As with other terrorist and extremist organizations, religion forms the basis of the Ku Klux Klan’s dogmatic philosophy, providing justification for its beliefs and actions. The Klan represents a link to America’s cultural past. While America has undergone tremendous social change, the secretive order has, since the end of the Civil War, kept alive the antiquated values—predicated on racism and religion—of white supremacism. Covering nearly a century of Klan ideology, this book examines the group’s religious rhetoric in its literature and songs, from its heyday during the 1920s to 2014.

Juan O. Sánchez works for Texas A&M University at Galveston.

Juan O. Sánchez
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 216
Bibliographic Info: appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6485-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2453-2
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Preface 1

Introduction 3

Section I. The Klan, 1920–1930

1. Words and Phrases 13

2. The Ku Klux Klan and God 33

3. The Ku Klux Klan and Christ 51

4. The Ku Klux Klan and the Bible 67

5. Poetry and Song 80

Section II. Beyond 1930

6. Klan Rhetoric 107

7. God’s Divine Providence 127

8. Christ, Eternal Emperor of the World Wide Invisible Empire 143

9. Refining the Interpretation of the Bible 153

Summary: Thoughts and Connections 165

Appendix A: Doctrinal Statement of Beliefs 177

Appendix B: The Seven Sacred Symbols of the Klan 183

Chapter Notes 189

Bibliography 199

Index 203