Christian Nationalism and Contemporary Election Politics
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Christian Nationalism and Contemporary Election Politics
Christian nationalism has become an important subject in the study of contemporary United States elections, bringing together questions about religion, national identity, political parties, voting behavior, civil liberties, and democratic institutions. The term is used in different ways, but much of the research in this collection examines beliefs that Christianity should hold a privileged relationship with American national identity, government, or public institutions.
Academic studies, national surveys, election reporting, and religious commentary show that Christian nationalism cannot be treated as a single uniform political outlook. Researchers have identified differing forms and intensities of Christian nationalist belief, while public-opinion surveys divide Americans into groups ranging from strong supporters to people who strongly reject the ideology. Political and religious commentators also disagree over where conventional religious conservatism or patriotism ends and Christian nationalism begins.
Much of the recent research has focused on the relationship between Christian nationalist attitudes and presidential voting, particularly support for Donald Trump in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections. Other research examines connections with racial identity, perceptions of religious discrimination, attitudes toward immigration, civil liberties, voter access, political violence, democratic norms, and the perceived relationship between Christianity and American history.
Christian Nationalism and Voting Behavior
One of the most developed areas of research concerns the relationship between Christian nationalism and voting behavior.
Research following the 2016 presidential election found an independent association between Christian nationalist beliefs and voting for Donald Trump. Later studies examining the 2020 election reported similar relationships between Christian nationalism and intentions to support Trump, while also examining interactions with attitudes about race, immigration, religious freedom, and perceived threats to Christianity.
Studies of the 2024 presidential election continued this line of inquiry. State-level research found that states estimated to have higher levels of Christian nationalist sentiment also tended to give Donald Trump a larger share of the vote after researchers accounted for several demographic and political variables. Other studies examined Christian nationalism alongside gender attitudes, racial identity, political partisanship, and illiberal political preferences.
These studies generally describe statistical relationships rather than establishing that Christian nationalism alone determines how an individual votes. Party identification, race, religious tradition, education, geography, ideology, and attitudes about particular political issues also contribute to electoral behavior.
Christian nationalist identification is also not limited to a single religious denomination or racial group. Survey research has found varying levels of sympathy among White evangelical Protestants, other Christian traditions, Latino Protestants, and other segments of the population, although the prevalence and political meaning of such beliefs differ considerably among groups.
Public Opinion and Geographic Variation
Large national surveys have attempted to measure Christian nationalist attitudes across states, religious traditions, political parties, racial groups, and demographic categories.
Public Religion Research Institute surveys divide respondents into categories commonly described as Christian nationalism adherents, sympathizers, skeptics, and rejecters. Its state-level studies show considerable geographic variation in these orientations.
Surveys conducted around the 2024 election found a strong relationship between Christian nationalist orientation and partisan voting. They also showed that support for Christian nationalism was not evenly distributed among Americans. Republicans and White evangelical Protestants were generally more likely to express sympathetic views, while other religious and political groups showed higher levels of skepticism or rejection.
Pew Research Center polling approached some of the same questions through attitudes about Christianity's role in government and public life. These surveys found significant differences over whether government should promote Christian values, whether the United States should formally be considered a Christian nation, and how religion should influence political leaders.
State-level research is particularly important for election analysis because national averages can obscure differences among states and regions. Studies of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and other states demonstrate how religious identity and Christian nationalist attitudes intersect with the political coalitions competing in closely contested elections.
Campaigns and Political Mobilization
Christian nationalist ideas have also appeared in campaign organizations, political rallies, churches, activist networks, and voter-mobilization efforts.
Reporting during the 2024 election documented organizations attempting to mobilize conservative Christian voters through church networks, public rallies, voter-registration campaigns, and explicitly religious political appeals. Some campaign events framed electoral choices in theological or spiritual terms, describing political conflict through concepts such as biblical voting, spiritual warfare, good and evil, or the defense of Christianity.
Investigative reporting also examined organizations backed by wealthy conservative Christian donors that sought to influence voter turnout, policy debates, and electoral outcomes. Other reports described activists organizing at state and local levels, including school-board campaigns, party conventions, and legislative races.
Donald Trump became a central figure in many of these discussions. Reporting and research examined why large numbers of White evangelical voters continued to support him despite disagreements some voters expressed about aspects of his personal conduct. Frequently cited considerations included abortion, judicial appointments, religious liberty, immigration, cultural change, education, and opposition to Democratic Party policies.
JD Vance, Mike Johnson, and other Republican political figures also became subjects of discussion about the growing visibility of Christian nationalist language and organizations in national politics.
