This book is not about President Trump’s personality or his tweets. Rather, it traces the role of race, economic power, and Christianity over centuries in the US to reveal the historical trends that led to Trump’s victory. Martí (Davidson College) emphasizes scholarly sources with a fresh take to explore history that is “not hidden but neglected” (p. 21). Chapters on race cover not only African Americans but also Native Americans, Mexicans, and both Asian and European immigrants. Another important line of analysis concerns the blending of free market capitalism with evangelical Christianity—business-friendly evangelism and Christian libertarianism. That analysis nicely sets up a discussion of elites' wealth and the intellectual development of neoliberalism. . . Ultimately, Martí finds that, despite Trump’s positioning himself as an outsider to politics, his policies are consistent with longstanding racial, economic, and religious structures. . . Martí paints a vivid (if sometimes depressing) picture that will likely fill in the blind spots of most readers' understanding of the US. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.

Choice Reviews

In American Blindspot: Race, Class, Religion and the Trump Presidency, Gerardo Martí deftly avoids facile, pop-explanations for Trump’s ascendency, and instead provides a carefully crafted historical account of the interrelated racial, religious, political, and economic currents that together culminated in Trump’s surprising 2016 victory. . . . given that much of the content of the book emerged from Martí’s advanced seminar at Davidson, I think the book would make an ideal text for courses that touch on similar topics. I would also recommend it for the busy scholar or pastor wishing to access a one-stop text for learning about the problematic racial, religious, and economic streams feeding Trump’s maddeningly resilient approval ratings.

Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review

Martí’s book American Blindspot: Race, Class, Religion and the Trump Presidency is a thorough & broad-reaching scholarly analysis of evangelical Trumpism to date.He has read widely in the history and sociology of American evangelicalism, making his book a useful primer for pastors, laypeople, religion reporters and academics.

Faith & Leadership

American Blindspot: Race, Class, Religion and the Trump Presidency by Gerardo Marti provides readers with an unflinching portrait of America in the hopes that clearer historical and sociological vision will produce more accurate political analysis in the future. . . . For a growing chorus of scholars, journalists, and activists, the key to overcoming this dissonance is by abandoning the easy mythology and embracing the messy complexity of the real Americanstory. American Blindspot is a fine contribution to this collective effort.

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

Overall, the American Blindspot tells an important history of America and provides a much needed insight on the social dynamics that led to the Trump presidency. . . this book would be a useful resource for all sociology instructors. . . . While reading the book, I found myself pausing to reflect, take notes, and have thought-provoking discussions with colleagues. Whether using it as a resource or assigning it for class, one will likely find American Blindspot to be constructive and compelling.

Teaching Sociology

Writing with accessible clarity, Martí takes us through the long and deep history that has shaped the American system of white privilege, woven it into our identity and economic order, and sanctified it in the churches. Through both original historical sources and the best recent scholarship, this book shows us why we should not have been surprised by the 2016 election and its aftermath.

Nancy T. Ammerman, professor emerita, Boston University and author, Baptist Battles: Social Change and Religious Conflict in the Southern Baptist Convention