Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States
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- Create Date：2022-07-12 09:19:36
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Andrew L. Whitehead
- ISBN：0197652573
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Reviews
Tyler Hurst
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Much better than the latest effort （The Flag and The Cross）， in this iteration there is no inclusion of the concept of whiteness in the discussion and Christian Nationalism is defined more by beliefs than by associations or involvements。
Jonathan
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3。5 stars。 A very well-researched and nuanced treatment of religion and politics in America。 NOTE: this research is not focused on white evangelicals in particular， and actually warns against treating Evangelicals as a unified voting bloc; rather， the philosophy of Christian Nationalism is identified as a primary driver of beliefs and behavior。 The text is data-supported and is much more descriptive than it is prescriptive。 While that factor does make the read less exciting for me - hence the 3。 3。5 stars。 A very well-researched and nuanced treatment of religion and politics in America。 NOTE: this research is not focused on white evangelicals in particular， and actually warns against treating Evangelicals as a unified voting bloc; rather， the philosophy of Christian Nationalism is identified as a primary driver of beliefs and behavior。 The text is data-supported and is much more descriptive than it is prescriptive。 While that factor does make the read less exciting for me - hence the 3。5 star rating - this is an important addition to the scholarly body of work on contemporary American politics。 。。。more
Phillip Fox
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Amazing Breakdown This was an amazing breakdown of what Christian Nationalism is and how it is being applied to the modern "so called" American Christian Worldview。 This shows that it is unfair to see Christian Nationalism as a Monolith and just rubber stamp those who might subscribe or be more accommodating to the thought， it's more complex than just branding people。 This work is an great example of how to not just stamp those you disagree with， but they have gone to great lengths to not just s Amazing Breakdown This was an amazing breakdown of what Christian Nationalism is and how it is being applied to the modern "so called" American Christian Worldview。 This shows that it is unfair to see Christian Nationalism as a Monolith and just rubber stamp those who might subscribe or be more accommodating to the thought， it's more complex than just branding people。 This work is an great example of how to not just stamp those you disagree with， but they have gone to great lengths to not just summarize the Christian Nationalists beliefs and bash them。 The Authors have gone out of their way to show this is definitely a nuanced subject and there is more then one thought within this ideological landscape。 。。。more
Gianni Nico Cinelli
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All in all， I would probably give a stocker 3。5 as I could。 But lean closer to four。 This is a really good study of the issue of Christian nationalism。 And it’s loaded with great statistics， and a lot of thought-provoking， safe challenging conversations。 My biggest problem with the book， is that the writers in an attempt to prevent the book from being theological， could not really compare authentic faith to Christian Nationalism。 In order to do so they would have to come out and make statements All in all， I would probably give a stocker 3。5 as I could。 But lean closer to four。 This is a really good study of the issue of Christian nationalism。 And it’s loaded with great statistics， and a lot of thought-provoking， safe challenging conversations。 My biggest problem with the book， is that the writers in an attempt to prevent the book from being theological， could not really compare authentic faith to Christian Nationalism。 In order to do so they would have to come out and make statements about their own theological position。 As much as I understand why they did not do that。 I think they were clearly times where if there was a theological co-writer this book would be better。 In some places where there is clearly a theological reason for some thing， the book is unable to approach it。 I guess the issue with that would be， diversity of opinion。 That being said there’s going to be a correct opinion。I’d read this book with a Christian liberal and a Christian conservative at my side。 I’d read it in community， and wrestle through it。 It’s got some good meat in it， but also some fat and bone。 All in all I’m thankful it was written， perhaps I will pick it up again in the future and see how I feel about it again。 。。。more
Viola