At the same time, critics of broad definitions of Christian nationalism argue that religious political participation, conservative Christian policy preferences, patriotism, or belief that religion has a legitimate role in public life should not automatically be categorized as Christian nationalism. This disagreement over terminology remains an important part of the contemporary debate.
Race, Religion, and National Identity
A substantial portion of the academic literature examines the relationship between Christian nationalism and racial identity.
Some researchers argue that Christian nationalism in the United States is historically connected with ideas about White identity and the country's racial hierarchy. Studies have explored associations among Christian nationalism, White racial solidarity, attitudes toward immigrants and racial minorities, and perceptions that traditional American identity is under threat.
Research examining the period from the 1990s through the early 2020s describes increasing partisan and racial sorting around Christian nationalism. According to this interpretation, Christian nationalist attitudes increasingly overlap with Republican identification and particular racial and religious constituencies, while secular and politically liberal Americans have increasingly rejected Christian nationalist ideas.
At the same time, surveys showing support for Christian nationalist ideas among some Latino Protestants and members of other non-White Christian populations complicate descriptions of Christian nationalism as exclusively a White political phenomenon.
Scholars therefore distinguish between Christian nationalism as a religious-national ideology and the more specific concept of White Christian nationalism, which emphasizes the historical interaction between Christianity, race, and American national identity.
Democracy, Political Rights, and Voter Access
Another major area of research concerns Christian nationalism and attitudes toward democratic institutions.
Studies have examined whether Christian nationalist beliefs are associated with willingness to support political leaders who violate democratic norms during emergencies. Other research has studied relationships between Christian nationalism and views about civil liberties, voting rights, political participation, and restrictions on voter access.
One study found an association between Christian nationalist beliefs and support for selected restrictions on voting access. Research on civil liberties has similarly examined whether respondents apply different standards of political rights to groups they view favorably or unfavorably.
Researchers have also investigated relationships among Christian nationalism, conspiracy beliefs, feelings of political victimhood, and support for the January 6 Capitol attack. Additional work examines connections among Christian nationalism, gun ownership, and approval of political violence.
These findings have led some scholars and advocacy organizations to describe Christian nationalism as a potential challenge to democratic pluralism. Critics of this interpretation argue that the term is sometimes applied too broadly and risks treating ordinary conservative Christian political participation as inherently anti-democratic.
The debate therefore concerns both empirical relationships identified by researchers and disagreement about how those relationships should be interpreted.
The January 6 Capitol Attack and Political Violence
The January 6, 2021 Capitol attack intensified scholarly and public interest in Christian nationalism.
Christian imagery, prayer, religious banners, and symbols associated with Christian nationalist movements were visible among portions of the crowd. Researchers subsequently investigated whether Christian nationalism, racial identity, conspiracy theories, perceived victimhood, and partisan attitudes were associated with support for the attack.
Later scholarship has also considered whether the public association between Christianity, Christian nationalism, and January 6 produced a backlash among Americans who became less willing to identify with organized religion or conservative religious politics.
Research on political violence extends beyond January 6. Scholars have examined whether combinations of Christian nationalist belief, gun ownership, conspiracy thinking, and perceptions of cultural displacement are associated with greater willingness to justify political violence.
The literature does not characterize all Christian nationalists or conservative Christians as supporters of violence. Instead, it investigates whether particular attitudes increase or decrease the statistical likelihood that respondents will express approval for political violence under certain circumstances.
Religion, History, and the Idea of a Christian Nation
Election debates over Christian nationalism frequently involve competing interpretations of American history.
Some activists argue that Christianity played a foundational role in the creation of the United States and that government should acknowledge this religious heritage more explicitly. Historians and other scholars often distinguish Christianity's major cultural influence from the claim that the Constitution established the United States as a formally Christian nation.
Research has examined whether Christian nationalist beliefs are associated with inaccurate understandings of the constitutional relationship between religion and government. News organizations have similarly compared contemporary claims about a Christian founding with historical scholarship concerning the religious views of the founders and the development of the First Amendment.
Disputes over history matter politically because they affect contemporary arguments about religious liberty, public education, government displays, abortion, LGBTQ rights, immigration, and the role of Christianity in public institutions.
Christian nationalism therefore functions not only as a set of policy preferences but also as a competing interpretation of American national identity.
Religious Responses and Competing Christian Perspectives
Christian communities themselves are divided over Christian nationalism.
Some pastors, theologians, Catholic writers, Protestant organizations, and interfaith groups argue that Christian nationalism improperly merges Christianity with political power and national identity. These critics emphasize religious pluralism, democratic participation, civil equality, and theological traditions that distinguish religious faith from nationalism.
