History Minute (080): Christian pastors and theology in the KKK

“Walter C. Wright, a Texas reverend and one of the Klan’s foremost ideologues, emphasized that the core of Klan theology was belief in Christianity’s essential tenets, to regard Christ as ‘Criterion of Character’, and to consider Romans 12 as his ‘Law of Life’. Across the country, individuals who lived up to the membership requirements sought themselves to the Invisible Empire, predominately those from Evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal churches, which in many respects constituted the Klan’s recruiting ground. Kleagles [i.e., recruiters for the Klan] were eager to recruit Protestant ministers to the Klan, highlighting the importance of clergy in building a Protestant fraternal and political movement.”

Excerpt from:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21567689.2020.1809384