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https://abcnews。go。com/Politics/wireS。。。Christian nationalism on the rise in some GOP campaignsA movement known as Christian nationalism is making its presence known in many Republican primary races this yearByPeter Smith and Deepa Bharath - Associated PressMay 30， 2022。PITTSBURGH -- The victory party took on the feel of an evangelical worship service after Doug Mastriano won Pennsylvania's Republican gubernatorial primary this month。 As a Christian singer led the crowd in song， some raised thei https://abcnews。go。com/Politics/wireS。。。Christian nationalism on the rise in some GOP campaignsA movement known as Christian nationalism is making its presence known in many Republican primary races this yearByPeter Smith and Deepa Bharath - Associated PressMay 30， 2022。PITTSBURGH -- The victory party took on the feel of an evangelical worship service after Doug Mastriano won Pennsylvania's Republican gubernatorial primary this month。 As a Christian singer led the crowd in song， some raised their arms toward the heavens in praise。Mastriano opened his remarks by evoking Scripture: “God uses the foolish to confound the wise。” He claimed Pennsylvanians’ freedom would be “snatched away” if his Democratic opponent wins in November， and cast the election in starkly religious terms with another biblical reference: “Let’s choose this day to serve the Lord。”Mastriano， a state senator and retired Army colonel， has not only made faith central to his personal story but has woven conservative Christian beliefs and symbols into the campaign — becoming the most prominent example this election cycle of what some observers call a surge of Christian nationalism among Republican candidates。 Mastriano — who has ignored repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press， including through his campaign last week — has rejected the “Christian nationalist” label in the past。 In fact， few if any prominent candidates use the label。 Some say it's a pejorative and insist everyone has a right to draw on their faith and values to try to influence public policy。But scholars generally define Christian nationalism as going beyond policy debates and championing a fusion of American and Christian values， symbols and identity。Christian nationalism， they say， is often accompanied by a belief that God has destined America， like the biblical Israel， for a special role in history， and that it will receive divine blessing or judgment depending on its obedience。That often overlaps with the conservative Christian political agenda， including opposition to abortion， same-sex marriage and transgender rights。 Researchers say Christian nationalism is often also associated with mistrust of immigrants and Muslims。 Many Christian nationalists see former President Donald Trump as a champion despite his crude sexual boasts and lack of public piety。Candidates seen as Christian nationalists have had mixed success in this year's Republican primaries， which typically pitted staunch conservatives against opponents even further to the right。There were losses by some high-profile candidates， such as U。S。 Rep。 Madison Cawthorn and an Idaho gubernatorial hopeful， Lt。 Gov。 Janice McGeachin。 The former spoke of a “spiritual battle" on Capitol Hill and a need for “strong， God-fearing patriots。” The latter was photographed holding a gun and a Bible and said， “God calls us to pick up the sword and fight， and Christ will reign in the state of Idaho。” Some of Idaho’s Republican primaries for the Legislature were won by candidates touting Christian values or sharing priorities with Christian nationalists， such as sports bans for transgender athletes。 U。S。 Rep。 Marjorie Taylor Greene， R-Ga。， who uses biblical phrasing to “be a watchman on the wall" against those seeking to "destroy our faith，” easily won her primary。Watchers of Christian nationalism consider Mastriano's win — in a rout， with 44% in a crowded field despite opposition from the state party establishment — by far the highest-profile victory for the movement。 Mastriano has called the separation of church and state a “myth。"After his victory， the comments section of his campaign Facebook page had the feel of a revival tent:“Praise Jesus！” “God is smiling on us and sending His blessings。" “Thank you Father God！！”Mastriano “is a unique case where he really does in his speeches highlight this apocalyptic idea” where his supporters and causes are on God's side， said Andrew Whitehead， sociology professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and co-author of “Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States。”“It literally is good and evil，” he continued。 “There’s no room for compromise， so that is the threat to democracy。” In the book， Whitehead and co-author Samuel Perry measured rates of Christian nationalism by drawing on a 2017 Baylor University survey。 It gauged opinions on such things as America's role in God's plan and whether the U。S。 should be declared a Christian nation， advance biblical values and allow school prayer and religious displays in public places。 Their research found about one in five Americans align with many of those views。 That's down from nearly one in four a decade earlier， just as Americans have become less religious overall。 But Whitehead said Christian nationalists， who are more numerous among Republicans， can be expected to maintain their fervor。Christian nationalism is emerging alongside and in some cases overlapping with other right-wing movements， such as the conspiratorial QAnon， white supremacy， and denialism over COVID-19 and the 2020 election。 Christian prayers and symbols featured prominently in and around the U。S。 Capitol during the Jan。 6， 2021， insurrection there。Mastriano， who sought to overturn Pennsylvania's vote for Joe Biden in 2020， attended the rally preceding the attack and chartered buses to bring others。 Though he says he left when things turned violent， video showed he passed through “breached barricades and police lines，" according to a Senate Judiciary Committee report。Robert Jones， CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute， said those Jan。 6 displays were not surprising。According to a recent survey by the institute， white evangelical Christians were among the strongest supporters of the assertion that God intended America as a “promised land” for European Christians。 Those who backed that idea were far more likely to agree that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence 。。。 