Christian Nationalism and the MAGA Movement

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Christian Nationalism and the MAGA Movement

Christian nationalism became an increasingly prominent subject in American political and religious debate during the rise of Donald Trump and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Researchers, journalists, religious leaders, advocacy organizations, and political activists have used the term to describe a range of ideas connecting Christianity with American national identity, government, political authority, and public culture. The large body of research and reporting on the subject also shows that there is considerable disagreement over precisely what should qualify as Christian nationalism and how broadly the term should be applied.

Studies of Christian nationalism generally distinguish it from ordinary Christian religious belief, patriotism, or participation by Christians in politics. Researchers commonly focus instead on beliefs that Christianity has a special relationship with the United States, that the nation's identity or institutions should reflect Christianity, or that government should take some role in preserving Christian influence. Different surveys and scholars measure these ideas in different ways, making definitions and measurement an important part of the academic debate.

The emergence of Donald Trump as a major political figure intensified interest in Christian nationalism because researchers repeatedly found associations between Christian-nationalist beliefs and support for Trump. At the same time, the relationship is more complicated than an identification of Christianity, evangelicalism, Republican politics, MAGA, and Christian nationalism as interchangeable categories. The sources show substantial variation within American Christianity as well as disagreement among scholars about the boundaries and explanatory power of the concept.

Christian Nationalism as a Political Concept

Christian nationalism combines ideas about religion with ideas about national identity. In the United States, it often involves narratives portraying Christianity as fundamental to the country's history, moral character, institutions, or future.

Researchers have developed several approaches to measuring the phenomenon. Survey questions frequently examine beliefs about whether the United States is or should be a Christian nation, whether Christianity should receive governmental recognition, whether Christian values should influence laws, and whether American identity is connected to Christian identity.

Public attitudes are considerably more complicated than a simple division between supporters and opponents. Americans may describe the United States as a Christian nation for historical, demographic, theological, or political reasons without necessarily supporting an established religion or government control by Christian institutions. Likewise, people may favor Christian moral influence in public life while supporting formal church-state separation.

This ambiguity has led some scholars to argue that the category should be divided into more specific types. Research in the uploaded material distinguishes, among other possibilities, religious traditionalism from Christian statism and identifies different charismatic, evangelical, Catholic, populist, and nationalist currents.

Consequently, Christian nationalism is best understood as a debated family of religious and political orientations rather than a description that automatically applies to conservative Christians or Republican voters.

Donald Trump and the Development of the MAGA Coalition

Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign created an unusual political alliance with substantial portions of conservative Christianity. Trump's personal history and public behavior differed in important respects from the traditional image of an evangelical political leader, yet he attracted strong support from many white evangelical Protestant voters and conservative Christian organizations.

The relationship was partly transactional. Many conservative Christian voters emphasized issues including abortion, judicial appointments, religious liberty, education, gender and sexuality policy, and the role of religion in public life. Trump, meanwhile, repeatedly promised greater political influence and protection for conservative Christians.

Researchers subsequently examined whether Christian-nationalist beliefs helped explain support for Trump beyond conventional religious affiliation or Republican partisanship. A widely cited 2018 study using national survey data found Christian nationalism independently associated with voting for Trump in the 2016 election after the researchers controlled for several other demographic and political variables.

Later studies examined similar relationships during the 2020 and 2024 elections. Research in the uploaded collection considers connections among Christian nationalism, perceptions of anti-Christian discrimination, attitudes toward immigration and racial identity, political grievance, conspiracy beliefs, and support for Trump.

These findings do not mean that all Trump supporters are Christian nationalists or that all people holding Christian-nationalist beliefs support identical policies. They instead identify statistical and political relationships between particular religious-nationalist attitudes and portions of the Trump electoral coalition.

Evangelical Christianity and Trump

White evangelical Protestant voters became one of Trump's most consistently supportive religious constituencies. Polling and election studies in the source collection document strong support for Trump among this group in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections.

Explaining that support has generated extensive debate within evangelical Christianity itself.

Some evangelical supporters have emphasized abortion, conservative judicial appointments, religious-liberty disputes, Israel, education, opposition to progressive social policies, and the belief that Trump would defend Christians against cultural marginalization.

Others have framed Trump in explicitly biblical terms. One recurring analogy compares him with Cyrus, the non-Israelite Persian ruler described in the Hebrew Bible who nevertheless served a divine purpose. Within some charismatic Christian networks, Trump has also been presented as playing a role in a broader spiritual conflict involving the future of the United States.

Other evangelicals have strongly rejected these interpretations. Christian critics argue that close identification between Christianity and partisan political power can damage Christian institutions, distort theology, or substitute political loyalty for religious commitments.

The result has been a continuing debate not simply between religious and secular Americans, but within Christianity itself.

MAGA, Religious Identity, and Political Mobilization

The MAGA movement provided Christian-nationalist ideas with a large political environment in which religious identity, national identity, populism, and partisan politics could interact.

Campaign rallies, conferences, prayer meetings, churches, political organizations, and media networks have sometimes combined Christian symbols with American flags, patriotic language, election activism, and support for Trump. Investigative reporting has documented networks of donors, ministries, political strategists, churches, advocacy organizations, and voter-mobilization groups operating within this environment.

Organizations associated with conservative Christian political activism have increasingly focused on state and local institutions as well as national elections. School boards, public education, county governments, state legislatures, election administration, and local party organizations have become important arenas for activism.

Turning Point Faith, Citizens Defending Freedom, ReAwaken America events, political ministries, and other organizations examined in the source collection illustrate the diversity of organizations operating where conservative Christianity and MAGA politics overlap.

These organizations are not identical, and the people involved do not necessarily share a single theology or political program. The broader movement includes evangelical Protestants, charismatic and Pentecostal Christians, Reformed conservatives, Catholic traditionalists, political strategists, populists, and activists primarily motivated by cultural or partisan concerns.

Charismatic Christianity, Prophecy, and Spiritual Warfare

One particularly visible component of the Trump-era Christian political movement developed within charismatic and Pentecostal networks.

Some charismatic leaders described American politics through the language of prophecy and spiritual warfare. Political conflicts were sometimes interpreted as manifestations of a struggle between divine and demonic forces, and Trump's political career was presented by some religious figures as having providential significance.

The ReAwaken America Tour and similar gatherings combined political speeches, revival-style worship, election-related claims, conspiracy narratives, and spiritual-warfare themes. Journalistic accounts describe these events as important meeting points between elements of charismatic Christianity and the MAGA movement.

Such interpretations remain contested among Christians. Numerous pastors, theologians, and evangelical writers have criticized attempts to attribute divine authorization to particular candidates or political movements.

Race, Immigration, and National Identity

Race and national identity are major subjects in scholarship about Christian nationalism.

Some researchers argue that contemporary Christian nationalism cannot be understood separately from the history of race, immigration, and ideas about who constitutes a "real" American. Studies in the source collection examine relationships between Christian-nationalist beliefs and attitudes toward racial minorities, Muslims, immigrants, welfare programs, border security, and demographic change.

Other researchers caution against reducing Christian nationalism entirely to white racial identity. Christian-nationalist attitudes can be found among people from multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds, and some scholarship emphasizes the need to distinguish religious traditionalism, racial attitudes, partisan identity, and preferences for government support of Christianity.

The increasing political importance of Hispanic evangelical Christians provides one example of this complexity. Hispanic Protestants have become an important constituency in debates about religion, immigration, abortion, economics, national identity, and party politics.

The relationship among Christianity, race, nationalism, and MAGA therefore remains an area of active academic debate rather than a single settled explanation.

Christian Nationalism and the 2024 Election

The 2024 presidential election generated a new wave of research into the relationship between Christian nationalism and Trump support.

PRRI's American Values Atlas classified Americans according to responses to questions about Christianity, government, and national identity. Its 2024 data placed roughly three in ten Americans in categories it calls Christian-nationalism "Adherents" or "Sympathizers," while larger numbers were categorized as "Skeptics" or "Rejecters."

The survey also found substantial geographic variation. Christian-nationalist attitudes were more common in some Southern and Midwestern states than in many states in the Northeast and West.

Researchers found a strong state-level correlation between higher Christian-nationalism scores and Trump's share of the 2024 presidential vote. Such correlations demonstrate an association but by themselves do not establish that Christian nationalism caused particular individuals to vote for Trump.

Other election research examines religion more broadly. White evangelical Protestants remained strongly supportive of Trump, while other religious groups displayed considerably different voting patterns.

January 6 and Political Violence

The January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol became a major turning point in scholarship and public discussion of Christian nationalism.

Christian symbols, prayer, crosses, flags, and religious rhetoric were visible among some participants. Researchers and journalists subsequently investigated Christian-nationalist organizations, activists, clergy, and ideas associated with the broader mobilization surrounding the event.

Research has also examined correlations among Christian nationalism, perceived victimhood, racial identity, conspiracy beliefs, election-fraud claims, and approval of political violence.

