Defining Christian Nationalism

This chapter overviews the scholarly definitions of nationalism, nations, nation-states, and various forms of nationalism, including religious nationalism, secular nationalism, and religious nationalism, and differentiates between nationalism and patriotism. The chapter defines Christian nationalism, reviews the disputed data documenting how many American Christians adhere to Christian nationalist tenets, and discusses core narrative and theological themes in Christian nationalist beliefs. The most dominant belief among Christian nationalists is that America was historically Christian—that the founders established it as Christian—and that God is empowering them to make it Christian again. Also common are the beliefs that to be a good American is to be a good Christian and that Christians are suffering persecution. But Christian nationalists are also prone to sanitize American history, promote misinformation, engage in-group and out-group dynamics, and favor native-born, white Christians. Scholars have correlated agreement with Christian nationalist tenets with conspiratorial thinking, anti-science stances, racist and sexist attitudes, anti-immigration rhetoric, and pro-gun sentiments. Others have described Christian nationalism as a religious populism. Theologically, adherents believe they are specially blessed by God, and some believe they are called to dominate seven cultural mountains.