God Is Red: A Native View of Religion
71 pages • 2-hour read
Vine Deloria Jr.God Is Red: A Native View of Religion
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Introductions 1-2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Introduction 1 Summary
Philip J. Deloria, the son of the author, writes the Introduction to the 50th anniversary edition of God is Red. Philip describes the February 1969 meeting of the Episcopal Church’s Executive Committee, during which the committee ignored a proposal from a delegation of four American Indigenous leaders (led by Vine Deloria Jr.) asking for more Indigenous participation in the church. The Indigenous people considered the Episcopal Church to be “an Indian religion” (VII), but this feeling was not mutual.
The moment helped to clarify Vine’s growing disillusionment with the church and helped to inspire the criticism of Christianity which appears in God is Red. Philip provides a history of the Indigenous activism which was circling the United States before, during, and after the publication of his father’s book. He has few memories of his father actually writing the book, unlike the writing process for his father’s other celebrated work, Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto. Philip also provides an overview of the editing and preparation work for this edition of God is Red, confirming that the majority of the changes made by his father for the previous anniversary edition have been left in place. He provides context and background for any new readers of his father’s work and celebrates the importance of the book for its celebration of “Indigenous efforts to restore, preserve, and use sacred places” (XII).
Introduction 2 Summary
Vine Deloria Jr. recalls traveling with his father through South Dakota, where landmarks like buttes, canyons, and river crossings were accompanied by stories that revealed their sacred and historical meanings. These early experiences created lasting impressions and taught him that certain places carry sacredness, either through inherent spiritual power or through generations of human reverence. As the Indigenous American protest movement grew, efforts to restore sacred sites and revive ceremonies reflected this enduring relationship between people and land.
When God Is Red was published in 1973, the book initially “did not receive much of a welcome” (XV), even from Indigenous publications, because it marked a departure from Deloria’s earlier work. However, the book later became influential among those seeking to reclaim land and recognize tribal religious traditions as distinct from other faiths. Deloria expresses gratitude to readers who engaged with the book and rediscovered spiritual traditions and tribal identity. Writing it deepened his respect for ancestral belief systems, leading him to view old stories as literal truths that reveal profound awareness of the universe’s mysteries. He emphasizes that sacredness is universal, yet particularly strong in Indigenous traditions, where spiritual power is often encountered in specific places beyond normal dimensions of time and space.
Referencing Black Elk’s vision of many peoples’ hoops, Deloria acknowledges that multiple sacred traditions coexist to explore “the Great Mystery of Life” (XVI). Deloria connects these ideas to modern understandings of physics and spirituality, suggesting that ancient stories of origins from the stars or underground realms may hold new plausibility. He concludes that Indigenous ancestors lived in continual communion with the spirit world, a state contemporary people should strive to regain. Ultimately, he argues that maintaining this unbroken spiritual connection to sacred places and the spirit world is essential for Indigenous survival and renewal.
Introductions 1-2 Analysis
The 50th anniversary edition of God is Red features introductions from both Vine Deloria Jr. and his son, Philip Deloria. These two introductions, written decades apart, reflect on the work from different perspectives.
Philip’s discussions of the influence and significance of God is Red are placed alongside his efforts to remember the actual writing process. Philip’s emphasis on the warm, familial setting in which the work was produced shows that his father’s beliefs about community and education began at home. As such, Philip Deloria does not only place God is Red in an academic context, but a domestic one, revealing the sincerity of his father’s beliefs as well as commenting on the vast influence that his father held over the world of Indigenous academia.
God is Red has undergone several revisions since its original publication. Vine Deloria Jr. comments on these changes and revisions, revealing his motivations for taking out certain appendices and merging certain chapters. The effect is to frame God is Red not as a set text, but as a living document which can shift to accommodate changes in society and premise. In this way, through his willingness to adapt and alter the work, Vine Deloria Jr. mirrors his beliefs about Indigenous religions as organic, growing systems. The book—a document exploring such religions—reflects their nature.
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