These studies do not establish that Christian nationalism as a whole is inherently violent or that people holding Christian-nationalist beliefs necessarily support violence. Rather, portions of the literature examine whether particular combinations of nationalism, conspiracism, perceived threat, apocalyptic belief, and political grievance are associated with greater tolerance for violence.

January 6 also generated a religious backlash. Christian organizations, pastors, scholars, and activists opposed to Christian nationalism became increasingly organized and argued that the religious imagery surrounding the Capitol attack demonstrated the risks of combining Christian identity with partisan nationalism.

Symbols and the Politics of Christian Identity

Religious and patriotic symbols have played an important role in the movement.

The "Appeal to Heaven" flag is one example. Originally associated with the American Revolution, the flag was later adopted by some charismatic Christian and conservative political movements and appeared among symbols connected with January 6.

Trump's promotion of the "God Bless the USA Bible," which combined a Bible with American political documents and patriotic material, similarly prompted debate about the blending of religious faith, national identity, political campaigning, and commercial branding.

National prayer events, political worship gatherings, and patriotic religious ceremonies have also become contested spaces. Supporters may describe such events as expressions of religious liberty or national heritage, while critics may interpret them as efforts to privilege Christianity within government.

The disagreement often reflects different understandings of where patriotism, civil religion, Christian political participation, and Christian nationalism begin and end.

Project 2025 and Conservative Policy Networks

Project 2025 became another major point of discussion concerning Christian nationalism and the MAGA movement.

Developed principally through the Heritage Foundation and a large network of conservative organizations, Project 2025 proposed extensive changes to the organization, staffing, and policy direction of the federal government for a future conservative administration.

Some contributors and organizations associated with the project have close relationships with conservative Christian politics. Russell Vought, a prominent Project 2025 contributor who later returned to government during Trump's second administration, became a particular focus of reporting about the relationship among executive power, conservative Christianity, and nationalism.

Critics of Project 2025 have described parts of the agenda as reflecting Christian-nationalist goals. Supporters generally describe their objectives in other terms, including constitutional government, religious liberty, administrative reform, parental rights, and conservative social policy.

Because Project 2025 incorporates many policy areas and participating organizations, describing the entire project as synonymous with Christian nationalism would obscure important differences among its contributors and proposals.

The Second Trump Administration

Trump's return to the presidency brought many debates previously associated with campaign rhetoric into the federal government.

Religious-liberty initiatives, policies addressing alleged anti-Christian discrimination, abortion and reproductive policy, education, gender policy, federal personnel decisions, and national religious observances became subjects of renewed debate.

Supporters of these initiatives frequently characterize them as correcting discrimination against Christians, protecting free exercise of religion, restoring traditional values, or reversing policies they consider hostile to religious conservatives.

Critics—including church-state organizations, some Christian leaders, and secular advocacy organizations—argue that some policies risk moving beyond equal religious liberty toward governmental preference for a particular understanding of Christianity.

The disagreement illustrates a central divide in debates about Christian nationalism: whether government action involving Christianity constitutes protection of religious freedom or preferential treatment for a dominant religious tradition.

Religious Liberty and Church-State Separation

The meaning of religious liberty is one of the most persistent points of disagreement.

Christian conservatives frequently argue that secularization and changing cultural norms have restricted Christians' ability to express or practice their beliefs in education, employment, health care, government, and public institutions.

Opponents of Christian nationalism generally agree that Christians should possess the same religious freedoms as other citizens but argue that religious freedom does not require the government to adopt Christian teachings or grant Christianity privileged legal status.

Public opinion reflects some of the same complexity. Pew Research Center surveys have found broad support for church-state separation while also showing that substantial numbers of Americans want Christian values or the Bible to influence public life or laws in some way.

Consequently, Americans who agree that religious liberty is important may disagree substantially about what religious neutrality requires in practice.

Christian Opposition to Christian Nationalism

One of the strongest themes in the source collection is that opposition to Christian nationalism frequently comes from Christians themselves.

Evangelical writers, pastors, Catholic commentators, Black clergy, progressive Christians, and interfaith coalitions have argued against identifying Christianity with MAGA politics or national power.

Some theological critics argue that Christianity's central claims are incompatible with nationalism because Christianity transcends national boundaries. Others focus on practical concerns, arguing that political identification with Trump or the Republican Party may damage churches, alienate younger people, or transform religious identity into partisan identity.

Organizations and clergy have also organized campaigns explicitly opposing Christian nationalism, including local efforts directed toward congregations, elections, public education, and civic institutions.

This opposition complicates descriptions of Christian nationalism as a conflict simply between Christians and secular Americans. Much of the dispute concerns competing Christian understandings of political authority, nationalism, democracy, religious liberty, and the proper relationship between church and government.

Jewish, Muslim, Black Christian, and Other Minority Perspectives

Religious minorities have raised additional concerns about proposals to define the United States primarily through Christianity.

Jewish organizations and commentators have debated whether Christian nationalism threatens equal citizenship or religious pluralism. Muslim Americans have similarly confronted questions involving immigration, national identity, religious freedom, and the definition of American belonging.

Black Christian leaders occupy a particularly important position in these debates because Christianity has historically supported multiple and sometimes competing visions of American democracy. Black churches played major roles in abolitionism, civil rights activism, and movements seeking expansion of democratic rights, providing an alternative tradition to forms of religious nationalism associated with racial hierarchy.

The source collection therefore points to multiple forms of politically engaged Christianity rather than a single Christian political tradition.

Disagreements Over Definition

The rapid expansion of the term "Christian nationalism" has created scholarly concerns about conceptual overreach.

Some researchers argue that existing measurement systems combine attitudes that should be analyzed separately. A person who believes Christianity influenced American history, for example, may not necessarily favor Christian control of government.

Researchers have proposed distinctions between Christian statism, religious traditionalism, cultural Christianity, populist nationalism, charismatic dominionism, civil religion, and ordinary conservative Christian political participation.

Other scholars defend broader Christian-nationalism measures, arguing that clusters of beliefs about Christian identity, national mythology, social hierarchy, and political authority form a recognizable ideological orientation with measurable political consequences.

These debates are important because the way Christian nationalism is defined affects estimates of how widespread it is and conclusions about its relationship with voting, race, religion, and democratic institutions.

Christian Nationalism Is Not Synonymous with Christianity

A central distinction across the literature is between Christianity as a religion and Christian nationalism as a political orientation.

Millions of American Christians reject Christian nationalism, and religious participation alone does not determine political ideology. Christian denominations and congregations encompass Republicans, Democrats, independents, political conservatives, political progressives, and people who avoid electoral politics entirely.

Similarly, evangelicalism and Christian nationalism overlap without being identical. Surveys show that Christian-nationalist attitudes are especially common in some conservative Protestant communities, but many evangelicals reject the ideology and many people expressing nationalist ideas may have limited involvement with churches.

Recognizing these distinctions helps prevent political categories from being treated as theological or demographic identities.

MAGA and the Transformation of the Religious Right

The relationship between Trump and conservative Christianity also represents a broader transformation of the American religious right.

Earlier religious-right organizations often emphasized abortion, school prayer, family policy, opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, homosexuality, and judicial appointments. Many MAGA-era organizations retain these priorities but combine them with populism, immigration politics, distrust of institutions, opposition to globalization, cultural grievance, election activism, and a more explicit politics of national identity.

Trump's political style altered the language of this coalition. Rather than presenting politics primarily as an effort to promote traditional morality, parts of the movement increasingly emphasize protecting Christians from perceived cultural displacement and recovering control of institutions believed to have been captured by hostile elites.

Researchers differ over whether this represents Christian nationalism replacing the older religious right or simply another stage in its development.

A Diverse and Contested Movement

The label "Christian nationalism" can obscure considerable internal diversity.

Some activists advocate explicit governmental recognition of Christianity. Others emphasize cultural heritage without seeking an established church. Some charismatic Christians understand politics through prophecy and spiritual warfare, while Reformed Protestants, Catholic integralists, evangelical populists, and secular national conservatives may reach similar political positions through very different theological or philosophical routes.

There are also disagreements about democracy, religious pluralism, race, immigration, foreign policy, economic policy, and the proper authority of government.

For this reason, researchers increasingly examine Christian nationalism not merely as a single organization or doctrine but as overlapping networks, identities, political practices, and narratives.

Conclusion

Christian nationalism and the MAGA movement have become closely connected subjects in contemporary American political research, but they are not synonymous.

A substantial body of scholarship finds associations between Christian-nationalist beliefs and support for Donald Trump. Polling shows that attitudes connecting Christianity with American national identity are concentrated in particular religious and political constituencies, while investigative reporting documents networks that combine conservative Christian activism with MAGA electoral politics.

At the same time, Christianity itself remains politically and theologically diverse. Many Christians oppose Christian nationalism, many Trump supporters are not Christian nationalists, and scholars continue to debate how the concept should be defined and measured.

The central dispute concerns more than religion alone. It involves competing ideas about American identity, political authority, religious liberty, church-state separation, race, immigration, democracy, cultural change, and the appropriate role of Christianity in public institutions.

