Thy Kingdom Come: Building the Christian Nationalist State

• In Event: Trumpism, Christian Nationalism, and Rightwing Revanchism

Abstract

Over the past several years, there has been an increased focus—both within academia and the media—on Christian nationalism in the United States. While far from being a new phenomenon, Christian nationalism gained new relevance and prominence during the Trump administration. The insurrection on January 6th, 2021, further shone a spotlight on the ideology as the presence of Christian nationalist symbols during the assault on the capitol suggested its adherents would gladly trade democratic governance for theocracy.

As defined by the sociologists Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry, Christian nationalism is “an ideology that idealizes and advocates a fusion of American civic life with a particular type of Christian identity and culture” (2020, x). The identity and culture venerated by Christian nationalists is supported not only by a belief in the supremacy of Christianity over all other faith traditions but also by a commitment to upholding the basic tenets of white and male supremacy. It is, in short, an ideology that is premised on the maintenance of hierarchy and inequality and is fundamentally opposed to the principles of pluralism and democratic governance.

While Christian nationalists have made it clear they are discontented with American political institutions and processes, it is less clear what form they believe the U.S. government should take in the future. The same can be said for Christian nationalist attitudes toward who should belong to the nation as immigration and ethnic and religious diversification are treated as an assault on the “true” character of the nation—or in Trump’s words, a “poisoning [of] the blood of our country.” What do Christian nationalists want to take the place of pluralist democracy? What will take the place of liberal rights? Who will be afforded the full privileges of citizenship? And how do Christian nationalists envision bringing about the kinds of social and political changes they desire?

This paper is part of a larger book project that investigates how contemporary U.S.­ based right-wing movements envision the future. The project sits at the nexus of the American politics and political theory subfields and utilizes interdisciplinary and mixed methods. Drawing on published writings, sermons, social media posts, and interviews, this paper engages with both Christian nationalist political theory and policymaking. It, therefore, proceeds in three steps: First, it maps the political ideology of the idealized state, focusing particularly on Christian nationalist critiques of liberalism and pluralism and avowals of constitutionalism, communalism, and integralism. Having captured a sense of the form of government Christian nationalists aim to create, the paper then turns to an examination of how they envision doing so. Utilizing sermons, social media posts, and interviews, I query the concrete institutional transformations, policies, and laws Christian nationalists hope to implement to manifest the America of their dreams.

Finally, I take seriously the implications of following through on the Christian nationalist blueprint and ask what consequences it would have for those excluded from full social, economic, and political membership. What rights will be afforded to non-Christians, or immigrants, or LGBTQ+ Americans? What roles will women be allowed to fill under the umbrella of patriarchal traditionalism? By examining the utopian visions of these movements alongside their current programs of action, I aim to map the immediate and potential consequences of these movements for the provision of legal rights and protections afforded to historically marginalized and oppressed groups.

Citation: Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020).

Author

• Chelsea Ebin, Drew University