Organizations opposing Christian nationalism became increasingly active during the 2024 election cycle, including groups organizing against Project 2025 and religious activists encouraging churches to reject racialized or exclusionary forms of nationalism.
Other Christian writers contend that criticism of Christian nationalism sometimes uses an overly broad definition. They argue that supporting traditional morality, advocating Christian values in public life, voting according to religious convictions, or believing that Christianity influenced American history does not necessarily amount to Christian nationalism.
Some conservative Christian activists openly accept the Christian nationalist label and argue that Christianity should occupy a stronger position in American public life.
These competing viewpoints demonstrate that the controversy is not simply a dispute between religious and secular Americans. It is also an internal disagreement among Christians over theology, political authority, pluralism, patriotism, and the appropriate relationship between church and state.
Christian Nationalism and the 2024 Election
The 2024 presidential election became a major focus of research on Christian nationalism.
Polling and post-election analysis found strong differences in voting behavior among religious groups. White evangelical Protestants remained an important part of Donald Trump's electoral coalition, while other religious groups and religiously unaffiliated voters divided differently.
PRRI research reported a strong relationship between Christian nationalist orientation and voting for Trump. Pew Research Center's validated-voter studies likewise documented substantial differences in the religious and demographic composition of the Trump and Kamala Harris coalitions.
Campaign reporting described efforts to mobilize conservative Christians around issues such as abortion, religious liberty, immigration, education, gender, and perceptions of hostility toward Christianity.
At the same time, survey research showed that explicitly embracing the term Christian nationalism remained less common than agreement with some individual propositions associated with it. This distinction is important because Americans who endorse particular ideas about Christianity and American identity may not identify themselves as Christian nationalists.
Looking Toward the 2026 Midterm Elections
Research published after the 2024 election suggests that Christian nationalism will remain a subject of analysis during the 2026 midterm election cycle.
PRRI's 2025 American Values Atlas continued to measure Christian nationalist beliefs across all 50 states, while other research examined attitudes about religion's role in government, partisan sorting, democratic norms, racial identity, and political violence.
Because congressional elections occur within highly varied state and district environments, the political influence of Christian nationalist constituencies is likely to differ geographically. Religious composition, partisan alignment, demographic change, candidate strategy, and local political issues all affect how religious-nationalist themes enter campaigns.
The continuing debate is also likely to involve disagreements over terminology. Researchers increasingly distinguish among different forms of Christian nationalism rather than assuming that every person who favors a larger public role for Christianity holds the same political or theological outlook.
Conclusion
Christian nationalism has become an important framework for examining the intersection of religion, national identity, and contemporary American election politics.
Research covering the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections identifies recurring associations between Christian nationalist attitudes and support for Donald Trump, while also connecting the subject to racial identity, immigration, religious freedom, voting access, democratic norms, political violence, and perceptions of cultural change.
Public-opinion research demonstrates substantial variation across religious traditions, racial groups, political parties, and states. Christian nationalist ideas therefore cannot be reduced to a single constituency or explained by one political issue.
Campaign reporting shows that religious-nationalist rhetoric has become visible in voter mobilization, political organizations, churches, party conventions, and candidate events. At the same time, religious leaders and scholars continue to disagree about how Christian nationalism should be defined and how clearly it can be distinguished from religious conservatism, patriotism, civil religion, and ordinary faith-based political participation.
The contemporary political significance of Christian nationalism consequently lies both in measurable patterns of political behavior and in the broader debate over what role Christianity, religious identity, and national history should play in a religiously diverse democratic society.
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Christian Nationalism and Contemporary Election Politics
Academic Research and Election Studies
1. [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]
Investigates whether the January 6 Capitol attack and its association with Christian nationalist imagery contributed to changes in religious identification and partisan attitudes among Americans.
2. [An Army for God: Gun Ownership, Christian Nationalism, and Support for Political Violence | Donald Haider-Markel; Brooklyn Walker; Abigail Vegter | Social Science Quarterly | April 2, 2026]
Investigates relationships among Christian nationalism, gun ownership, and willingness to endorse political violence.
3. [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 explicitly inclusive religious-political messages can counter exclusionary attitudes associated with some forms of Christian nationalism.
4. [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]
Argues that contemporary Christian nationalism is shaped substantially by partisan and racial sorting, while questioning claims that Christian nationalist beliefs have simply increased uniformly across the population.
5. [“We Should All Be Christian Nationalists”: Elite Influence on Identification with Christian Nationalism | Amy Brooke Grauley | Political Behavior | September 29, 2025]
Studies how statements by political elites can influence whether Americans adopt or reject the Christian nationalist label.