The rise of MAGA transformed these long-running debates by giving some forms of conservative Christian nationalism greater political visibility and access to political institutions while simultaneously producing stronger religious and civic opposition. The resulting conflict has become one of the major arenas in which Americans debate the relationship among religion, national identity, and democratic government in the twenty-first century.

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Scholarly Research, Theory, and Historical Analysis

1. [On Christian Nationalism | Jesse Smith; Jonathan Tran | Religious Studies Review | September 5, 2026]

Reviews the rapidly expanding Christian-nationalism literature and questions some assumptions about definitions, measurement, political influence, and theological interpretation.

2. [“True Americans” at the Ballot Box: Ascriptive Republicanism, Christian Nationalism, and the Populist Right in 2024 | Alexandra Filindra; Noah Blakemore Briggs; David Ramirez Benitez; Annika Ness | Frontiers in Political Science | August 3, 2026]

Compares Christian nationalism with a broader measure of national identity in explaining Trump favorability and 2024 voting behavior among different demographic groups.

3. [Backlash to Christian Nationalism: The Impact of the January 6th Insurrection on Americans’ Religiosity and Political Partisanship | David E. Campbell; Geoffrey C. Layman | Politics and Religion | July 13, 2026]

Examines whether exposure to Christian nationalist imagery surrounding January 6 produced religious or partisan backlash among Americans.

4. [The Weakness of Anti-Christian Nationalism: When Religiously Inclusive Orientations Can’t Increase Tolerance | Paul A. Djupe; Brooklyn Walker | Politics and Religion | March 26, 2026]

Tests whether pluralistic religious beliefs can counteract Christian-nationalist attitudes and finds that individuals can simultaneously hold elements of both orientations.

5. [Christian Nationalism, Apocalypticism, Outgroup Hate, and Support for Violent Extremism | James A. Piazza | Defence and Peace Economics | January 10, 2026]

Uses survey data to investigate connections among Christian nationalism, apocalyptic expectations, attitudes toward outgroups, and expressed support for political violence.

6. [Partisan and Racial Sorting of Christian Nationalism, 1996–2022: Backlash and Counter Backlash on the (White) Secular Left and Religious Right | Jesse Smith | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion | 2026]

Traces changes in Christian-nationalist attitudes over more than two decades and examines their increasing relationship with partisan and racial divisions.

7. [The Gathering Storm in the Evangelical Field: Education, Christian Nationalism, and Racial Inequality | David Sikkink | Sociology of Religion | November 3, 2025]

Investigates divisions within evangelicalism concerning race, education, political change, and reactions to Christian nationalism and the Trump movement.

8. [“We Should All Be Christian Nationalists”: Elite Influence on Identification with Christian Nationalism | Amy Brooke Grauley | Political Behavior | September 29, 2025]

Studies how political-elite rhetoric can influence whether Americans explicitly adopt the Christian-nationalist label.

9. [Christian Nationalism as a Social Practice: Prayer, Violence, and the Politics of Public Ritual | Joel Day | Terrorism and Political Violence | September 11, 2025]

Examines prayer and religious ritual as political practices within Christian-nationalist mobilization, particularly around contentious protests.

10. [Patterns of Christian Nationalist Engagement and Connections to Spirituality | Seungju Kim; Peter J. Jankowski; David C. Wang; Hannah Hawkins | Pastoral Psychology | July 28, 2025]

Examines different patterns of engagement with Christian-nationalist ideas and their relationships to spirituality and psychological characteristics.

11. [Christian Nationalism and the Vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election: A State-Level Analysis | Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry | Nations and Nationalism | June 3, 2025]

Uses state-level estimates to examine the relationship between Christian nationalist beliefs and Trump's share of the 2024 presidential vote.

12. [Christian Nationalism: Since January 6 | Richard T. Hughes; Christina Littlefield | Illinois Scholarship Online / Oxford Academic | February 25, 2025]

Examines the development of Christian-nationalist politics after the Capitol attack and its continuing relationship with Trump-era conservative politics.

13. [A New Cyrus: Donald Trump Delivers for Christian America | Richard T. Hughes; Christina Littlefield | Illinois Scholarship Online / Oxford Academic | February 25, 2025]

Examines the biblical Cyrus analogy used by some conservative Christians to explain support for Trump despite concerns about his personal behavior.

14. [Character Matters? Christian Nationalism and Insistence on Ethical Political Leaders | Samuel L. Perry; Andrew L. Whitehead | Review of Religious Research | January 9, 2025]

Examines the relationship between Christian nationalism, demands for ethical political leadership, partisan identity, and support for Donald Trump.

15. [The Varieties of American Christian Nationalism | Nilay Saiya | Politics and Religion | 2025]

Develops a typology distinguishing different forms of American Christian nationalism, including charismatic dominionist currents that have rallied around Trump.

16. [For the Power or the Glory? The Religiosity of America’s Religious Nationalists | Ruiqian Li; Paul Froese | Socius | 2025]

Examines whether support for religious nationalism reflects conventional religious devotion, political power seeking, or different combinations of religious and political motivations.

17. [Christian Nationalism, Civic Republicanism, and Radical Secularism in Contemporary American Politics over Time | Corwin E. Smidt | Religions | November 10, 2024]

Uses Baylor Religion Survey data to compare Christian nationalism with civic republicanism and radical secularism and explores changes in these orientations over time.

18. [Not All Christian Nationalists Are White (and Not All White Christians Are Christian Nationalists): Exploring the Predictors of Christian Nationalism | Sean F. Everton | Frontiers in Social Psychology | November 6, 2024]

Examines demographic, racial, religious, and political predictors of Christian nationalism while cautioning against treating it simply as synonymous with white Christianity.

19. [Division on the Christian Right: Republican Pastors and the Use of Force | Stephanie N. Shady; Liesbet Hooghe; Gary Marks | Politics and Religion | October 3, 2024]

Studies variation among Republican-aligned clergy over nationalism, political conflict, and support for coercive approaches.

20. [Was There an Enthusiasm Gap? Examining Support for Donald Trump Among Evangelicals and Nonevangelicals | Alondra S. Pagán Márquez; Paul A. Djupe; Matthew Mettler; Jeffery J. Mondak | Politics and Religion | June 5, 2024]

Examines whether evangelical identity helps explain differences in enthusiasm and political support for Trump.

21. [American Evangelical Nationalism: History, Status Quo, and Outlook | Shaoqing Zhou | International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology | December 6, 2023]

Reviews the historical development of evangelical nationalism and its contemporary relationship with conservative and Trump-era politics.

22. [Defensive Racism and Christian Righteousness in the Time of Trump | Author Study | Women's Studies International Forum | November–December 2023]

Uses ethnographic research among white conservative evangelicals to examine race, righteousness, Christian nationalism, and Trump-era politics.

23. [A God Gap Driving a Revolution from Conservative to the Far Right in the United States—With Significance for Europe? | Gert Pickel; Susanne Pickel | Politische Vierteljahresschrift | November 6, 2023]

Examines religion, populism, and rightward political movements in the United States while considering comparisons with European politics.

24. [The Duality of American Christian Nationalism: Religious Traditionalism versus Christian Statism | Ruiqian Li; Paul Froese | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion | August 2, 2023]

Argues that conventional Christian-nationalism measures contain two distinguishable orientations: religious traditionalism in civil society and Christian statism centered on government power.

25. [The Saviour of Christian America? Trumpism’s Christian Credentials through the Lens of the Cultural-Ethical Triangle | Tobias Cremer | The Godless Crusade / Cambridge University Press | March 23, 2023]

Examines Trump's alliance with portions of the Christian right while arguing that Trumpism also represents a broader populist and identitarian transformation of religious politics.

26. [Christian Nationalism in Support for Donald Trump | Anna Maccaroni | Perspectives, University of New Hampshire | 2023]

Reviews research connecting Christian-nationalist beliefs with support for Trump and examines possible social and political mechanisms behind the relationship.

27. [What Isn’t Christian Nationalism? A Call for Conceptual and Empirical Splitting | Jesse Smith; Gary J. Adler Jr. | Socius | September 20, 2022]

Critiques the tendency to group different attitudes about Christianity, government, national identity, and public religion together under a single Christian-nationalism measure.

28. [Christian Nationalism and Political Violence: Victimhood, Racial Identity, Conspiracy, and Support for the Capitol Attacks | Miles T. Armaly; David T. Buckley; Adam M. Enders | Political Behavior | January 4, 2022]

Uses survey data collected after January 6 to examine relationships among Christian nationalism, perceived victimhood, white identity, QAnon beliefs, and support for the Capitol attack.

29. [“I Don’t Want Everybody to Vote”: Christian Nationalism and Restricting Voter Access in the United States | Samuel L. Perry; Andrew L. Whitehead; Joshua B. Grubbs | Sociological Forum | January 3, 2022]

Reports associations between Christian-nationalist beliefs and several attitudes favoring restrictions on voting access.

