Marty, publisher of The Christian Century
"God has entrusted Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove with a message—the gospel of Jesus Christ has been tragically defaced by American white supremacy and must be reconstructed. In this passionate, fast-paced book, Jonathan gives us a distinctively Christological, hopeful path toward faithful reconstruction. God is able! Even though we, in our structures of sin, often feel powerless to exorcise the demon of white racism, know that God’s will shall be done, and God’s reign will come because God’s purposes shall not be defeated. What an empowering, hopeful word Jonathan has for Christians, white and black."Will Willimon, professor of the practice of Christian ministry, author of Who Lynched Willie Earle? and Preaching to Confront Racism
"I hope every Christian in America will read this book. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove exorcizes the demons of racism and white supremacy that have plagued the body of Christ for far too long. He points the way toward a Christianity that looks like Jesus again."Shane Claiborne, author, speaker, activist
"This powerful and prophetic book should come with a warning label. It’s full of stories of ordinary folks working for racial justice, making you want to pull up a chair on the porch for a closer listen. But the stories pack a wallop of conviction, and you will not leave that porch unchanged."Jana Riess, author of Flunking Sainthood and coauthor of The Prayer Wheel
"Reconstructing the Gospel is an honest reckoning with the mangled, slaveholding religion that continues to pass for the gospel in the United States. It is not self-righteous or accusatory. Instead, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove vulnerably grapples with his own ongoing repentance of white supremacy’s powerful grip. Ultimately, this book is an invitation into the river that has been flowing for centuries in this land, providing a past and present counterwitness to the vandalization of Jesus’ name. A necessary and timely gift to the church!"Drew Hart, assistant professor of theology at Messiah College, author of Trouble I’ve Seen