6. [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]
Examines state-level support for Christian nationalism and finds that higher estimated levels were associated with a larger Donald Trump vote share in the 2024 presidential election after accounting for several political and demographic factors.
7. [Christian Nationalism, Illiberalism, Gender, and the 2024 United States Presidential Election | Andrew L. Whitehead | Illiberalism Studies Program | May 13, 2025]
Examines connections among Christian nationalism, gender attitudes, illiberal political preferences, and voting behavior surrounding the 2024 presidential election.
8. [The Varieties of American Christian Nationalism | Nilay Saiya | Politics and Religion | May 13, 2025]
Develops a typology showing that Christian nationalism encompasses several different political and religious orientations rather than a single uniform ideology.
9. [The Religion of White Identity Politics: Christian Nationalism and White Racial Solidarity | Samuel L. Perry; Joshua B. Grubbs | Social Forces | February 23, 2025]
Examines how Christian nationalism can function as a form of religiously framed White identity politics and how those attitudes relate to contemporary partisan divisions.
10. [Christian Nationalism and Support for Leaders Violating Democratic Norms During National Emergencies | Samuel L. Perry; Joshua B. Grubbs | Politics and Religion | September 19, 2024]
Examines whether Christian nationalist beliefs are associated with greater willingness to accept political leaders violating democratic norms during perceived national crises.
11. [Which Political Entities Are “Friendly” to Religion? The Interplay of Entity, Identity Congruence, and Christian Nationalism | Samuel L. Perry | Politics and Religion | 2024]
Studies how Christian nationalism and partisan identity influence perceptions that political institutions, parties, and other public entities are friendly or hostile toward religion.
12. [United for What and for Whom? An Analysis of White Christian Nationalism in a 2023 School Board Election Campaign | Study authors | Religion, Education, and Politics research | 2024]
Uses a local school-board campaign to examine how Christian nationalist rhetoric can enter elections involving education, parental rights, race, sexuality, and control of public institutions.
13. [Liberty for Us, Limits for Them: Christian Nationalism and Americans’ Views on Citizens’ Rights | Joshua T. Davis; Samuel L. Perry; Joshua B. Grubbs | Sociology of Religion | May 8, 2023]
Examines associations between Christian nationalism and differing views about civil liberties and political rights for favored and disfavored groups.
14. [Which Civil Religion? Partisanship, Christian Nationalism, and the Dimensions of Civil Religion in the United States | Abigail Vegter; Andrew R. Lewis; Cammie Jo Bolin | Politics and Religion | January 26, 2023]
Distinguishes Christian nationalism from broader forms of American civil religion and examines how each interacts with partisan identity.
15. [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]
Examines how Christian nationalism interacts with perceived victimhood, racial identity, conspiracy beliefs, and support for the January 6 Capitol attack.
16. [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 | 2022]
Finds an association between Christian nationalist beliefs and support for selected restrictions on voting access, while examining partisan and demographic factors.
17. [Historical Fundamentalism? Christian Nationalism and Ignorance About Religion in American Political History | Samuel L. Perry | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion | December 7, 2021]
Studies whether Christian nationalist beliefs are associated with inaccurate perceptions about the historical relationship between Christianity and the American political system.
18. [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]
Examines how Christian nationalism and perceptions of anti-Christian discrimination affected the importance voters placed on religious-freedom issues during the 2020 election.
19. [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 stronger intentions to continue supporting Donald Trump between the 2016 and 2020 elections.
20. [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 and attitudes toward ethnoracial outsiders were associated with intention to vote for Donald Trump in 2020.
21. [Enforcing Christian Nationalism: Examining the Link Between Group Identity and Punitive Attitudes in the United States | Joshua T. Davis | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion | June 22, 2018]
Examines how Christian nationalist identity relates to punitive political attitudes, contributing to research on how religious nationalism can affect electoral policy preferences.
22. [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]
Provides an early quantitative study finding that Christian nationalism was independently associated with support for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
Polling, Public Opinion, and Election Data
23. [Unpacking the White Christian Vote: Trends in Presidential and Congressional Voting Since 1960 | Melissa Deckman; Robert P. Jones | Public Religion Research Institute | August 26, 2026]
Reviews long-term changes in presidential and congressional voting among White Christian constituencies and places recent electoral alignments in historical context.
24. [How Americans Feel About Religion’s Influence in Government and Public Life | Chip Rotolo; Gregory A. Smith | Pew Research Center | May 14, 2026]
Surveys Americans about religion in government, political leaders’ religious beliefs, and preferences concerning Christianity’s place in public life.
