It was a pleasure spending time with Christopher Graham to discuss his new book, Faith, Race, and the Lost Cause: Confessions of a Southern Church (University Press of Virginia). This is a book that I highly recommend if you are interested in the history of the Lost Cause, the history of race relations in the South, and Church history.
Chris’s book explores the history of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. Once known as the “Church of the Confederacy,” the congregation has in recent decades moved beyond its Lost Cause roots to more fully address issues of race and other forms of injustice in and around Richmond. However, in the wake of the Charleston murders in 2015 the congregation set about to more closely examine its own history and its role in reinforcing white supremacy and segregation in the community. This book is the result of that inquiry.
Chris is currently the curator of exhibitions at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia. He completed his PhD in history at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Check out Chris’s excellent overview of the Lost Cause at The Inclusive Historian’s Handbook.
Follow Chris on Twitter.
Note: We had a very minor technical issue during the recording, which you will notice around the 11 minute mark.
Interview With Christopher Graham