30. [The Influence of Christian Nationalism on U.S. Public Educators’ Speech: Implications from Meriwether vs. Hartop | David Hoa Khoa Nguyen; Jeremy F. Price; Duaa H. Alwan | Laws | November 30, 2021]

Examines constitutional disputes over public educators' religious speech while discussing Christian nationalism's implications for public education.

31. [Making America Exceptional Again: Donald Trump's Traditionalist Jeremiad, Civil Religion, and the Politics of Resentment | Flavio R. Hickel Jr.; Andrew R. Murphy | Politics and Religion | October 15, 2021]

Analyzes Trump's political rhetoric through the traditions of American civil religion, national exceptionalism, decline narratives, and political resentment.

32. [Christian Nationalism, Perceived Anti-Christian Discrimination, and Prioritising “Religious Freedom” in the 2020 Presidential Election | Samuel L. Perry; Landon Schnabel; Joshua B. Grubbs | Nations and Nationalism | August 31, 2021]

Finds relationships among Christian-nationalist beliefs, perceptions of discrimination against Christians, concern about religious freedom, and voting priorities in the 2020 election.

33. [The Devil That You Know: Christian Nationalism and Intent to Change One's Voting Behavior For or Against Trump in 2020 | Samuel L. Perry; Andrew L. Whitehead; Joshua B. Grubbs | Politics and Religion | April 21, 2021]

Finds that Christian nationalism was associated with retaining previous Trump voters and attracting some voters who had supported neither major-party candidate in 2016.

34. [Keep America Christian (and White): Christian Nationalism, Fear of Ethnoracial Outsiders, and Intention to Vote for Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential Election | Joseph O. Baker; Samuel L. Perry; Andrew L. Whitehead | Sociology of Religion | May 14, 2020]

Examines how Christian nationalism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia were associated with intentions to vote for Trump in 2020.

35. [From King Cyrus to Queen Esther: Christian Zionists’ Discursive Construction of Donald Trump as God’s Instrument | Sean Durbin | Critical Research on Religion | May 13, 2020]

Studies Christian Zionist rhetoric presenting Trump as a divinely useful political leader despite his unconventional religious profile.

36. [The Deliverance of the Administrative State: Deep State Conspiracism, Charismatic Demonology, and the Post-Truth Politics of American Christian Nationalism | Sean Durbin | Religion | 2020]

Analyzes charismatic Christian portrayals of Trump's election as part of a spiritual struggle against the “deep state” and other perceived enemies.

37. [Donald Trump's Discursive Field: A Juncture of Stigma Contests over Race, Gender, Religion, and Democracy | Eric O. Silva | Sociology Compass | December 1, 2019]

Analyzes Trump-era political discourse as an intersection of conflicts involving race, religion, gender, nationalism, and democratic legitimacy.

38. [Funding God’s Policies, Defending Whiteness: Christian Nationalism and Whites’ Attitudes Towards Racially-Coded Government Spending | Samuel L. Perry; Andrew L. Whitehead | Ethnic and Racial Studies | 2019]

Studies relationships between Christian nationalism and white Americans' preferences concerning welfare, border security, crime, and other government spending.

39. [Gun Control in the Crosshairs: Christian Nationalism and Opposition to Stricter Gun Laws | Andrew L. Whitehead; Landon Schnabel; Samuel L. Perry | Socius | July 23, 2018]

Examines the association between Christian nationalism and opposition to stricter federal gun-control laws.

40. [Forum: Studying Religion in the Age of Trump | Randall Balmer; Kate Bowler; Anthea Butler; Maura Jane Farrelly; Wes Markofski; Robert Orsi; Jerry Z. Park; James Clark Davidson; Matthew Avery Sutton; Grace Yukich | Religion and American Culture | June 18, 2018]

Brings together scholars discussing how Trump's election altered debates about evangelicalism, race, gender, nationalism, religious identity, and American political culture.

41. [The Emotional Management of Progressive Religious Mobilization | Jack Delehanty | Sociology of Religion | Summer 2018]

Studies how progressive religious activists managed emotions while participating in resistance to Trump and conservative political movements.

42. [Muslim American Activism in the Age of Trump | Grace Yukich | Sociology of Religion | Summer 2018]

Examines Muslim American political mobilization in response to Trump-era policies and rhetoric about immigration, national identity, and Islam.

43. [Religious Resistance to Trump: Progressive Faith and the Women’s March on Chicago | Kraig Beyerlein; Peter Ryan | Sociology of Religion | April 28, 2018]

Studies religious participation in anti-Trump mobilization and demonstrates that religious activism during the Trump era has not been limited to the political right.

44. [A (More) Perfect Union? Religion, Politics, and Competing Stories of America | Ruth Braunstein | Sociology of Religion | April 12, 2018]

Compares competing religious and political narratives of American identity following Trump's 2016 election and examines progressive religious alternatives to Trump's national story.

45. [Make America Christian Again: Christian Nationalism and Voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election | Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry; Joseph O. Baker | Sociology of Religion | January 25, 2018]

Uses national survey data to examine Christian nationalism as an independent predictor of voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

Polling, Surveys, Research Reports, and Public Opinion

46. [Christian Nationalists’ Professed Support for Religious Pluralism Is Often Drowned Out by Perceptions That Christians Are Under Threat | Religion News Service | August 21, 2026]

Discusses research showing that some people holding Christian-nationalist beliefs also express pluralistic values, particularly until they perceive Christianity as threatened.

47. [How Americans Feel About Religion’s Influence in Government and Public Life | Pew Research Center | May 14, 2026]

Surveys contemporary attitudes toward governmental promotion of religion, Christianity, the Bible, and church-state separation.

48. [Americans Have Become More Likely to Say Trump Is Not Too or Not at All Religious | Pew Research Center | April 16, 2026]

Tracks public perceptions of Trump's personal religiosity and compares attitudes across political and religious groups.

49. [Mapping Christian Nationalism Across the 50 States: Insights from PRRI’s 2025 American Values Atlas | PRRI Staff | Public Religion Research Institute | February 17, 2026]

Provides updated measurements of Christian-nationalist attitudes following the beginning of Trump's second administration.

50. [White Evangelicals Remain Among Trump’s Strongest Supporters, but They’re Less Supportive Than a Year Ago | Pew Research Center | February 9, 2026]

Examines changes in white evangelical assessments of Trump during the first year of his second administration.

51. [Most Americans Don’t Believe God Played a Role in Recent Presidential Election Outcomes | Chip Rotolo | Pew Research Center | September 10, 2025]

Measures beliefs about divine involvement in presidential election outcomes, including differences among Trump supporters and religious groups.

52. [How Voting Patterns Changed in the 2024 Election: A Detailed Analysis | Pew Research Center | June 26, 2025]

Provides validated-voter data useful for comparing Trump's support across religious, racial, educational, and demographic groups.

53. [Detailed Demographic Profiles of Trump and Harris Voters in 2024 | Pew Research Center | June 26, 2025]

Profiles the religious and demographic composition of the two major presidential coalitions in the 2024 election.

54. [OMB’s Russell Vought, the Christian ‘Nation-ist’ Driving Project 2025 and DOGE | Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | June 23, 2025]

Profiles Russell Vought's religious and political worldview and his influence within the Trump administration and conservative policy networks.

55. [Christian Nationalism Across All 50 States: Insights from PRRI’s 2024 American Values Atlas | PRRI Staff | Public Religion Research Institute | February 4, 2025]

Updates state-level measures and analyzes relationships among Christian nationalism, religion, party identification, and political attitudes.

56. [Across All 50 States, New Survey Finds Strong Correlation Between Support for Christian Nationalism and Voting for Trump in 2024 Election | PRRI Staff | Public Religion Research Institute | February 4, 2025]

Reports a state-level relationship between PRRI's Christian-nationalism measures and Trump's 2024 vote share.

57. [Resistance to Christian Nationalism in All 50 States: A PRRI-Meanings of Democracy Lab Report | PRRI Staff | Public Religion Research Institute | October 30, 2024]

Examines opposition to Christian nationalism as well as demographic and political differences across the states.

58. [White Protestants and Catholics Support Trump, but Voters in Other U.S. Religious Groups Prefer Harris | Gregory A. Smith | Pew Research Center | September 9, 2024]

Presents polling on religious divisions in the 2024 electorate and highlights differences among white evangelicals, Catholics, Black Protestants, Jews, and unaffiliated voters.

59. [How a Movement to Resist Christian Nationalism Took on Project 2025 | Ruth Braunstein | Religion News Service | August 16, 2024]

Examines grassroots opposition to Christian nationalism and activists' efforts to connect the issue with Project 2025.

60. [Robert P. Jones on Christian Nationalism and Project 2025 | Center for American Progress Action | CAP Action | August 8, 2024]

Discusses polling and historical arguments about Christian nationalism, demographic change, Trump, and Project 2025.

