What specific biblical verses have been cited by KKK leaders to support their ideology?
Executive summary
Scholars and contemporary reporting show that Klan leaders and sympathizers have repeatedly cited, misread, or republished biblical passages to legitimize white supremacy — including Leviticus 19:18, Genesis 6 (Noah narratives), Amos 3:3, 2 Peter passages, and a broader set of some “30” verses listed in Klan publications such as The Klan Unmasked and the Kloran [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. Historians note prominent Klan apologists — notably William J. Simmons and Bishop Alma White — who used scripture explicitly in books, sermons and Klan materials to argue the movement had divine sanction [7] [8] [9].
1. The Kloran and “The Klan Unmasked”: a self-curated biblical toolbox
The Klan’s own handbooks and affiliated materials compiled and circulated lists of biblical citations to support segregation and the group’s policies; local histories report a list of about 30 biblical verses repurposed in the Klan’s 1920s publication The Klan Unmasked and the Kloran contained many scriptural references used as authority for Klan aims [5] [6]. Those internal compilations functioned as a ready-made theological defense for members who wanted scripture to justify racial separation [5] [6].
2. Leviticus 19:18 — “love your neighbor” turned inward
Reporting and church-response pieces document explicit, antagonistic readings of Leviticus 19:18 by Klan leaders. A high-profile example: Loyal White Knights’ leader Chris Barker is quoted as reading Leviticus 19:18 as a mandate to “love his own and only his own,” an interpretation that flips the verse’s universal ethic into exclusionary tribalism [1]. Religious critics point out that such readings deliberately omit Jesus’ universalizing interpretation found elsewhere in the New Testament [1].
3. Genesis 6 / Noah narratives: creation myths retooled for race
Regional histories and scholarly accounts show Klan writers and allies sometimes invoked the story of Noah and post‑flood genealogies as a basis for racial separation or hierarchy; authors like Alma White co-opted Genesis material to argue for a providential order favoring certain groups [2] [8]. The sources note these are selective and anachronistic appropriations rather than mainstream theological interpretations [2] [8].
4. Amos 3:3 and other “compatibility” verses used to argue separation
Critics and pastors have highlighted how verses such as Amos 3:3 (“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”) were historically weaponized by segregationists and the Klan to counsel separation and segregation rather than repentance or communal fidelity [3]. Commentators stress that such proof-texting ignores the broader biblical context and theological tradition that counters racial exclusivity [3].
5. New Testament passages — 2 Peter and the language of dehumanization
Scholarly analyses of Klan performance and rhetoric identify New Testament passages, notably parts of 2 Peter, as recurring sources for dehumanizing language that Klan members and white supremacists have echoed; academic writing shows Klan speakers alluded to verses such as 2 Peter 2:13c when framing opponents as false or sub‑human in order to justify exclusionary or hostile practices [4]. The association is not always literal quoting but a pattern of drawing on these texts to shape affective rhetoric [4].
6. Prominent clergy and the “Christian” Klan: Simmons, White and a theology of sanction
Historic reporting documents that William Joseph Simmons, a Methodist preacher who revived the Klan in 1915, and bishops like Alma White explicitly argued Christianity supported white supremacy and used scripture in books and sermons to that effect; Alma White’s 1925 book Ku Klux Klan in Prophecy explicitly claims divine sanction and uses scripture as justification [7] [8]. Historians warn these are partisan, ideological exegeses crafted to naturalize the Klan’s political goals [7] [8] [9].
7. Two competing viewpoints within the sources: internal claims vs. external critique
Primary Klan materials and sympathizers present scripture as direct sanction for Klan goals [6] [5]. Academic and religious critics represented in the sources document distortion and selective citation, arguing the Klan’s readings are exegetically unsound and contrary to mainstream biblical meaning [3] [9] [2]. The sources show both that Klan leaders cited scripture and that independent scholars and clergy condemned those citations as perversions [6] [3] [9].
Limitations and transparency: available sources document examples and patterns (specific citations mentioned above and reference to “30” verses in Klan publications) but do not provide a complete, definitive list of every verse ever cited by every Klan leader across time; detailed verbatim lists appear in Klan texts like The Klan Unmasked and the Kloran noted by the sources, which are the primary places to consult for exhaustive citation lists [5] [6].