to save our country。”“To my mind， white Christian nationalism is really the threat，” Jones said。Conservative Christian themes are also playing a role in local elections， including in blue states， although many proponents say they view it not as nationalism but as supporting their religious freedom and values。Pastor Tim Thompson of 412 Church in Murrieta， California， who hosts a YouTube channel with more than 9，600 subscribers and envisions a conservative future for the state， recently started a political action committee aiming to “take back our school boards” and give parents authority over curriculum。“We don’t want teachers or any other adults talking to our kids about sex，” Thompson said。 “We don’t want teachers categorizing our kids into oppressed or oppressor。 These are not political issues。 They are moral and biblical issues。” Judeo-Christian values are the foundation of America， he argued。“People are afraid to speak up for these values because they are afraid that the left is going to slap a label like ‘racist’ or ‘Christian nationalist’ on them，” Thompson said。 “I don’t care about those labels， because my wife， children， church and community know who I am。”Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino Hills， California， has also sought to influence local elections。 While he does not let candidates campaign at the church， he frequently offers endorsements as a way of signaling to his flock those who are “pro-family， pro-life and pro-freedom。” But “the hair on my neck goes up” when he hears the term “Christian nationalism，” he said。 And he was embarrassed to see Christian imagery during the Jan。 6 riot: “That was a sad day， to see those sacred symbols and words pimped like that。” Elizabeth Neumann， chief strategy officer for Moonshot， a tech company that aims to counter online violent extremism， disinformation and other harms， said Christian nationalism began picking up steam around 2015 amid a rising narrative of purported persecution of Christians。 Neumann， who served in the George W。 Bush and Trump administrations and grew up in an evangelical Christian household， called the movement “heretical and idolatry” and an “apocalyptic vision （that） very often leads to violence。” Many pastors are pushing back against it， she added。 “I see Christian nationalism as the gasping， dying breath of the older generation in America that is afraid that Christians are going to be replaced，” she said。Note: via SnopesQ: Did Sinclair Lewis say， “When Fascism comes to America， it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross”？A: This quote sounds like something Sinclair Lewis might have said or written， but we’ve never been able to find this exact quote。 Here are passages from two novels Lewis wrote that are similar to the quote attributed to him。From It Can’t Happen Here: “But he saw too that in America the struggle was befogged by the fact that the worst Fascists were they who disowned the word ‘Fascism’ and preached enslavement to Capitalism under the style of Constitutional and Traditional Native American Liberty。”From Gideon Planish: “I just wish people wouldn’t quote Lincoln or the Bible， or hang out the flag or the cross， to cover up something that belongs more to the bank-book and the three golden balls。”There was also a play called Strangers in the late 1970s which had a similar quote， but no one， including one of Lewis’s biographers， Richard Lingeman， has ever been able to locate the original citation。The same quote has been erroneously attributed to Louisiana governor and U。S。 senator Huey Long （1893-1935）， who， ironically， was said by some to be a real-life model for Lewis’s fascist leader in It Can’t Happen Here。 A similar quote （probably spurious as well） that came to be attributed to Huey Long after his death was， “When fascism comes to America， it will be called anti-fascism。”Though we have found passages by other authors that share certain words， phrases， and sentiments in common with the quote attributed to Lewis， we have not found an exact match anywhere。 We came across this bit， for example， in coverage of a speech by one James Waterman Wise Jr。 in the 5 February 1936 edition of The Christian Century:“James Waterman Wise， Jr。， in a recent address here before the liberal John Reed club said that Hearst and Coughlin are the two chief exponents of fascism in America。 If fascism comes， he added， it will not be identified with any “shirt” movement， nor with an “insignia，” but it will probably be “wrapped up in the American flag and heralded as a plea for liberty and preservation of the constitution。”And this observation appeared in John Thomas Flynn’s As We Go Marching， published in 1944:“But when fascism comes it will not be in the form of an anti-American movement or pro-Hitler bund， practicing disloyalty。 Nor will it come in the form of a crusade against war。 It will appear rather in the luminous robes of flaming patriotism; it will take some genuinely indigenous shape and color， and it will spread only because its leaders， who are not yet visible， will know how to locate the great springs of public opinion and desire and the streams of thought that flow from them and will know how to attract to their banners leaders who can command the support of the controlling minorities in American public life。 The danger lies not so much in the would-be Fuhrers who may arise， but in the presence in our midst of certainly deeply running currents of hope and appetite and opinion。 The war upon fascism must be begun there。“ 。。。more
Ben Rush
