According to Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science, many white supremacist groups of the radical right are deeply committed to the distinctive but little-recognized religious position known as "Christian Identity."In "Religion and the Racist Right" (1994), Barkun provided the first sustained exploration of the ideological and organizational development of the Christian Identity movement.

In a new chapter written for the revised edition, he traces the role of Christian Identity figures in the dramatic events of the first half of the 1990s, from the Oklahoma City bombing and the rise of the militia movement to the Freemen standoff in Montana. He also explores the government's evolving response to these challenges to the legitimacy of the state.