25. [Mapping Christian Nationalism Across the 50 States: Insights from PRRI’s 2025 American Values Atlas | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | February 17, 2026]
Maps Christian nationalist attitudes by state and demographic group, providing data relevant to the political environment leading into the 2026 midterm elections.
26. [Data and the 2026 Midterm Elections | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | 2026]
Compiles survey findings on religion, partisanship, Christian nationalism, democratic attitudes, and other issues likely to shape analysis of the 2026 congressional elections.
27. [How Christian Nationalist Rhetoric Can Influence Elections Across Race | Allyson Shortle; Michael R. Fisher Jr. | Public Religion Research Institute | August 12, 2025]
Discusses experimental evidence about how Christian nationalist campaign rhetoric may affect voters from different racial backgrounds.
28. [How Voting Patterns Changed in the 2024 Election: A Detailed Analysis | Pew Research Center | June 26, 2025]
Uses validated voter data to examine how religious, racial, educational, geographic, and other groups divided between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
29. [Detailed Demographic Profiles of Trump and Harris Voters in 2024 | Pew Research Center | June 26, 2025]
Provides demographic and religious profiles of the coalitions that voted for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
30. [What the 2024 Election Means for the Spread of Christian Nationalism | Juhem Navarro-Rivera | Kettering Foundation | March 5, 2025]
Analyzes what the 2024 election results may mean for Christian nationalist organizations, ideas, and their role in American civic life.
31. [Christian Nationalism Across All 50 States: Insights from PRRI’s 2024 American Values Atlas | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | February 4, 2025]
Provides state-by-state estimates of Christian nationalist adherents, sympathizers, skeptics, and rejecters following the 2024 election.
32. [Across All 50 States, New Survey Finds Strong Correlation Between Support for Christian Nationalism and Voting for Trump in 2024 Election | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | February 4, 2025]
Reports PRRI findings showing a strong relationship between Christian nationalist identification and support for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
33. [Analyzing the 2024 Presidential Vote: PRRI’s Post-Election Survey | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | December 13, 2024]
Examines voting behavior by religion, race, party identification, Christian nationalist orientation, and other demographic characteristics after the 2024 election.
34. [Exploring the 2024 Presidential Battleground States: Inside the Issues | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | July 9, 2024]
Compares public opinion on religion, abortion, immigration, democracy, Christian nationalism, and other issues across presidential battleground states.
35. [Religious Values and the 2024 Election | Pew Research Center | June 6, 2024]
Examines how voters viewed the religious commitments and values of the 2024 presidential candidates and the role religion should play in public life.
36. [On Trump and Biden, U.S. Voters’ Views Differ Sharply by Religion | Pew Research Center | April 30, 2024]
Compares opinions of Donald Trump and Joe Biden across major religious groups during the 2024 presidential campaign.
37. [Christianity’s Place in Politics, and “Christian Nationalism” | Chip Rotolo; Gregory A. Smith; Jonathan Evans | Pew Research Center | March 15, 2024]
Surveys Americans about whether Christianity should influence government, whether the United States should be a Christian nation, and how respondents understand Christian nationalism.
38. [First of Its Kind Survey Maps Support for Christian Nationalism Across All 50 States | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | February 28, 2024]
Presents state-level measurements of Christian nationalism shortly before the 2024 presidential election campaign accelerated.
39. [Resistance to Christian Nationalism in All 50 States: A PRRI-Meanings of Democracy Lab Report | PRRI; Meanings of Democracy Lab | Public Religion Research Institute | 2024]
Examines Americans who reject or resist Christian nationalism and compares their demographic, religious, and political characteristics with supporters.
40. [Spotlight on Christian Nationalism in Arizona | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | 2024]
Examines Christian nationalist attitudes in Arizona and their relationship to religion, party identification, demographic characteristics, and election politics.
41. [Spotlight on Christian Nationalism in Georgia | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | 2024]
Provides data on Christian nationalism among Georgia residents during a presidential cycle in which the state was a major electoral battleground.
42. [Spotlight on Christian Nationalism in Michigan | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | 2024]
Examines the distribution of Christian nationalist attitudes in Michigan and how those attitudes overlap with partisan and religious constituencies.
43. [Spotlight on Christian Nationalism in North Carolina | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | 2024]
Analyzes Christian nationalism in North Carolina, including differences across religious, political, racial, and demographic groups.
44. [Spotlight on Christian Nationalism in Pennsylvania | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | 2024]
Places Christian nationalist attitudes within Pennsylvania’s closely divided contemporary electoral landscape.