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I took too long to finish this book。 It’s a fairly simple read with a lot of well researched data。 Whitehead does not fully address what led to Trump's presidency。 I don't think that one can argue that Christian Nationalists are entirely to blame， any more than we can blame Christian Nationalists for Biden's presidency， or Obama's， or Bush's， etc。The fact is， some believe that Donald Trump is the chosen one。 This is indisputable。 I know several。 It is also a fact that many endorsed Trump from th I took too long to finish this book。 It’s a fairly simple read with a lot of well researched data。 Whitehead does not fully address what led to Trump's presidency。 I don't think that one can argue that Christian Nationalists are entirely to blame， any more than we can blame Christian Nationalists for Biden's presidency， or Obama's， or Bush's， etc。The fact is， some believe that Donald Trump is the chosen one。 This is indisputable。 I know several。 It is also a fact that many endorsed Trump from the evangelical camp （Grudem， et al）， causing more than a few followers of Jesus to scratch their heads。 I find it difficult to label every American Christian as a Christian Nationalist。 This book works very hard to suggest this。 I simply do not believe this is true。 I know many Christians who would not identify with any of the camps described in this book。 The 4 categories identified by Whitehead are too narrow。 One can follow Jesus and have many opinions on the subject matter that this author does not address。Whitehead does present a reasonable definition of Christian Nationalism， in painfully nauseating detail。 Barton， and others like him， have profited from historical fiction more than anything else。 All one has to do is read a few letters from Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin to understand that the US was not founded as a Christian Nation。 This book is a must-read for anyone in pastoral ministry in the post-covid era。 What a weird world we live in。 。。。more
Ricky Balas
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What an insightful read on what I believe has become the 21st century equivalent of Donatism or some other ancient heresy。 An extremely important read to better understand the chaotic free fall the American church finds itself in。 Especially as a Christian， I cannot recommend this work enough。 I don't believe the authors are coming at their work from a Christian perspective， but reading it from the other side gives an enlightened view of how the world analyzes the situation and if we are to be a What an insightful read on what I believe has become the 21st century equivalent of Donatism or some other ancient heresy。 An extremely important read to better understand the chaotic free fall the American church finds itself in。 Especially as a Christian， I cannot recommend this work enough。 I don't believe the authors are coming at their work from a Christian perspective， but reading it from the other side gives an enlightened view of how the world analyzes the situation and if we are to be a church of mission （helping the needy， the poor， the immigrant， the orphan， and the widow）， we need to take a deep self-reflective account where we stand as a Christian in America--warts and all。 。。。more
Michelle
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Such a fantastic book！ Perry and Whitehead really make clear the difference between ideology and religion， and show us how Christian Nationalism is threatening the country。 A must read。
Fisher
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After 2016 there were a deluge of outraged comments from Christians and non， in disbelief that such an obviously unchristian man could be exalted by rabid believers as the man who was going to bring God back to America。 This warped hypocrisy seemed apparent to everyone but those with who delighted in his cruelty and bombastic hate， crosses dangling from their necks。Taking America Back for God theorizes that Christian nationalism is a powerful societal force that shapes believers’ perceptions of After 2016 there were a deluge of outraged comments from Christians and non， in disbelief that such an obviously unchristian man could be exalted by rabid believers as the man who was going to bring God back to America。 This warped hypocrisy seemed apparent to everyone but those with who delighted in his cruelty and bombastic hate， crosses dangling from their necks。Taking America Back for God theorizes that Christian nationalism is a powerful societal force that shapes believers’ perceptions of politics as a battle between good and evil。 This is not a new paranoia， but one that accentuates and bolsters the belief that America is a Christian nation and must remain so， at any cost—there are satanic， anti-biblical forces perverting our institutions that must be stopped。 We let gays get married， for fuck’s sake！！ Plus you can’t argue with a thought-terminating cliche， especially one cached in a veiled Biblical justification with the goal to “legitimate its desires for the country in the will of God。” The authors take special care to parse the differences between folks with religious beliefs/practices and those who believe in a strongman figure who heralds the second coming。 All of their conclusions are data-driven， and the book is filled with charts， facts， and figures to prove their conclusions。 It’s a refreshing nuanced dive into what seems like a monolith but is actually complicated， and， well… not great。 What’s that quote about fascism coming to America carrying a cross wrapped in a flag？ Yeah， that。 。。。more
Tobi Fairley
