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God Hates: Westboro Baptist Church, American Nationalism, and the Religious Right . By Rebecca Barrett-Fox . Lawrence : University of Kansas Press , 2016. x + 256 pp. $24.95 hardcover.
Book Reviews and Notes
In her carefully crafted monograph, God Hates: Westboro Baptist Church, American Nationalism, and the Religious Right, Rebecca Barrett-Fox argues that Westboro Baptist Church--the infamous congregation known for homophobic protests at American military funerals--performs a valuable function for the Religious Right. While Westboro Baptist Church occupies true "hate group" status, contends Barrett-Fox, the Religious Right is free to uphold a traditional American theological position that ties sexual sin to the nation's doom and scapegoats LGBTQ+ citizens. With the flamboyant Westboro Baptist Church in the wings, the Religious Right discriminates while publicly rejecting the notion that their discrimination constitutes hate.
Barrett-Fox uses Westboro Baptist Church literature, sermons, liturgy, and member interviews to present the congregation's history through the life and times of its deceased founder, Fred Phelps. Many readers will be surprised to learn Phelps began his career as a civil rights attorney in Kansas. His reputation as a fierce advocate for African American citizens was tarnished, however, by frequent accusations of unethical, unlawful behavior, and he was eventually disbarred. Undaunted, Phelps applied his take-no-prisoner legal approach to his congregation. As a result, Westboro Baptist's preaching...