61. [Religious Values and the 2024 Election | Pew Research Center | June 6, 2024]

Examines how religious affiliation, religious commitment, and political values intersected during the 2024 presidential campaign.

62. [Voters’ Views of Trump and Biden Differ Sharply by Religion | Gregory A. Smith | Pew Research Center | April 30, 2024]

Compares attitudes toward Trump and Biden among white evangelicals, Catholics, Black Protestants, religiously unaffiliated Americans, and other religious groups.

63. [Christianity’s Place in Politics and Christian Nationalism | Pew Research Center | March 15, 2024]

Measures attitudes toward Christianity's role in government, religious influence on laws, church-state separation, and Christian nationalism.

64. [5 Facts About Religion and Americans’ Views of Donald Trump | Gregory A. Smith | Pew Research Center | March 15, 2024]

Summarizes survey findings on religious affiliation, religious commitment, and Americans' attitudes toward Trump during the 2024 campaign.

65. [First of Its Kind Survey Maps Support for Christian Nationalism Across All 50 States | PRRI Staff | Public Religion Research Institute | February 2024]

Provides state-by-state estimates of Christian-nationalism adherents, sympathizers, skeptics, and rejecters.

66. [Christian Nationalism and Donald Trump | Frederick Clarkson | Political Research Associates | April 6, 2018; updated August 3, 2023]

Traces Christian-nationalist currents within the religious right and examines their relationship with Trump's political coalition.

67. [How an Upstart Conservative Group Is Taking Christian Nationalist Politics Local | Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | July 12, 2023]

Investigates Citizens Defending Freedom and its efforts to organize conservative Christian political activism through school boards and county-level institutions.

68. [A Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism to American Democracy and Culture | PRRI Staff | Public Religion Research Institute | February 8, 2023]

Maps Christian-nationalist attitudes nationally and examines their relationships with partisanship, religion, race, political beliefs, and attitudes toward democracy.

69. [Christian Nationalism Still a Threat Two Years After Insurrection | Freedom From Religion Foundation | FFRF | January 6, 2023]

Presents FFRF's assessment of the continuing political influence of Christian-nationalist organizations and rhetoric after January 6.

70. [Remembrances and a Report: Two Years After January 6 | Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty | BJC | January 2023]

Revisits the role attributed to Christian nationalism in January 6 and summarizes subsequent research and advocacy concerning the movement.

71. [Views of the U.S. as a Christian Nation and Opinions About Christian Nationalism | Pew Research Center | October 27, 2022]

Explores what Americans mean when they describe the United States as a Christian nation and documents substantial differences in how the phrase is understood.

72. [Christian Nationalism and the January 6 Insurrection | Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry; Jemar Tisby; Katherine Stewart; Andrew Seidel; Amanda Tyler; others | Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty / Freedom From Religion Foundation | February 9, 2022]

Collects research and reporting examining Christian-nationalist ideas, organizations, imagery, and participants connected with January 6.

73. [White Evangelicals See Trump as Fighting for Their Beliefs, Though Many Have Mixed Feelings About His Personal Conduct | Pew Research Center | March 12, 2020]

Finds that many white evangelical Protestants viewed Trump as defending their political and religious interests while expressing more mixed assessments of his personal behavior.

74. [How the Trump Administration Has Harmed Faith Communities | Center for American Progress Staff | Center for American Progress | 2020]

Reviews Trump administration policies affecting religious communities from the perspective of a progressive policy organization.

MAGA Organizing, Elections, and Investigative Journalism

75. [Where Christian Nationalism Is Most Dominant in U.S. States | Axios | February 18, 2026]

Uses state-level survey findings to compare the geographic distribution of support for Christian-nationalist ideas.

76. [We’re Pastors. The Fight Against Maga Christianity Starts Locally | Doug Pagitt; Lori Walke | The Guardian | December 21, 2025]

Presents an opinion from Christian clergy advocating local church-based resistance to the fusion of Christianity and MAGA politics.

77. [‘Trump Is Inconsistent with Christian Principles’: Why the Democratic Party Is Seeing a Rise of White Clergy Candidates | David Smith | The Guardian | November 15, 2025]

Examines clergy entering Democratic politics partly in response to Trump-aligned Christianity and Christian nationalism.

78. [This Is Ground Zero in the Conservative Quest for More Patriotic and Christian Public Schools | Jennifer Smith Richards | ProPublica / The Frontier | October 22, 2025]

Examines Oklahoma policies promoting Christianity and patriotic education and their relationship with the second Trump administration's education agenda.

79. [‘The Devil Is Not Gonna Win’: How Charlie Kirk Became a Christian Nationalist Martyr | J. Oliver Conroy | The Guardian | September 20, 2025]

Examines religious narratives that developed around Charlie Kirk and the relationship between Turning Point activism, MAGA politics, and Christian nationalism.

80. [Trump Has Put Christian Nationalists in Key Roles – Say a Prayer for Free Speech | Adam Gabbatt | The Guardian | April 16, 2025]

Examines Christian-nationalist figures and ideas identified by critics as influential during the early months of Trump's second administration.

81. [Trump’s Taskforce Order Is Latest in Efforts to Boost Christian Nationalism | Joseph Gedeon | The Guardian | February 7, 2025]

Examines the administration's religious-liberty initiatives and arguments over whether they privilege conservative Christianity.

82. [US Christian Right Celebrates After Prophecy of Trump Win Comes to Pass | Alice Herman | The Guardian | November 7, 2024]

Reports on charismatic and Christian-nationalist leaders who interpreted Trump's 2024 election victory through prophecy and spiritual-warfare narratives.

83. [In a Race They Cast as Good vs. Evil, Christian Hard-Liners Are Fired Up for Trump | Hannah Allam | The Washington Post | October 29, 2024]

Reports on religious activists who framed the 2024 election as a spiritual battle and mobilized supporters on Trump's behalf.

84. [“Put Them in Trauma”: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda | Molly Redden; Andy Kroll; Nick Surgey | ProPublica / Documented | October 28, 2024]

Examines private remarks and plans associated with Russell Vought and organizations preparing policy and personnel for another Trump administration.

85. [The Genesis of Christian Nationalism | Phoebe Petrovic | Wisconsin Watch / ProPublica Local Reporting Network | October 26, 2024]

Traces Christian-nationalist organizing in Wisconsin and links contemporary activism with political networks operating at the local and national levels.

86. [Why Experts Say Christian Nationalists’ Rhetoric May Spur Violence | Alice Herman | The Guardian | October 19, 2024]

Looks at apocalyptic and spiritual-warfare rhetoric among some Christian nationalist organizers and scholarly concerns about political violence.

87. [Thousands Rally at Christian Nationalist Event in DC to ‘Turn Hearts Back to God’ | Alice Herman | The Guardian | October 12, 2024]

Reports on a National Mall gathering organized by charismatic Christian activists shortly before the 2024 presidential election.

88. [U.S. Christians Pushing Back on Christian Nationalism | Niala Boodhoo | Axios | October 7, 2024]

Covers Christian clergy and organizations seeking to distinguish their religious faith from Christian-nationalist politics.

89. [A Pair of Billionaire Preachers Built the Most Powerful Political Machine in Texas. That’s Just the Start. | Ava Kofman | ProPublica / The New York Times Magazine | October 2, 2024]

Investigates wealthy religious-political networks in Texas and their attempts to shape Republican politics, education, and public policy.

90. [Vance Appears at Event Hosted by Christian Nationalist | Associated Press | PBS NewsHour | September 30, 2024]

Reports on JD Vance's appearance at an event involving a prominent religious activist associated with Christian-nationalist ideas.

91. [Trump Leans Into Religious Extremism to Energize Rightwing Evangelicals | Adam Gabbatt | The Guardian | August 5, 2024]

Reports on Trump's appeals to conservative evangelical constituencies and religious figures active in his 2024 campaign coalition.

92. [A New Movement Aims to Remake Evangelicals’ Relationship to Politics | Michelle Boorstein | The Washington Post | August 2024]

Examines evangelical efforts to reconsider political engagement amid debates over Trump, partisanship, and Christian nationalism.

93. [Pro-Trump Christian Extremists Use Scripture to Justify Violent Goals | Hannah Allam | The Washington Post | July 13, 2024]

Investigates extremist networks that use biblical language and Christian imagery while supporting Trump and discussing political violence.

94. [Inside Ziklag, the Secret Organization of Wealthy Christians Trying to Sway the Election and Change the Country | Andy Kroll; Nick Surgey | ProPublica / Documented | July 13, 2024]

Investigates a donor network financing voter mobilization and conservative Christian political organizations during the 2024 election cycle.

95. [Axios Explains: Christian Nationalism on the March | Axios Staff | Axios | June 24, 2024]

Provides an overview of Christian nationalism's growing visibility within Republican politics and the 2024 campaign.

96. [‘Demolishing Democracy’: How Much Danger Does Christian Nationalism Pose? | Adrian Horton | The Guardian | April 27, 2024]

Surveys scholars, filmmakers, religious leaders, and activists debating the scope and political implications of Christian nationalism.