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This book was helpful in understanding that it's more Christian Nationalism than Evangelicalism that explains the devotion to Donal Trump in our current political climate。 And Christian Nationalism is more about power and prioritizing hierarchy than taking care of the poor or needy or showing up the way Jesus would。 This explains a lot of the confusion that begin in the 2016 election of Trump and since then。 I am glad I read it。 I do find it helpful but it was very repetitive which became a bit This book was helpful in understanding that it's more Christian Nationalism than Evangelicalism that explains the devotion to Donal Trump in our current political climate。 And Christian Nationalism is more about power and prioritizing hierarchy than taking care of the poor or needy or showing up the way Jesus would。 This explains a lot of the confusion that begin in the 2016 election of Trump and since then。 I am glad I read it。 I do find it helpful but it was very repetitive which became a bit monotonous。 Thankfully it's a small book and a quick read。 If you want to stop being confused on why White Evangelicals vote for Trump， this book could shed some light on that。 。。。more
Flynn Evans
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While some of Perry and Whitehead’s analysis is helpful， they ultimately end up causing more confusion than providing clarity to the question of American Christianity’s ideologically multiplex relationship with politics。
Karin Rosner
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The concluding chapter was damning， from a social scientists perspective。 This book helped concentrate my thinking about all of these issues - and I agree with the team's conclusions。 The concluding chapter was damning， from a social scientists perspective。 This book helped concentrate my thinking about all of these issues - and I agree with the team's conclusions。 。。。more
Peri Costic
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If you're like me and have been looking for an explanation of "white evangelical" support for Trump， look no further。 Whitehead and Perry's comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon answers this question and more。 It can get a little data-heavy at times， but overall a great read！ If you're like me and have been looking for an explanation of "white evangelical" support for Trump， look no further。 Whitehead and Perry's comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon answers this question and more。 It can get a little data-heavy at times， but overall a great read！ 。。。more
Dave Herman
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This book was helpful to me in that it empirically captured the ideas that have shaped the U。S。， which became especially prominent in national politics in the last seven years。 Most importantly， it distinguished between Christian nationalism and religiosity （defined by attendance， Scripture reading， and prayer）。 Most of the time， Christian nationalism and religiosity are inversely correlated with each other。 For example， while Christian nationalism was the primary factor in rejecting pandemic pr This book was helpful to me in that it empirically captured the ideas that have shaped the U。S。， which became especially prominent in national politics in the last seven years。 Most importantly， it distinguished between Christian nationalism and religiosity （defined by attendance， Scripture reading， and prayer）。 Most of the time， Christian nationalism and religiosity are inversely correlated with each other。 For example， while Christian nationalism was the primary factor in rejecting pandemic precautions， religiosity was the primary factor in adopting pandemic precautions！ This study， and book， are critical for contemporary U。S。 political discourse， because while half of evangelicals demonstrate Christian nationalist tendencies（！）， it is less accurate to critique "white evangelicals" than it is to critique Christian nationalists， whose belief systems range over the map。After reading some other reviews， it's important to know the scope and aim of this book。 It does not aim to argue the truth or untruth of a position， but to demonstrate what we can know about Christian nationalism from the beliefs reported by a large sampling of respondents。 It does not argue that Christian nationalism is a new phenomenon， or its orthodoxy or non-orthodoxy。 It does argue that understanding Christian nationalism is crucial for modern political discourse， and deserves five stars for doing so well。If you've grown up with Christian nationalism and want to maintain your faith in Jesus while rejecting nationalism， this book will be a fresh breeze to you。 You'll be encouraged to discover that practicing your religious faith will most likely put you at odds with Christian nationalism。 You will have better language to identify the characteristics of Christian nationalism and distinguish it from Jesus' teachings。 You will be more able to sniff out the stench of false doctrine from the sweet aroma of God。 May you know the truth， and may the truth set you free。 。。。more
Linda Hagedorn
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The book gave insight though I still do not understand the devoutness of Trump supporters。 Baffling。
Lauren
