Jesus and Justice: Evangelicals, Race and American Politics by Peter Goodwin Heltzel

Abstract

William Jones critically examines Peter Goodwin Heltzel's Jesus and Justice: Evangelicals, Race and American Politics (2009), which explores historical and theological divides between white conservative evangelicalism and black evangelicalism in the U.S. Heltzel argues that while white evangelicalism has often been complicit in racial injustice—defending slavery, segregation, and lynching—black evangelicalism, rooted in the suffering of enslaved people, has championed justice and equality, exemplified by figures like Martin Luther King Jr. The book contends that differing theological interpretations of Jesus shape their political stances: white evangelicals prioritize individual salvation and traditional family values, while black evangelicals emphasize systemic justice and institutional change. The review praises Heltzel’s work as both a historical analysis and a passionate argument, highlighting its dual perspective as an evangelical minister and historian. The review underscores the book’s strength in tracing ideological and theological schisms between these traditions, particularly how white evangelicalism’s focus on individual piety has limited its engagement with systemic issues like racism, war, and poverty. Conversely, black evangelicalism’s identification with Jesus as a suffering prophet has driven its activism for justice.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)