97. [Christian Nationalists Embrace Trump as Their Savior – Will They Be His? | Adam Gabbatt | The Guardian | April 7, 2024]

Examines Trump's relationship with conservative Christian activists and the religious symbolism used by portions of his political movement.

98. [What Alabama’s IVF Ruling Reveals About the Ascendant Christian Nationalist Movement | Carter Sherman | The Guardian | March 2, 2024]

Examines debates over embryos, reproductive policy, and the influence of conservative Christian legal ideas.

99. [Inside the Evangelical MAGA Vote with Kristin Kobes Du Mez | Axios | February 8, 2024]

Discusses evangelical support for Trump, gender, political identity, and the historical development of the modern religious right.

100. [What Is Christian Nationalism and Why It Raises Concerns About Threats to Democracy | Laura Barrón-López; Sam Lane | PBS NewsHour | February 1, 2024]

Explains the movement, its history, and its relationship with contemporary Republican and Trump-aligned politics through interviews with scholars and advocates.

101. [Trump’s Christian Nationalist Vision for America | Robert P. Jones | TIME | 2024]

Argues that Trump's political rhetoric draws upon a longstanding vision of America in which conservative Christianity has a privileged national role.

102. [How We Can Confront the Myths of January 6 and Intensifying Christian Nationalism | Jared Stacy; Andrew L. Whitehead | TIME | January 2024]

Discusses the development of competing narratives about January 6 and the religious meanings attached to the event.

103. [At Far-Right Roadshow, Trump Is God’s ‘Anointed One,’ QAnon Is King, and ‘Everything You Believe Is Right’ | Sarah D. Wire | Los Angeles Times | October 12, 2023]

Reports from the ReAwaken America Tour and documents the fusion of pro-Trump politics, charismatic Christianity, conspiracy theories, and spiritual-warfare rhetoric.

104. [Christian Nationalism Goes Back Further Than You Think | Robert P. Jones | TIME | August 31, 2023]

Places contemporary Christian nationalism in a longer historical context involving race, national identity, religion, and American political power.

105. [How Christian Is Christian Nationalism? | Kelefa Sanneh | The New Yorker | March 27, 2023]

Reviews competing definitions of Christian nationalism and explores disagreements over whether the movement is primarily theological, cultural, racial, or political.

106. [Will GOP Become a Christian Nationalist Party? Could It Win? | Los Angeles Times Staff | Los Angeles Times | February 17, 2023]

Examines the increasing public use of the Christian-nationalist label among Republican activists and politicians and considers its electoral implications.

107. [Who Are the Christian Nationalists? A Taxonomy for the Post-Jan. 6 World | Bob Smietana; Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service / The Washington Post | January 6, 2023]

Distinguishes several networks commonly discussed under the Christian-nationalist label, including MAGA/QAnon, charismatic activists, theocrats, and conventional God-and-country conservatives.

108. [Why a Group of Christians Is Fighting the Growing Threat of Christian Nationalism | Vera Bergengruen | TIME | December 30, 2022]

Profiles Christians organizing against Christian nationalism and explores conflicts within American Christianity over religion and political power.

109. [Is Christian Nationalism Growing or Declining? Both. | Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry | The Washington Post | October 25, 2022]

Explains how declining Christian identification can coexist with increasing political mobilization among Americans strongly committed to Christian-nationalist ideas.

110. [Right-Wing Roadshow Promotes Christian Nationalism Before Midterms | Annie Gowen | The Washington Post | October 23, 2022]

Reports on ReAwaken America events that combined evangelical revivalism, Trump politics, election claims, and Christian-nationalist themes.

111. [Takeaways from the AP/FRONTLINE Michael Flynn Investigation | Michelle R. Smith | FRONTLINE / Associated Press | September 7, 2022]

Summarizes reporting on Michael Flynn's post-Trump organizing network, including ReAwaken America events combining electoral politics, conspiracy theories, and religion.

112. [How the Capitol Attacks Helped Spread Christian Nationalism in the Extreme Right | Jack Jenkins | The Washington Post | January 26, 2022]

Examines how Christian symbols and rhetoric associated with January 6 influenced subsequent far-right organizing.

113. [January 6th May Have Been Only the First Wave of Christian Nationalist Violence | Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry | TIME | January 2022]

Uses survey research to discuss relationships among Christian nationalism, support for Trump, election-fraud beliefs, conspiracy theories, and tolerance of political violence.

114. [Christian Nationalism on the Rise in Some GOP Campaigns | Associated Press | CBS News / AP | 2022]

Reports on Republican candidates who openly adopted Christian-nationalist language and examines debate over the term within conservative Christianity.

115. [Is America a Christian Nation? Pastors at Odds About Fusion of Faith and Politics | Taylor Mooney | CBS News | March 4, 2021]

Presents differing Christian perspectives on nationalism, patriotism, Trump-era politics, and the relationship between church and state.

116. [Christian Nationalists and QAnon Followers Tend to Be Anti-Semitic. That Was Seen in the Capitol Attack. | Paul A. Djupe; Jacob Dennen | The Washington Post | January 26, 2021]

Discusses survey research examining relationships among Christian nationalism, QAnon beliefs, antisemitic attitudes, and January 6.

117. [Seeking Power in Jesus’ Name: Trump Sparks a Rise of Patriot Churches | Sarah Pulliam Bailey | The Washington Post | October 26, 2020]

Reports on congregations explicitly combining evangelical Christianity, American patriotism, and strong political support for Trump.

Evangelicalism, Churches, and Charismatic Christianity

118. [America Needs a Better Gospel Than Christian Nationalism | Russell Moore | Christianity Today | May 20, 2026]

Offers an evangelical theological critique of Christian nationalism and argues against identifying Christianity with political control of the United States.

119. [Trump Administration Will Join a Prayer Gathering Criticized for Promoting Christian Nationalism | Peter Smith | Associated Press | May 2026]

Reports on the administration's involvement with the Rededicate 250 gathering and competing views over whether the event promoted Christianity or Christian nationalism.

120. [It’s Not ‘Christian Nationalism.’ It’s Conservative Identity Politics. | George Yancey | Christianity Today | January 22, 2026]

Challenges some common uses of the Christian-nationalism label and argues that conservative Christian political behavior is better understood in terms of group identity and polarization.

121. [From the Manhattan Elite to MAGA Populism | John Fea | Christianity Today | May 20, 2025]

Places Trump's populist political identity within a broader history of American evangelicalism, conservative politics, and changes in Republican culture.

122. [How Evangelicals in 7 Countries View Trump’s First 100 Days | Compiled by Christianity Today Editors | Christianity Today | April 30, 2025]

Surveys evangelical perspectives outside the United States on the early months of Trump's second administration.

123. [What Another Trump Presidency Means to Evangelicals Around the World | Compiled by Christianity Today Editors | Christianity Today | November 7, 2024]

Collects international evangelical reactions to Trump's 2024 victory and differing expectations about U.S. foreign policy, Christianity, and democracy.

124. [White Evangelical Voters Show Steadfast Support for Donald Trump’s Presidency | Associated Press | AP News | November 2024]

Uses AP VoteCast results and interviews to examine the durability of Trump's support among white evangelical voters after the 2024 election.

125. [Why Are Some Evangelicals Drawn to — and Sticking By — Trump? This Pastor Weighs In | NPR Staff | NPR | October 29, 2024]

Presents an evangelical pastor's explanation of Trump support while also addressing disagreement over whether Christian nationalism accurately describes evangelical political behavior.

126. [How Charlie Kirk’s Groups Are Trying to Elect Trump | NPR Staff | NPR | October 24, 2024]

Examines Turning Point USA and Turning Point Faith's efforts to mobilize conservative Christians for Trump during the 2024 election.

127. [The Uneasy Conscience of Christian Nationalism | Russell Moore | Christianity Today | September–October 2024]

Offers an evangelical Christian critique of attempts to use political power and nationalism as tools for advancing Christianity.

128. [The Soul of MAGA | Mike Cosper | Christianity Today | September–October 2024]

Examines the religious stories, grievances, spiritual language, and political identity operating within parts of the MAGA movement.

129. [Influential Prophesizing Pastors Believe Reelecting Trump Is a Win in the War of Angels and Demons | Peter Smith | Associated Press | September 2024]

Examines charismatic Christian leaders who portrayed the 2024 election and Trump's candidacy as part of a supernatural conflict.

130. [Why Both Parties Want Hispanic Evangelicals in 2024 | Christianity Today | Christianity Today | July 2024]

Examines Hispanic evangelical voters as an increasingly contested constituency and discusses religion, abortion, immigration, economics, and partisan identification.

131. [Evangelical Trump Supporters and Critics on Repeat for 2024 | Harvest Prude | Christianity Today | March 6, 2024]

Reports on divisions among evangelical leaders as Trump again became the dominant Republican presidential candidate.