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Solid sociology， easy， quick read。 My main quibble is I think the authors are trying a little too hard to separate Christian Nationalists from Evangelicalism。 I think it is clear that many people who identify as Evangelical don't do so because of the doctrinal beliefs， but because the denomination as a whole embraces or at least makes room for it。 It's good to preserve the nuance between them， but I think there is room to explore how the two are mutual reinforcing and to recognize that sometimes Solid sociology， easy， quick read。 My main quibble is I think the authors are trying a little too hard to separate Christian Nationalists from Evangelicalism。 I think it is clear that many people who identify as Evangelical don't do so because of the doctrinal beliefs， but because the denomination as a whole embraces or at least makes room for it。 It's good to preserve the nuance between them， but I think there is room to explore how the two are mutual reinforcing and to recognize that sometimes to separate them you are making distinctions without difference。 I also wish the book explored more reasons that Christian Nationalism is thriving or explored how people's beliefs about Christian Nationalism might change over time （to become more or less Christian Nationalist）。 。。。more
Zack
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This is a stellar， short， concise report on the reality， contours， and dangers of Christian nationalism。 Building on extensive survey and qualitative data， Whitehead and Perry do an incredible job grounding their claims， building definitions， and demonstrating the way that this ideology permeates American society and religious culture in pernicious， often unnoticed ways。 The whole book is clearly， simply written and moves at a quick pace for academic work， aided by significant， persuasive， and e This is a stellar， short， concise report on the reality， contours， and dangers of Christian nationalism。 Building on extensive survey and qualitative data， Whitehead and Perry do an incredible job grounding their claims， building definitions， and demonstrating the way that this ideology permeates American society and religious culture in pernicious， often unnoticed ways。 The whole book is clearly， simply written and moves at a quick pace for academic work， aided by significant， persuasive， and easy-to-read charts that show the various ways that Christian nationalism appears in American society。 Reading a book like this is convicting and inspires a lot of reflection， really drawing into focus the ways that faith and culture have been problematically skewed and used by Christians and others for specific political ends。 The conclusion that Whitehead and Perry draw is clear and unassailable: Christian nationalism is a problem for everyone， regardless of religious persuasion， and is something we're all going to have to deal with sooner rather than later。 。。。more
Jack Tucker
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mmmmm statistics yummy statsthis was good！ disarmingly but helpfully scientific。 not the book i’d pick up if you want some kind of history or narrative， but social science can be good at pushing back on narratives that have been constructed with too few data points。 ok thanks Good Reads
Kristen
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Super helpful and insightful; super dry。 Worth it， but only once。
Jason Keel
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There is a widening gap between Americans。 There is a difficulty in understanding one another that is more and more prevalent。 There is a polarization in politics and culture that leads to us viewing each other as enemies？ Why is that？ The authors of this book contend that one factor is Christian nationalism which they define as "an ideology that idealizes and advocates a fusion of American civic life with a particular type of Christian identity and culture。" They are not talking about personal There is a widening gap between Americans。 There is a difficulty in understanding one another that is more and more prevalent。 There is a polarization in politics and culture that leads to us viewing each other as enemies？ Why is that？ The authors of this book contend that one factor is Christian nationalism which they define as "an ideology that idealizes and advocates a fusion of American civic life with a particular type of Christian identity and culture。" They are not talking about personal piety or doctrinal orthodoxy at all。 In fact， one of the most fascinating things about their research is that they found that Christian nationalists （or those who espouse said ideas） are not necessarily regular church goers， regular prayers or Bible readers， and some don't even call themselves religious。 Whitehead and Perry set out to find out who these people are through surveys and personal interviews， and to analyze how， historically and currently， they influence life in the U。S。There is a lot to commend in this book。 It is thoroughly researched， is clear and concise in written presentation， and intends to be fair and objective。 I learned a lot， and was challenged to look closely at my own beliefs about America's Christian heritage， and the implications for my views about that for how I view where American is and where it should go。 Though they try to stay objective the authors' bias shows in one particular data point they can't account for。 They seem baffled by how Christian nationalists and Christians who are not Christian nationalists but who are active and devoted to the Church and Jesus can hold traditional， I'd say biblical， views of gender and sexuality。 In all other hot button cultural/political splits in the U。S。 those more active in their faith communities， prayer， and Bible reading tend to skew slightly left rather than right while those who espouse Christian nationalism skew right。 （This was fascinating finding that I found enlightening。） It appears the authors' default position is egalitarian and progressive， and that colors certain sections of their analysis。 I could be wrong， but based on the tone of those sections of the book this seems plain to me。 Having said that my default position is hierarchical and conservative so this chafed a bit。 I think if they had plainly stated their bias at the outset it might have made their analyses in a few key sections of the book better， and not so jarring。So， should you read this book？ I give a qualified yes。 If you are interested in major factors in how we got to our particular political and religious moment in U。S。 history you will find this book helpful， if sometimes frustrating， in helping you sort out why we are the way we are。 If that sounds boring then this is not the book for you。 。。。more
