Religion and the Racist Right: The Origins of the Christian Identity Movement

Rating:
Summary: A very good book on Christian Identity.
Review: Professor Barkun has certainly done his research in this exhaustive project on the linkage between Anglo-Israelism and Christian Identity. I found the sections on the demonization of the Jews the most relevent explanation of Identity doctrine I've ever seen. By looking at early Identity founders such as William Potter Gale and Wesley Swift, Professor Barkun does a great job of showing how Identity has morphed into its present form. He did his research, which is heavily footnoted. The only problem I have with this book is his tendency to overstate the obvious-again and again. Overall, a must read for anyone interested in the religious ultraright.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Research Tool
Review: This book does a very good job of attempting to trace the origin of Chrisitan Identity up to the current day. While it does cover material that is already common knowldege amongst those familiar with Christian Identity, and it doesn't address fully the current members of this right-wing movement, I would suggest this book to anyone who has a rudementary understanding of Christian Identity but who would like to learn more.

Rating:
Summary: Well-researched analysis of the origin of Christian Identity
Review: This book is a thorough and fascinating (in a skin-crawly kind of way) look at the origins of Christian Identity, tracing it back to its British-Israelism roots in the nineteenth century. The author narrowly focuses on the theological elements in this discussion for most of the book and the how or why which made people believe these quite paranoid, delusional or hate-filled things is left out of the discussion. This book is about what they believed and not why. But that really would not fit into this book (and would take several on its own account). This book also does not go beyond British Isrealism or the Christian Identity into other ways in which the right, religion and rascism all connect. But what this book does cover, it does so masterfully and the research is impressive and important. An read for anyone interested in the right wing fringes of society in a "know thy enemy" sort of way.

Rating:
Summary: invaluable study of christian identity
Review: This is easily the best book on the subject. The first section on the history of British Israelism (a little known theory today but well known during the last half of the 19th cen. and first half of the twentieth) is simply invaluable. Three cheers for Professor Barkun. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to be informed about one of the most dangerous and bizarre movements in our country today.

Rating:
Summary: White Supremacist Religion
Review: This is really the only complete history of the Christian Identity movement, a modern descendent of the anglo-centric British Israelism movement of the late 19th century. Identity is the overtly racist religion practiced by Aryan Nations, the Freemen, and many other fringe White Supremacist movements. Among the beliefs subscribed to by a variety of Identity groups are that Jews are descendents of Satan, and that all non-Whites are descendents of sub-human "beasts of the field" created before Adam and Eve. Identity believers claim that they are the "remnant" of the lost tribes of Israel, and will have dominion over the earth after a racist holy war in which God will smite all their enemies. This is a fascinating book that sheds light on anobscure and shadowy movement that has united many disparate elements of the racist fringe for the past couple of decades. I could't put it down! While Identity has been covered in passing in other books or articles, nobody has researched and explained this movement quite like Barkun, a professor of Political Science at Syracuse. Tad Cook

Rating:
Summary: Religion of White Supremacy
Review: This is really the only complete history of the Christian Identity movement, a modern descendent of the anglo-centric British Israelism movement of the late 19th century.Identity is the overtly racist religion practiced by Aryan Nations, the Freemen, and many other fringe White Supremacist movements. Among the beliefs subscribed to by a variety of Identity groups are that Jews are descendents of Satan, and that all non-Whites are descendents of sub-human "beasts of the field" created before Adam and Eve. Identity believers claim that they are the "remnant" of the lost tribes of Israel, and will have dominion over the earth after a racist holy war in which God will smite all their enemies. This is a fascinating book that sheds light on an obscure and shadowy movement that has united many disparate elements of the racist fringe for the past couple of decades. I could't put it down! While Identity has been covered in passing in other books or articles, nobody has researched and explained this movement quite like Barkun, a professor of Political Science at Syracuse. Tad Cook

Rating:
Summary: Anti-Semitic Religion
Review: This is really the only complete history of the ChristianIdentity movement, a modern descendent of the anglo-centricBritish Israelism movement of the late 19th century. Identity is the overtly racist religion practiced by Aryan Nations, the Freemen, and many other fringe White Supremacist movements. Among the beliefs subscribed to by a variety of Identity groups are that Jews are descendents of Satan, and that all non-Whites are descendents of sub-human "beasts of the field" created before Adam and Eve. Identity believers claim that they are the "remnant" of the lost tribes of Israel, and will have dominion over the earth after a racist holy war in which God will smite all their enemies. This is a fascinating book that sheds light on an obscure and shadowy movement that has united many disparate elements of the racist fringe for the past couple of decades. I could't put it down! While Identity has been covered in passing in other books or articles, nobody has researched and explained this movement quite like Barkun, a professor of Political Science at Syracuse.

Rating:
Summary: A Valuable Contribution
Review: While I highly enjoyed this book and found it meticulously, yet engagingly, researched, I will try to refrain from repeating what other reviewers have already stated. What I would like to add, is that I was unexpectedly impressed with the tortuous connections Barkun unearthed between the Identity/British-Israel sects/movements and other strains of Protestants and Pentecostals. I felt that I learned not only about Identity, but also gained a wider perspective on America's colorful religious history. Barkun also did an admirable job of maintaining a degree of objectivity and emotional distance from his subject, preventing a preachy or moralistic tone from overwhelming the book.

Rating:
Summary: A book that lifts the lid on British-Israel.
Review: Whilst Barkun's book is primarily about Christian Identity groups, they share a common heritage with British-Israelist groups. Barkun traced this common history in some detail. My primary interest in this book was the British-Israel aspect and I found Barkun's book to be the best modern source on this subject even though it was not the main focus of his text.

Barkun's research was excellent and his references listed gave me ample reading once I had finished the book. His listing of references is enough to warrant purchasing the book.