Endorsements for White As Sin

"In White As Sin, Scott Garber has written a compelling explanation and history of whiteness as a social construct, particularly how it is rooted in a sinful haughtiness that is deeply ingrained both at the personal and corporate level. Perhaps most importantly, he makes clear that white Christianity—that is, Christianity as practiced and perverted by people of European descent in the Americas going back almost 500 years—is inextricably tied to the ongoing practice and ideology of white supremacy. Scott has written this exhaustively researched book as part of the deeply necessary effort to reach white Christians with the message that white supremacy must be individually and systematically dismantled, and that this can only happen if white Christians everywhere join in this difficult but necessary effort. Best of all, Scott provides challenging yet eminently practical steps that white Christians can take individually and together to begin to redress America’s original sin. In a time such as this, White As Sin is a book that white Christians need to read."

— Jim Wallis is the New York Times bestselling author of America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America. He is also president of Sojourners, and editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine


“As a white minister who spent most of his career affiliated with majority black or multiracial churches, Garber is attuned to the “ecclesiastical apartheid” of America’s houses of worship… Though Garber does not pull any punches in this illuminating and vital work, his analysis is particularly nuanced in differentiating between Catholic, Evangelical, mainline Protestant, and Pentecostal histories and approaches to race. And while his focus is on the white church, he deftly highlights an alternate black religious universe that spans from the liberation theology of James Cone to the Beloved Community of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr…. An indispensable work that challenges white Christians to confront and atone for past sins.”

Kirkus Reviews


“Scott Garber is a prophetic voice uniquely positioned to do what prophets do: consider the fault-lines beneath the surface, carefully expose them, and call people to radical transformation.
White As Sin should become required reading in every school and church across America, as the future of our society depends on recognizing the truth of Scott Garber's diagnosis and responding to the remedy he proposes. It’s strong medicine. But it has remarkable potential to heal our land.”

— Dr. D. Brent Sandy is the author of Plowshares & Pruning Hooks and co-author (with John Walton) of The Lost World of Scripture.


“Scott Garber offers a fresh perspective that will appeal to thought leaders, especially Christian leaders, who are troubled by the persistence of race-related problems in our society.
White As Sin a serious, meaty, and quite possibly controversial book on a topic that is critically important both to Christians and to our nation.”

— Galen Carey is the Vice President of Government Relations for the National Association of Evangelicals and co-author (with Leith Anderson) of Faith in the Voting Booth.


“Scott Garber’s eloquent and powerful new work examines what he calls ‘racial haughtiness,” characterized “as a sinful stronghold that has never surrendered.” After tracing its influence throughout history to the present day, Garber makes a compelling case for a spiritual transformation that will finally demolish the legacy of racial hierarchy.”

— David R. Rippey, Ed. D.is a leadership consultant who has devoted his career to bringing diverse and talented individuals together in a common purpose.


“Scott Garber gives a weighty and thoughtful progression of racialization and the sin of racism from the Garden of Eden to the fields of America, to the modern-day struggles of racial haughtiness in the 21st century. Between a historical account and an illuminating reality that racial haughtiness is an integral part of the American fabric,
White As Sin challenges the conversation about reconciliation head on. Having served with Scott Garber for years as a reconciler I can attest to the sincerity of his heart to help us all move from being racists to gracists.”

— David Anderson is the Senior Pastor of Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, Maryland and President of the The BridgeLeader Network. He is the author of Letters Across the Divide Multicultural Ministry Gracism: The Art of Inclusion, and I Forgrace You: Doing Good to Those Who Have Hurt You.