Jennifer Abdo
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Kindle edition。 Books like these are helping me make sense of my evangelical past。 I grew up in what became an increasingly Christian nationalist environment。 I wrote and occasionally talked to people I trusted about my concerns around what I called "politics in/and the pulpit。" It was Christian nationalism， I found out later。 The four categories in the book - rejector， resistor， accomodator， ambassador - are a more nuanced way to look at the problem than most political assessments I've seen。 Wh Kindle edition。 Books like these are helping me make sense of my evangelical past。 I grew up in what became an increasingly Christian nationalist environment。 I wrote and occasionally talked to people I trusted about my concerns around what I called "politics in/and the pulpit。" It was Christian nationalism， I found out later。 The four categories in the book - rejector， resistor， accomodator， ambassador - are a more nuanced way to look at the problem than most political assessments I've seen。 While in the church， I was in the camp of strong belief prayer， attendance， etc but those things reinforced my support for social safety net， anti-war efforts， questioning patriotism narratives as opposed to the legislating the Bible into everyone else that was the prevailing view of everyone I worshiped with。 It will take time to understand why I rejected Christian nationalism and those around me embraced it， but now there are ways to describe the trends and correlations I saw。 。。。more
Sara Jasinski
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Very straightforward and informative。 This book helped pin down a solid definition for a concept that has felt very elusive。
Esther Prins
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Clear， well-written explanation of how Americans' views of Christian nationalism （ranging from rejecters to ambassadors） are the prism through which we perceive a range of social issues， from gun control to abortion to immigration to gender roles。 As the authors show， Christian nationalism is about privileging and enshrining Christianity in the public sphere; it's about power and politics， not religious beliefs and morality per se。 （This is why Christian nationalists have so easily dismissed Tru Clear， well-written explanation of how Americans' views of Christian nationalism （ranging from rejecters to ambassadors） are the prism through which we perceive a range of social issues， from gun control to abortion to immigration to gender roles。 As the authors show， Christian nationalism is about privileging and enshrining Christianity in the public sphere; it's about power and politics， not religious beliefs and morality per se。 （This is why Christian nationalists have so easily dismissed Trump's moral failings。） The authors emphasize and provide empirical （survey and interview） support for nuances that are lost on much of the public and media: that Christian nationalism is not synonymous with evangelicalism or with personal religious practice （e。g。， attending church， reading the Bible）。 Christian nationalism is fundamentally about maintaining hierarchies （racial， economic， gender， etc。）， social order， and boundaries between us and them。 This is why， as the authors argue， it is antithetical to living in a pluralistic， democratic society。 The data they present are compelling。 If you want to understand Christian nationalism， this book is a great start。 。。。more
Mike
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Good sociological book on Christian Nationalism
Suzanne Smith
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Required reading for understanding current religious and political trendsThis book was extremely helpful in lifting the fog I've lived in since 2016， struggling to understand how my fellow Christians could chuck all their moral convictions to support Trump。 I see now that it was Christian nationalism， not their faith， that drove that。 It doesn't take away the disappointment and disillusionment I've experienced， but having the correct intellectual framework gives me a much sturdier foundation mov Required reading for understanding current religious and political trendsThis book was extremely helpful in lifting the fog I've lived in since 2016， struggling to understand how my fellow Christians could chuck all their moral convictions to support Trump。 I see now that it was Christian nationalism， not their faith， that drove that。 It doesn't take away the disappointment and disillusionment I've experienced， but having the correct intellectual framework gives me a much sturdier foundation moving forward。 And I'm much more attuned now to the red flags I previously missed in religious leaders。 。。。more
Nathan Duffy
