The Broken Covenant
Christianity, Violence, and the Betrayal of Native Peoples
Usually printed in 3 - 5 business days
The Broken Covenant
Christianity, Violence, and the Betrayal of Native Peoples
For generations, Christianity was wielded as a weapon against Indigenous peoples—justifying land theft, cultural erasure, and brutal policies of forced assimilation. From the Doctrine of Discovery to the horrors of Indian boarding schools, the faith that promised salvation became a tool of conquest.
In The Broken Covenant, Matthew B. Scraper, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and former United Methodist minister, unpacks the deep and lasting damage Christianity inflicted upon Native communities. Drawing from historical records, personal experience, and Indigenous resistance movements, he exposes the ways Christianity justified violence and betrayed the very people it claimed to redeem.
This book is not just an indictment of the past—it is a call for truth, justice, and the reclamation of Indigenous spiritual sovereignty. With unflinching honesty, Scraper traces the legacy of Christian missionization and its ongoing effects on Native identity, while also uplifting the voices of those who have resisted and survived.
For those who have wrestled with faith, history, and identity, The Broken Covenant is a vital read—a necessary reckoning with the past and a vision for an Indigenous future free from the chains of colonial religion.
Details
- Publication Date
- Jun 23, 2025
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 9781300475187
- Category
- History
- Copyright
- All Rights Reserved - Standard Copyright License
- Contributors
- By (author): Matthew Scraper
Specifications
- Pages
- 196
- Binding Type
- Paperback Perfect Bound
- Interior Color
- Black & White
- Dimensions
- A5 (5.83 x 8.27 in / 148 x 210 mm)
Keywords
Christianity and Native AmericansIndigenous spirituality and ChristianityChristian colonialism and Indigenous peopleIndigenous resistance to ChristianityChristianity and cultural genocideIndian boarding schools historyMissionary assimilation of Native AmericansIndigenous theology and decolonizationChristianity and land theftChristian doctrine and Indigenous oppressionThe Doctrine of Discovery impactChristianity and forced assimilationIndigenous spiritual sovereigntyNative American religious persecutionIndigenous traditions vs. ChristianityChristian justification for genocideHistorical trauma and ChristianityNative American church historyFaith decolonization movementChristian missions and Indigenous identityHow Christianity was used to erase Indigenous cultureNative American resistance to Christian conversionThe role of Christianity in the Indian WarsHow missionaries forced Native Americans to convertThe impact of Christian boarding schools on Indigenous peopleReclaiming Indigenous spirituality after ChristianityHow the church justified violence against Native peopleUnderstanding the history of Christianity in Native communitiesHow Indigenous people are leaving Christianity todayChristian theology’s role in Native American displacementMatthew B. Scraper booksThe Broken Covenant bookChristianity and Native identity bookDecolonizing faith Matthew ScraperIndigenous faith deconstruction booksCherokee author Matthew Scraper