132. [Tracing the Rise of Christian Nationalism, from Trump to the Alabama Supreme Court | Terry Gross and Guests | NPR / Fresh Air | February 29, 2024]

Explores Christian nationalism's history and its relationship with Trump, conservative legal activism, abortion politics, and religious-right organizations.

133. [What Is Christian Nationalism, Anyway? | Bob Smietana | Religion News Service | May 17, 2023]

Surveys competing definitions of Christian nationalism while examining Trump supporters, charismatic prophecy, scholars, and religious leaders who disagree over the term.

134. [A Year After the Election, Trump’s Effect on Evangelical Churches Lingers | David Roach | Christianity Today | November 1, 2021]

Examines congregational conflict, political polarization, and pastoral challenges among evangelicals following Trump's 2020 election defeat.

135. [‘Political Evangelicals’? More Trump Supporters Adopt the Label | Kate Shellnutt | Christianity Today | September 16, 2021]

Reports research suggesting that some Americans adopted the evangelical label because of its political associations with Trump and Republican politics.

136. [What Is Christian Nationalism? | Paul D. Miller | Christianity Today | February 3, 2021]

Defines Christian nationalism from a conservative Christian perspective and distinguishes it from Christianity, patriotism, and ordinary national loyalty.

137. [Are the 81 Percent Evangelicals? | Bonnie Kristian | Christianity Today | January–February 2021]

Questions common interpretations of the frequently cited statistic that 81 percent of white evangelical voters supported Trump in 2016.

138. [This Election, Evangelical Supporters Have More Faith in Trump | Kate Shellnutt | Christianity Today | September 18, 2020]

Examines polling showing continued evangelical support for Trump during the 2020 campaign and compares attitudes toward his leadership with those of 2016.

139. [White Evangelicals Grade Trump, Republicans, and the Media | Kate Shellnutt | Christianity Today | November 23, 2016]

Reviews polling on white evangelical attitudes toward Trump, political parties, media institutions, and other political actors after the 2016 election.

140. [Trump Won. Here’s How 20 Evangelical Leaders Feel. | Compiled by Emily Lund | Christianity Today | November 11, 2016]

Collects responses from evangelical leaders representing differing perspectives on Trump's 2016 election victory.

141. [After Trump, Should Evangelical Christians Part Ways? | Mark Galli | Christianity Today | November 10, 2016]

Discusses divisions within evangelical Christianity exposed by the 2016 election and considers whether political disagreements could produce lasting institutional splits.

142. [Trump Ends Evangelicals and Catholics Together | Kate Shellnutt | Christianity Today | October 28, 2016]

Reports on the ending of a prominent evangelical-Catholic dialogue and the role Trump's candidacy played in disagreements among its participants.

143. [Trump’s ‘Greatest Contribution to Christianity’: Pastors Preaching Politics | Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra | Christianity Today | July 22, 2016]

Reports on Trump's efforts to persuade conservative pastors to become more politically active and his criticism of restrictions on church electioneering.

144. [Defining Evangelicals in an Election Year | Leith Anderson; Ed Stetzer | Christianity Today | April 2016]

Discusses competing definitions of “evangelical” amid controversy over polling showing significant evangelical support for Trump.

145. [Actually, Most Evangelicals Don’t Vote Trump | Darren Patrick Guerra | Christianity Today | March 18, 2016]

Argues that early claims about overwhelming evangelical support for Trump depended heavily on how pollsters defined evangelical voters.

146. [The Theology of Donald Trump | Michael Horton | Christianity Today | March 16, 2016]

Examines Trump's religious language and worldview during the 2016 campaign from an evangelical theological perspective.

147. [8 Charts on Which Evangelicals Will (and Won’t) Vote Trump on Super Tuesday | Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra | Christianity Today | February 29, 2016]

Uses polling to examine denominational, geographic, ideological, and religious differences among evangelical Republican voters during Trump's first presidential campaign.

Christian-Nationalist Networks, Symbols, and Campaign Mobilization

148. [Vance Appears at Event Hosted by Hard-Right Christian Nationalist | Meryl Kornfield; Hannah Allam | The Washington Post | September 28, 2024]

Reports on JD Vance's appearance at an event organized by charismatic activist Lance Wallnau and other Trump-aligned religious organizers.

149. [At RNC, an Uneven, Awkward Embrace of Religious Pluralism | Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | July 16, 2024]

Examines the coexistence of Jewish, Sikh, Christian, and other religious presentations at the Republican National Convention alongside Christian-centered political rhetoric.

150. [The Washington Insiders Helping Sean Feucht Spread Christian Nationalism in Congress | Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | July 8, 2024]

Investigates worship leader Sean Feucht's relationships with Republican lawmakers, political strategists, Turning Point USA, and Trump-aligned activists.

151. [‘Bad Faith’ Sounds the Alarm on the Past and Future of Christian Nationalism | Jim McDermott | Religion News Service | May 30, 2024]

Reviews the documentary “Bad Faith” and its interpretation of the religious right, Christian nationalism, and contemporary conservative politics.

152. [How Is the ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag Spotted at Alito’s House Linked to Jan. 6? | Kathryn Post | Religion News Service | May 23, 2024]

Traces the Revolutionary-era flag's modern adoption by charismatic Christian activists, Trump supporters, and participants in events surrounding January 6.

153. [The ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag Evolves from Revolutionary War Symbol to Banner of the Far Right | Associated Press | May 2024]

Traces the flag's history from the American Revolution to its adoption by some contemporary Christian-nationalist, election-denial, and January 6 movements.

154. [The Strange World of Catholic ‘Integralism’ — and Christian Nationalism | Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | April 3, 2024]

Examines Catholic integralism, its critique of liberal democracy, and areas of overlap and disagreement between Catholic traditionalists and broader Christian-nationalist movements.

155. [Staying Awake to the Threat of Christian Nationalism | Nathan Empsall | Religion News Service | March 27, 2024]

Presents a Christian advocacy perspective arguing that churches should respond more directly to Christian-nationalist political organizing.

156. [The Overlap of Trumpism and Christian Nationalism | Philip Bump | The Washington Post | February 29, 2024]

Analyzes PRRI polling showing a correlation between support for Christian-nationalist ideas and support for Trump while noting that correlation does not establish causation.

157. [Trump Promises a Revival of Christian Power in Speech to National Religious Broadcasters | Bob Smietana | Religion News Service | February 23, 2024]

Reports Trump's promises to increase conservative Christians' political influence and restore religion to a more prominent position in American public life.

158. [Josh Hawley Tweet Sparks Allegations of Christian Nationalism | Jack Jenkins | The Washington Post / Religion News Service | July 7, 2023]

Examines controversy surrounding Senator Josh Hawley's presentation of a quotation attributed to Patrick Henry and debates over Christian-nationalist historical claims.

159. [Latino Faith Leaders to Gather for Summit on Christian Nationalism | Alejandra Molina | The Washington Post / Religion News Service | May 17, 2023]

Reports on Latino Christian leaders organizing to discuss Christian nationalism and its influence within Hispanic churches and American politics.

160. [Faith Leaders Ask Why Jan. 6 Report Left Out Christian Nationalism | Jack Jenkins | The Washington Post / Religion News Service | December 29, 2022]

Reports criticism from religious leaders and researchers who believed the congressional January 6 report gave insufficient attention to religious-nationalist organizing.

161. [Jan. 6 Committee Must Address Christian Nationalism | Amanda Tyler | Religion News Service | June 9, 2022]

Argues that congressional investigation of January 6 should examine the role of Christian-nationalist organizations, rhetoric, and religious symbolism.

162. [Christian Nationalism Shapes a Pa. Primary — and a GOP Shift | Michelle Boorstein | The Washington Post | May 16, 2022]

Examines Doug Mastriano's Pennsylvania gubernatorial campaign and the increasing visibility of explicitly Christian political rhetoric in Republican primary politics.

163. [Christian Nationalism Is Surging. It Wasn’t Inevitable. | Gene Zubovich | The Washington Post | May 6, 2022]

Provides historical context for contemporary Christian nationalism and argues that earlier American Protestant movements followed several competing political paths.

164. [Christian Nationalism Has Deep Roots in America, Faith Leaders Say | Alejandra Molina | The Washington Post / Religion News Service | January 6, 2022]

Places the Christian symbolism visible on January 6 within a longer history of American religion, nationalism, race, and political power.

165. [Post-Trump, Christian Nationalists Preach a Theology of Vaccine Resistance | Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | September 14, 2021]

Reports on religious activists who incorporated opposition to COVID-19 vaccination and mandates into Christian-nationalist political and theological frameworks.

166. [Evangelicals Must Denounce the Christian Nationalism in Capitol Riots | Jamie Aten; Kent Annan | Religion News Service | January 7, 2021]

Offers an evangelical critique of religious imagery and nationalist rhetoric displayed during the January 6 Capitol attack.

167. [Trump’s National Prayer Breakfast Speech Infused with God-and-Country References | Sarah Pulliam Bailey | The Washington Post | February 8, 2018]

Examines Trump's use of civil-religious and patriotic language at the National Prayer Breakfast during his first administration.