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Relentlessly tedious repetition of essentially a single， unsurprising finding in a thousand different ways。 Essentially "Christian nationalism" （determined by measuring how much you favor things like prayer in schools， the federal government formally declaring America a Christian nation etc。） will highly predict your religio-political views （in the obvious direction: more CN， more right-wing; less CN， more left-wing）， even moreso than political identification， ideology， or religious affiliation。 Relentlessly tedious repetition of essentially a single， unsurprising finding in a thousand different ways。 Essentially "Christian nationalism" （determined by measuring how much you favor things like prayer in schools， the federal government formally declaring America a Christian nation etc。） will highly predict your religio-political views （in the obvious direction: more CN， more right-wing; less CN， more left-wing）， even moreso than political identification， ideology， or religious affiliation。 Well。。 no kidding？ How could it be otherwise？There are 6 questions used to determine adherence to Christian nationalism， each freighted with religio-political significance， and respondents can agree strongly or weakly with each。 Of course a 6-variable religio-political （each with degrees of precision） factor is inherently packed with much more information and predictive power than any single variable （GOP/Dem， con/lib， Christian/non-Christian）。 This is virtually definitionally true， and it's hard to imagine how it could possibly be otherwise， yet they report their findings in breathless tones as if they've stumbled on a hidden truth。 When in reality they needn't have even conducted any surveys to know this was true。In a desperate bid to separate "white evangelicals" （the subject of much scorn and approbation from their scholarly circles for their Trumpist ways） from "Christian nationalists"， Perry & Whitehead deploy farcical scientistic means。 After reporting that "Christian nationalists" views correlate highly with religious devotion and practice （i。e。 the more you read scripture， attend church etc。 the more "Christian nationalist" you will tend to be）， they then deploy a comical device to negate this fact。 If you *control for Christian nationalism*， then religious devotion no longer predicts more Christian nationalist views！ But。。 this is a tautology。 Of course if you "control for Christian nationalism"， i。e。 remove one strong conservative-religious impulse， the remainder will be much more liberal along various dimensions。 As an analogy， imagine I conducted a survey trying to measure levels of "secular globalism"， by asking questions like how much one supports international， intergovernmental organizations authorized to enforce human rights， how much one supports open borders， how much one bases their humanitarianism on religion etc。 And called this the "secular globalist" （SG） scale。 Now imagine （as it's not difficult to predict） that Secular Globalism correlates highly with liberal political views。 Now further imagine， because I'm a conservative， right-wing atheist， who doesn't like the bad rap that atheists get as being so liberal， I decide to "control for Secular Globalist ideology" in the sample and--WHAT DO YOU KNOW！--once you control for SG， it turns out atheists are surprisingly moderate or conservative。 Well。。 yes， but this is a triviality。 Because you removed the interconnected matrix of motivations that tends to make atheists more liberal in the first place by "controlling for" secular globalism。 Desperate to obfuscate that their own data shows that staunch anti-Christian-nationalism correlates highly with atheism， Judaism， and low levels of religious practice and devotion among Christians （revealing anti-CN to be the pagan， secular force Christians rightly claim that it is）， the means they deploy reach the level of utter absurdity。 。。。more
Degenerate Chemist
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This book is an interesting overview of christian nationalisim in the US and how it has shaped our nations politics。 It cites several studies and is beautifully researched with tons of data and interviews on the topic。 This is one of those 'water is wet' studies。 People know what is happening， but its important to actually compile the data so we have the information in one place。 It is good reading for understanding politics in the US and how christian nationalism acts as a civic religion。 The b This book is an interesting overview of christian nationalisim in the US and how it has shaped our nations politics。 It cites several studies and is beautifully researched with tons of data and interviews on the topic。 This is one of those 'water is wet' studies。 People know what is happening， but its important to actually compile the data so we have the information in one place。 It is good reading for understanding politics in the US and how christian nationalism acts as a civic religion。 The book mostly addresses the dynamics at play during the 2016 election。 I would not recommend this particular book because it feels like a research paper that was just extended into a nonfiction novel。 It gets a little dry and hard to read at times and is not the easiest thing to digest for a newcomer to the topic。3。5 stars for being a great source of information。 。。。more
Luke Spinardi
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Data Driven， eye opening book。 Very interesting non-fictional read
Neil White
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A very thorough analysis of the phenomenon of Christian nationalism in the United States which exposes the way many of the views of Christian nationalism are inversely related with regular church attendance and demonstrates how Christian nationalism is primarily about maintaining political， social and religious power。
Katherine
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