Big Announcement: Redeeming Democracy

A new name for my newsletter and a broadened focus on religion, racial justice, and the moral work of democracy

Today I’m excited to bring you some news. I have a new name for my newsletter: Redeeming Democracy.

Why the new name? First, I should clarify that the new newsletter name does not signal a significant move away from the themes I’ve been covering since the launch of this newsletter in 2021. I will continue to highlight what I believe is the principal threat to our pluralistic democracy: the toxic mix of white supremacy and Christian dominionism that has coalesced in the contemporary Christian nationalist movement. And I’ll continue to bring you breaking research and reflections on religion, racial justice, and the moral work of democracy. Those themes, which comprise the tagline for the newsletter, will continue to be the guiding lights of my writing.

“Redeeming Democracy” reflects the ways the newsletter has evolved over the 300 essays and conversations I’ve posted here over the last five years. And it better describes the the positive work of strengthening democratic resilience, at a time when white Christian nationalism is threatening the existence of democracy itself both here and abroad.

I launched this newsletter under the name “White Too Long,” taken from the title of my 2020 book, which in turn borrowed the phrase from James Baldwin. Baldwin used this provocative language in a New York Times essay to describe how we white Americans understood ourselves to be not simply part of a racial group but privileged members of a divinely-chosen tribe. This perception, Baldwin lamented, had so permeated our identities that we failed to see the deep contradictions between the democratic values we professed and the lives most of us were actually living. Since I first read those words a decade ago, Baldwin’s incisive indictment has shaped—and continues to animate—my writing and professional work.

In Redeeming Democracy, I’ll continue to bring you essays grounded in sociological research, history, and theology. And I’ll focus on a critical question for our moment: How can we reclaim a faith and a nation in the midst of the white Christian nationalist turn against democracy?

(Note: These themes are also the focus of my new book, Backslide—now available for pre-order.)

From the resurgence of white Christian nationalism to the possibilities of pluralistic democracy, my writing here will weave together repentance and hope, responsibility and civic repair. I’ll reflect consistently on how conscience, faith, and courage can redeem not only our politics but our collective character and civic life.

This newsletter is for readers committed to grappling with uncomfortable truths and engaging in the hard work of building a pluralistic democracy worthy of its promise.

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Help Spread the Word—A 25% Discount

To mark the occasion of the new name, I’m offering a 25% discount on new annual paid subscriptions to Redeeming Democracy through the end of February. Click below to subscribe.

Your paid subscription helps sustain my work, keeps most content free for everyone, and gives you full access to the following:

• Weekly analysis and original writing, including previews of upcoming work;

• Participation in the comments section with a lively community;

• Substack+LIVE video conversations on breaking news with thought leaders;

• Monthly author salon webinars; and

• Five years of archives.

It also represents your commitment to support unflinching writing and analysis on religion and democracy. That’s never been more critical.

*Note: If you’d like to receive the benefits of being a paid subscriber but have been laid off or furloughed because of the Trump administration’s attack on our government, or otherwise cannot afford it, drop me a note at robertpjones.substack@pm.me and I can arrange a complimentary paid subscription).

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Recently at Redeeming Democracy