45. [White Nationalism Remains Major Concern for Voters of Color | Gabriel R. Sanchez; Keon L. Gilbert; Carly Bennett | Brookings Institution | March 30, 2023]
Discusses polling showing substantial concern among voters of color about White nationalism and examines how those concerns intersect with contemporary electoral politics.
46. [Survey: Two-Thirds of White Evangelicals, Most Republicans Sympathetic to Christian Nationalism | PRRI | Public Religion Research Institute | February 8, 2023]
Reports survey findings showing substantial variation in Christian nationalist attitudes by religious tradition, political party, race, and other characteristics.
47. [Understanding the Threat of White Christian Nationalism to American Democracy Today | Brookings Institution | Brookings | February 8, 2023]
Brings scholars and public-policy specialists together to discuss definitions, historical origins, electoral implications, and concerns about White Christian nationalism.
Campaigns, Candidates, Organizations, and Election Reporting
48. [Texas House Candidate Campaigning in Churches, in Potential Legal Violation | The Guardian | The Guardian | November 4, 2024]
Examines campaign activity in churches during a Texas legislative election and questions surrounding federal restrictions on tax-exempt organizations’ electoral involvement.
49. [How the Christian Right Is Twisting the Legacy of an Anti-Nazi Hero | The Guardian | The Guardian | November 3, 2024]
Examines competing uses of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s legacy by conservative Christian activists in the closing days of the 2024 campaign.
50. [White Evangelical Voters Show Steadfast Support for Donald Trump’s Presidency | Associated Press | Associated Press | November 2024]
Reviews the continuing strength of Donald Trump’s support among White evangelical voters after the 2024 presidential election.
51. [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 conservative Christian activists who framed the 2024 presidential election in explicitly spiritual terms and strongly supported Donald Trump.
52. [Why Are Some Evangelicals Drawn to — and Sticking by — Trump? This Pastor Weighs In | NPR | NPR | October 29, 2024]
Discusses evangelical support for Donald Trump shortly before the 2024 election and explores the religious and political priorities influencing those voters.
53. [The Genesis of Christian Nationalism | Phoebe Petrovic | Wisconsin Watch; ProPublica | October 26, 2024]
Investigates Christian nationalist organizing in Wisconsin and traces how activists, churches, and political networks sought greater influence over elections and government.
54. [What Christian Nationalism Looked Like in Practice | William Horne | TIME | October 17, 2024]
Uses historical examples to argue that Christian nationalist ideas should be evaluated through their practical effects on law, citizenship, and political power.
55. [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 Lance Wallnau and examines Wallnau’s role in charismatic Christian political activism.
56. [Michigan’s Republican Convention Removes Chair Amid Party Tensions | The Guardian | The Guardian | August 26, 2024]
Reports on ideological and organizational disputes within Michigan Republican politics that included activists associated with religious and Christian nationalist causes.
57. [“We Have to Be Voting Biblically”: The Courage Tour Rallies Christians to Get Trump in Office | The Guardian | The Guardian | August 2, 2024]
Reports on the Courage Tour and its efforts to mobilize conservative Christian voters around Donald Trump and down-ballot elections.
58. [The Once-Secretive Right-Wing Ideology Emerging as an Overt Threat to American Democracy | Robin Abcarian | Los Angeles Times | July 14, 2024]
An opinion column discusses Christian nationalism, Project 2025, and conservative electoral politics from a critical perspective.
59. [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 private organization of wealthy conservative Christians supporting voter-mobilization and political projects aimed at influencing the 2024 election and public policy.
60. [Pro-Trump Christian Extremists Use Scripture to Justify Violent Goals | Hannah Allam | The Washington Post | July 13, 2024]
Examines a small militant fringe of pro-Trump Christian activists who used religious language to rationalize political violence and anti-government ideas.
61. [Axios Explains: Christian Nationalism on the March | Axios | Axios | June 24, 2024]
Surveys Christian nationalist ideas, organizations, political figures, and their growing visibility during the 2024 election year.
62. [Jesus Is Their Savior, Trump Is Their Candidate. Ex-President’s Backers Say He Shares Faith, Values | Peter Smith | Associated Press | May 18, 2024]
Reports on Christian voters who supported Donald Trump despite disagreements over aspects of his personal conduct, emphasizing shared political and cultural priorities.
63. [“Demolishing Democracy”: How Much Danger Does Christian Nationalism Pose? | The Guardian | The Guardian | April 27, 2024]
Surveys scholars, activists, and religious leaders who disagree about the definition, scale, and democratic implications of Christian nationalism.