Second Trump Administration, Project 2025, and Policy

168. [The Christian Nationalist Group Mike Johnson Just Called ‘Home’ | Melissa Gira Grant | The New Republic | July 24, 2026]

Examines Speaker Mike Johnson's connections with conservative Christian organizations and the political networks surrounding them.

169. [No Surprises: Religious Liberty Commission Draft Report Advances Christian Nationalism | Alessandro Terenzoni | Americans United for Separation of Church and State | July 2, 2026]

Critiques recommendations associated with the Trump administration's Religious Liberty Commission from a church-state separation perspective.

170. [Trump’s “Christian Nationalism” Is Neither of Those Things | Matt Ford | The New Republic | June 3, 2026]

Argues that the Trump-era movement commonly called Christian nationalism should be analyzed critically in terms of both its religious claims and its conception of national identity.

171. [Crowds Pack into Washington’s National Mall for Prayer Rally | Tiffany Stanley | Associated Press / PBS News | May 17, 2026]

Reports on a large religious gathering in Washington and debates over the relationship among national commemoration, Christianity, patriotism, and Christian nationalism.

172. [A Very Authoritarian Semiquincentennial Celebration | Katherine Stewart | The New Republic | May 15, 2026]

Critiques the Trump administration's plans for the United States' 250th anniversary and interprets associated religious and patriotic programming through the lens of Christian nationalism.

173. [Christian Nationalists Are All in on Trump—and Vice Versa | Grace Segers | The New Republic | February 17, 2026]

Examines the reciprocal political relationship between Trump and activists who explicitly embrace Christian-nationalist ideas.

174. [Trump Uses National Prayer Breakfast to Push Christian Nationalist Agenda | Freedom From Religion Foundation | February 5, 2026]

Presents a secular advocacy organization's critique of Trump's religious rhetoric and policy announcements at the National Prayer Breakfast.

175. [Americans United Denounces Trump’s Christian Nationalist Remarks at National Prayer Breakfast | Americans United Staff | Americans United for Separation of Church and State | February 5, 2026]

Presents the organization's criticism of Trump's National Prayer Breakfast remarks and his administration's approach to church-state policy.

176. [Government under God: The Agenda of the National Prayer Breakfast Since 1953 | Bruce Gourley | Americans United for Separation of Church and State | February 4, 2026]

Provides an advocacy organization's historical analysis of the National Prayer Breakfast and debates over political Christianity and governmental power.

177. [The Christian Nationalist Worldview Behind America’s New Security Posture | Jennifer Butler | Religion News Service | December 18, 2025]

Argues that elements of the Trump administration's national-security approach reflect ideas about Christianity, Western civilization, immigration, and national identity.

178. [Trump Turns ‘Religious Liberty’ Hearing into Christian Nationalist Rally | Freedom From Religion Foundation | September 8, 2025]

Criticizes a Trump administration religious-liberty event and argues that its rhetoric privileged Christianity over religious neutrality.

179. [At NatCon, an Effort to Make Christian Nationalism a More Inclusive Movement | Religion News Service | September 5, 2025]

Reports on National Conservatism Conference speakers attempting to present Christian nationalism as compatible with a broader range of racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.

180. [What to Know About the Archconservative Church Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Attends | Tiffany Stanley; Peter Smith | Associated Press / PBS News | August 12, 2025]

Examines the theology and political outlook of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches and its connections to officials and conservative Christian politics.

181. [Trump Energizes Conservative Christians with Religious Policies and Assaults on Cultural Targets | Peter Smith | Associated Press / PBS News | August 7, 2025]

Reviews second-administration policies welcomed by many conservative Christian supporters, including initiatives involving religious liberty, abortion, gender, and education.

182. [Who Is Russell Vought? Senate Confirms Trump’s OMB Director Pick | Sara Dorn | Forbes | February 6, 2025]

Profiles Russell Vought, his previous Trump administration service, involvement with Project 2025, and views on federal power and conservative Christian politics.

183. [Trump Says He Wants to Root Out ‘Anti-Christian Bias’ from U.S. at the National Prayer Breakfast | Aamer Madhani | Associated Press / PBS News | February 6, 2025]

Reports Trump's announcement of policies and governmental efforts intended to investigate what his administration described as anti-Christian discrimination.

184. [Black Ministers Denounce Project 2025, Urge Collective Black Resistance | Adelle M. Banks | Religion News Service | January 28, 2025]

Reports on Black clergy opposition to Project 2025 and concerns about its implications for civil rights, democracy, religious freedom, and federal policy.

185. [Project 2025 Co-Author Russell Vought Discusses Trump in Secretly Recorded Video | Mary Whitfill Roeloffs | Forbes | August 15, 2024]

Reports on recorded comments by Vought concerning Project 2025, executive authority, conservative policy planning, and expectations for another Trump administration.

186. [Trump Allies Hope to Spread Christian Nationalism in the White House: Report | Caleb Ecarma | Vanity Fair | February 20, 2024]

Summarizes reporting on Trump-aligned religious activists seeking influence over personnel and policy in a potential second administration.

187. [Behind Christian Nationalism’s Influence on the 2024 Election | ProPublica Staff | ProPublica | 2024]

Collects investigative reporting on political donors, religious organizations, activists, election mobilization, education, and policy networks associated with Christian nationalism.

Religious Responses, Critiques, and Broader Analysis

188. [Pete Hegseth and What Christian Nationalism Looks Like | Thomas Lecaque | The Bulwark | December 2, 2024]

Examines Pete Hegseth's religious affiliations, political rhetoric, and associations as a case study in contemporary debates about Christian nationalism.

189. [After the Election, How Are Organizers Resisting Christian Nationalism? | Sierra Lyons | Sojourners | November 25, 2024]

Reports on Christian and interfaith organizers responding to Trump's 2024 victory and planning campaigns opposing Christian-nationalist policies.

190. [Trump’s Cabinet (and Other) Picks Paint Picture of a Christian Nationalist ‘Kakistocracy’ | Annika Brockschmidt; Thomas Lecaque | Religion Dispatches | November 24, 2024]

Offers a critical analysis of Trump's post-election personnel choices and their connections with conservative Christian and nationalist networks.

191. [What Christian Nationalism Has in Store for Jews and Other Religious Minorities | Asaf Elia-Shalev | Jewish Telegraphic Agency | November 5, 2024]

Examines Jewish concerns about Christian nationalism while discussing differing interpretations of its potential effects on religious minorities.

192. [Trump’s Bibles and Sneakers Campaigns Tell an Old Story About the Role of Race in Christian Nationalism | Dara Delgado | Religion Dispatches | July 6, 2024]

Interprets Trump's marketing of patriotic Bibles and other branded products in relation to religion, race, consumer culture, and American nationalism.

193. [The Critiques of Evangelical Writers Opposing Christian Nationalism Fail to Recognize Evangelicalism’s Troubling History | David Hollinger | Religion Dispatches | June 18, 2024]

Argues that some evangelical critiques of Christian nationalism do not sufficiently address the historical relationship among evangelicalism, race, nationalism, and political power.

194. [Americans Are Worried About Christian Nationalism. The Church Should Take That as a Wake-Up Call. | Kathleen Bonnette | America Magazine | May 9, 2024]

Presents a Catholic critique of Christian nationalism and discusses polling about Americans' attitudes toward the relationship between Christianity and government.

195. [The Christian Nationalist Hydra: In Era of Trump, Christian Nationalism Has Many Faces | Sarah Posner | Talking Points Memo | April 12, 2024]

Surveys several strands of Christian-nationalist organizing and emphasizes differences among evangelical, charismatic, Catholic, legal, and political networks associated with the broader movement.

196. [Trump’s ‘God Bless the USA Bible’ Is No Joke | Cavan Concannon | Religion Dispatches | March 29, 2024]

Examines the religious and historical symbolism surrounding Trump's promotion of a Bible packaged with foundational American political documents.

197. [Mar-a-Lago Prayer Event Labels Trump Voters’ ‘Only Catholic Option’ | Brian Fraga | National Catholic Reporter | March 21, 2024]

Reports on Catholic supporters of Trump and religious rhetoric portraying electoral politics as a struggle over Christianity, abortion, gender, and national identity.

198. [In Speech to White Evangelical Broadcasters, Trump Lays Out His White Christian Nationalist Vision | Robert P. Jones | Religion Dispatches | March 18, 2024]

Analyzes Trump's National Religious Broadcasters speech from the perspective of a scholar who argues that race and Christianity are central to contemporary Christian nationalism.

199. [Trump, the ‘Religious Right’ and White Christian Nationalism | Thomas P. Rausch | America Magazine | January 5, 2024]

Examines the history of the religious right and its transformation during the Trump era from a Catholic theological perspective.

200. [Christian Nationalists Found the Leader They’ve Been Looking For | Nancy LeTourneau | Washington Monthly | February 17, 2020]

Argues that Trump's political style and promises aligned with longstanding Christian-nationalist desires concerning cultural authority, national identity, and political power.