On the latest episode of his Right Response Ministries show, Christian nationalist pastor Joel Webbon declared that he was celebrating White Boy Summer — a meme popularized by white supremacists. Webbon claimed that White Boy Summer is about celebrating “Anglo-Protestant culture,” which he called “the best culture.”

“And so, with White Boy Summer, part of it — there’s a lot — but part of it is honoring the Western, Anglo-Protestant heritage,” Webbon declared while wearing a pair of Pit Viper sunglasses. “And the reality is this: There is a lot to honor.”

The roots of White Boy Summer can be traced back to a music video of the same name by Chet Hanks. From there, it became a meme used by white supremacists like Nick Fuentes who, in a 2021 speech, declared that it was “White Boy Summer” while mocking the murder of antiracist protester Heather Heyer.

Webbon claimed that “Anglo-Protestant culture” is “not only” a “particularly honorable culture,” but that it’s arguably “the best culture,” because “it is the one that for these last 500 to 1,500 years has most closely modeled the Christian worldview.”

And he proclaimed that “Not only is it okay to be white, it is good to be white” — referencing a 4chan meme adopted by white nationalists.

But while Webbon acknowledged that White Boy Summer “may have started off with not the best intentions” — and was neither “nefarious” nor “righteous” — he claimed that “it has been sufficiently hijacked by the Christian Right,” meaning he is free to celebrate it.

“And so in the same way that Charles Dickens, you know, he would say ‘Bob Cratchit, you know, well I say that this Christmas is merry and I wish you a merry [Christmas],’ I say that this White Boy Summer is a glorious and righteous White Boy Summer,” he said. “And I wish you to be happy and merry upon it.”

Joel Webbon: And so, with White Boy Summer, part of it — there’s a lot — but part of it is honoring the Western, Anglo-Protestant heritage. And the reality is this: There is a lot to honor. So we don’t wanna flatter and say certain things that were bad were actually really good. But here’s the deal: Without getting technical, just on its face, Anglo-Protestant culture has a ton to honor, and I would argue that, at least in the last 500 years — so I’m not talking about pre-flood, antediluvian world or before Christ or — who knows? But at least in the last 500 years — and I technically would argue the last 1,500 years, Constantine, you know, that’d be 1,500 years, and then from King Alfred, that’d be 1,000 years, the last 500 years would be the Reformation — at least 500 — probably 1,000, probably 1,500 — I would say not only is it a particularly honorable culture, but I would argue it’s the best culture. And here’s the deal, and we’re gonna get into this, it’s not merely the best culture, in my opinion, because it’s my culture or my heritage. No, it is the best culture, historically speaking, because it is the one that for these last 500 to 1,500 years has most closely modeled the Christian worldview. That’s what made it great.

Wesley Todd: Yeah.

Joel Webbon: You wanna make America great again, make it Christian again. Bringing back the Christian roots. That’s what’s so glorious about — all the cathedrals that were built, and all the art that was produced, and all the… All these things were right alongside — and not by coincidence, but by design — they were right alongside preaching, revival, wholesome families. And, like, that’s — it mirrored Christ. And so it should be honored. This is a Fifth Commandment — not only — I’ll leave it with this and then I’ll go back to you guys. Not only is it okay to be white, it is good to be white. In the same way Michael Foster wrote a book saying it’s not just permissible to be a man. Right? There’s a war on masculinity, so somebody needs to say it’s okay to be a man. But you know what? Let’s do ’em one better. Biblically speaking it’s not just permissible or okay to be a man. It’s good. It’s good to be a man if you’re a man. Likewise it’s not just okay or permissible to be white. It’s good to be white.

You might be saying, “Again, you’re making it about race. What does that matter?” Think about what Paul says in Romans Chapter 9. He says, “Look, when it comes to salvation and eternal value and merit, the flesh is of no account.” Right? So it’s covenant. It’s not blood. It’s not ethnicity. It’s covenant. And after making all those arguments, then what does Paul say? “So what advantage is there in being a Jew?” And you would expect him to say this: none. But he doesn’t say that. Instead he says “What advantage is there in being a Jew? Much in every way. For theirs are the patriarchs, the prophets, and the law.” So what advantage is there in being an Anglo-Protestant? Much in every way. For theirs are the reformers. Theirs are the Puritans. Theirs is [Thomas] Aquinas. Theirs is [John] Calvin. Theirs is [Martin] Luther. Theirs — yeah, and we should be proud of that.

And everyone who’s not white can also be proud of that, saying covenantally, these are my people. In the same way that Ruth said to her mother-in-law, Naomi, “From now on — I know I’m a Moabite. But from now on, covenantally-speaking, familial-speaking, your people will be my people and your God, my God.” And so everyone is welcome to celebrate White Boy Summer. Which I do believe — it may have started off with not the best intentions, I don’t think it was nefarious, but it wasn’t particularly righteous. But it has been sufficiently, in the true spirit of the postmillennial hope, it has been sufficiently hijacked by the Christian Right, God bless it. And so in the same way that Charles Dickens, you know, he would say “Bob Cratchit, you know, well I say that this Christmas is merry and I wish you a merry [Christmas],” I say that this White Boy Summer is a glorious and righteous White Boy Summer. And I wish you to be happy and merry upon it.