64. [Christian Nationalists Embrace Trump as Their Savior — Will They Be His? | Adam Gabbatt | The Guardian | April 7, 2024]
Examines Donald Trump’s appeal among Christian nationalist activists and the political expectations some supporters attached to a second Trump presidency.
65. [Americans Continue to Lose Their Religion as GOP Pushes It | Hans Nichols | Axios | March 29, 2024]
Examines the contrast between declining religious affiliation nationally and the continuing political importance of conservative Christian constituencies.
66. [What Alabama’s IVF Ruling Reveals About the Ascendant Christian Nationalist Movement | Carter Sherman | The Guardian | March 2, 2024]
Connects debates over embryos, abortion, and reproductive policy with religious-right activism and the broader election-year debate over Christian nationalism.
67. [Survey: 55% of Latino Protestants Support Christian Nationalism | Axios | Axios | March 1, 2024]
Highlights survey data showing that Christian nationalist attitudes are not confined to White evangelicals and vary significantly among Latino religious groups.
68. [Poll: Most Americans Cool to Christian Nationalism as Its Influence Grows | Erin Doherty | Axios | February 27, 2024]
Summarizes national polling showing that explicit support for Christian nationalism remained a minority position while views varied strongly by party and religion.
69. [Trump Tells Religious Broadcasters He’ll Defend Christianity Against Perceived Threats From the Left | Will Weissert | Associated Press | February 22, 2024]
Reports on Donald Trump’s campaign speech to Christian broadcasters and his promises concerning religious liberty, abortion politics, and conservative Christian priorities.
70. [Christian-Nation Idea Fuels U.S. Conservative Causes, but Historians Say It Misreads Founders’ Intent | Peter Smith | Associated Press | February 17, 2024]
Examines contemporary Christian-nation activism alongside historians’ arguments about the constitutional and religious views of the American founders.
71. [Inside the Evangelical MAGA Vote With Kristin Kobes Du Mez | Axios | Axios | February 8, 2024]
Discusses the history and political culture behind strong support for Donald Trump among many White evangelical voters.
72. [What Is Christian Nationalism and Why It Raises Concerns About Threats to Democracy | Laura Barrón-López; Sam Lane | PBS NewsHour | February 1, 2024]
Explains competing definitions of Christian nationalism and examines why scholars and religious leaders debate its relationship to democratic institutions and elections.
73. [“You Better Pray”: Christian Nationalist Groups Are Mobilizing Before the 2024 Elections | Alice Herman | The Guardian | December 24, 2023]
Reports on organizations preparing church-based organizing, voter outreach, and political mobilization ahead of the 2024 elections.
74. [The Christian Nationalism of Speaker Mike Johnson | Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry | TIME | October 27, 2023]
Examines statements and political positions of House Speaker Mike Johnson through the authors’ research framework on Christian nationalism.
75. [America’s Proclivity for Extremism Has Religious Roots | John Fanestil | TIME | October 4, 2023]
Presents a historical argument linking strands of American religious history to contemporary political extremism and Christian nationalist activism.
76. [Christian Nationalism Goes Back Further Than You Think | Robert P. Jones | TIME | August 31, 2023]
Connects present-day Christian nationalism to earlier intersections of Christianity, racial hierarchy, national identity, and electoral politics in U.S. history.
77. [Pro-Trump Pastors Rebuked for “Overt Embrace of White Christian Nationalism” | Peter Stone | The Guardian | May 1, 2023]
Reports on criticism of pastors and political organizations promoting explicitly Christian and pro-Trump political messages.
Religious Media, Election Administration, Advocacy, and Competing Perspectives
78. [The Antidote to Christian Nationalism | America Magazine | America Magazine | April 17, 2025]
Argues from a Catholic perspective for religious pluralism and democratic participation as alternatives to Christian nationalist politics.
79. [After the Election, How Are Organizers Resisting Christian Nationalism? | Sierra Lyons | Sojourners | November 25, 2024]
Reports on religious and civic organizations developing post-election strategies to oppose Christian nationalist political influence.
80. [How to Preach About the Election | Nathan Empsall | Baptist News Global | October 31, 2024]
Discusses how clergy might address election-related moral and political issues while avoiding partisan candidate endorsements.
81. [For Many Latter-day Saints, America Has a Special Relationship With God — but Christian Nationalism Is a Step Too Far | Nicholas Shrum | Religion News Service; The Conversation | October 28, 2024]
Examines distinctions between Latter-day Saint beliefs about America’s religious significance and contemporary Christian nationalist political ideology.
82. [How Christians Can Counter Christian Nationalism | William J. Barber II et al. | Sojourners | September–October 2024]
Presents a Christian critique of Christian nationalism and describes religious organizing intended to oppose it during an election year.
