Constructing a Biracial U.S. and Citizenship

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Race, Nation, and Religion
Summary of the Material
Conventionally, every human being endeavors to have a sense of belonging to a particular group or several of them. This quest for belonging can become so consuming that one can discard personal identity and convictions. People seek to identify with the three main categories of groups: race, nation, and religion (Goldschmidt and Mcalister 5). These adopt a symbiotic relationship to exist in society and to have a symbolic meaning. Essentially, this means that the three entities must complete each other to have any tangible impact and meaning in society.
Main Points
* The first theme is tracing the roots of American racial categories in European colonial fantasies of religious difference. According to Goldshmidt and McAlister, the genesis of the ongoing process of racialization was marked by the earliest voyages undertaken by European explorers and colonialists (22). Their exploits helped define the identities of Blacks, Whites, Indians, and many others across the Americas.
* The other theme that has been captured is the construction and critique of a symbolic relationship between whiteness and Christianity. White people have laid exclusive claim to Christianity and its social institutions in the Americas. This is against their purported superiority over others.
* The authors have also explored the role that Christian missionary work has continued to play in defining racial differences and national identities. The authors here have examined the politics of religious conversion and the contribution of religion to nation-building.
* The authors also scrutinize the battles fought within religious communities over segregation, integration, and the North American racial binary. Here, the authors evaluate the factors influencing the distinctive binary thinking about race.
* Last, the authors have illustrated how nation-states have tried to guard civilization's racial and religious boundaries. According to Goldshmidt and McAlister, religion played a significant role in formulating popular definitions of savagery and civilization (...