83. [Christian Nationalism Drives Voter Suppression Efforts, Panelists Warn | Jeff Brumley | Baptist News Global | September 25, 2024]
Reports the arguments of religious leaders and researchers who connected Christian nationalist beliefs with support for restrictive voting policies.
84. [“Threat to Democracy” or Media Phantom? Christian Nationalism Debate Takes Violent Turn | Ian M. Giatti | The Christian Post | September 14, 2024]
Presents a conservative Christian publication’s examination of disputes over definitions of Christian nationalism and disagreements about its prevalence and political significance.
85. [Catholics Urge Emphasis on Church’s Social Teachings — Not Just Abortion — in Election | Heidi Schlumpf | National Catholic Reporter | September 10, 2024]
Reports on Catholic efforts to broaden election-year discussion beyond abortion to immigration, poverty, democracy, climate, and other elements of Catholic social teaching.
86. [How a Movement to Resist Christian Nationalism Took On Project 2025 | Ruth Braunstein | Religion News Service | August 16, 2024]
Reports on religious and civic organizations opposing Christian nationalism and Project 2025 during the 2024 campaign.
87. [What Does “Christian Nationalism” Even Mean? | Jonathan Tran | The Christian Century | July 2024]
Examines competing definitions of Christian nationalism and the theological and political problems created when the term is used too broadly.
88. [How Christian Nationalism Is Going Under the Radar in This Election | Paul A. Djupe | United Methodist Insight; Religion News Service | June 21, 2024]
Argues that Christian nationalist themes can influence campaigns even when candidates and voters rarely use the label itself.
89. [“Bad Faith” Sounds the Alarm on the Past and Future of Christian Nationalism | Jim McDermott | Religion News Service | May 30, 2024]
Reviews a documentary that traces political organizing by the religious right and presents Christian nationalism as a challenge to pluralistic democracy.
90. [At Texas GOP Convention, Republicans Call for Spiritual Warfare | Robert Downen | The Texas Tribune | May 28, 2024]
Reports on religious rhetoric, Christian nationalist themes, policy resolutions, and election priorities at the 2024 Texas Republican convention.
91. [How Is the “Appeal to Heaven” Flag Spotted at Alito’s House Linked to Jan. 6? | Kathryn Post | Religion News Service | May 23, 2024]
Explains the history and recent political use of the Appeal to Heaven flag, including its appearance among Christian nationalist and election-denial movements.
92. [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 survey findings about public concern over religion and political power.
93. [The Strange World of Catholic “Integralism” — and Christian Nationalism | Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service | April 3, 2024]
Explains Catholic integralism, its relationship to Christian nationalism, and its presence in contemporary conservative political debate.
94. [American Democracy Is in Trouble. No, Not Like That. | Scott Waller; Darren Patrick Guerra; Tim Milosch | Christianity Today | March 4, 2024]
Offers a Christian political perspective on democratic instability and cautions against treating every religiously conservative political position as equivalent to Christian nationalism.
95. [If This Is “Christian Nationalism,” Sign Me Up! | David Harsanyi | RealClearPolitics | March 1, 2024]
Presents a conservative argument that some beliefs labeled Christian nationalism are ordinary expressions of religious patriotism and that critics sometimes define the concept too broadly.
96. [Defining “Christian Nationalism” | Sean Feucht | Sean Feucht Ministries | March 1, 2024]
Provides a primary-source perspective from a conservative Christian political activist who contests critical definitions of Christian nationalism and defends a stronger public role for Christianity.
97. [New Survey Finds Pockets of Support for Christian Nationalism Across the Country | Religion News Service | Religion News Service | February 28, 2024]
Summarizes state-level PRRI findings showing substantial geographic and demographic differences in support for Christian nationalism.
98. [As the Election Cycle Cranks Up, Christians Need to Call Out White Christian Nationalism | Kelly Brown Douglas; Bryan N. Massingale | National Catholic Reporter; Religion News Service | July 10, 2023]
Presents a religious critique of White Christian nationalism and urges churches to distinguish Christianity from racialized nationalist politics during election campaigns.
99. [Why Christian Nationalists Want You to Distrust Elections | Samuel L. Perry | Sojourners | November 2022]
Argues from social-science research that Christian nationalism can be associated with distrust of elections and support for limiting political participation.
100. [The Rise and Fall — and Rise? — of Christian Nationalism | David Briggs | The Christian Century | December 2016]
Provides historical background on the relationship between Christianity, nationalism, and American political identity before the term became central to contemporary election analysis.
