Christian Nationalism – An Artificial Category
to Label MAGA Supporters
Could “Christian Nationalism” [CN from this point forward] actually be a category and a convenient tool for those who dislike President Trump? Some Christians are angry. They are content to join the haters and to condemn both Trump and the Christians who support him.
When Did “Christian Nationalism”
Become So Popular?
As I said in my opening article, I had not heard of CN until the past few months. I had a hunch that this term was a cudgel to beat Trump and MAGA with, so I decided to find out when this term started becoming popular.
The first thing I did was search for journal articles on the academic hub I use to find scholarly studies in various disciplines. A search for [“Christian Nationalism” Trump] in academic journals returned 3,656 results. As I scrolled down through the first two pages (50 articles) reading the abstracts or introduction comments, it was clear that the overwhelming majority of these articles were negatively slanted against President Trump. The 6-8 articles written prior to 2016 were focused outside the USA, mostly on South Africa.
So it appeared from academic journal articles that the term “Christian Nationalism” had become a popular term only more recently and has been used for the last 10 years to attack Trump.
I asked Google AI when this term became popular. This was the returned answer:
“While the ideology of Christian nationalism has deep roots in U.S. history, the term itself became prominent and common in public discourse primarily after the 2020 election and January 6th Capitol riot (2021), exploding in mainstream use as scholars and media sought frameworks to explain rising political extremism, especially following the Trump presidency (starting in 2016). Its usage surged in books, news, and surveys from around 2020-2022, driven by concerns over anti-democratic impulses and threats to religious freedom.”
Just as I had thought.
I will give more evidence in this article to show that these “research” organizations are biased.
This Christian pastor in England (“The Vexed Vicar”) has a non-American view of “Christian Nationalism” and is very clear about what the Western world is facing. I encourage you to listen to what he says about the UK…then apply it to the USA.
So, What About Bias?
The CNN article, “The biggest myth about White Christian Nationalism,” is interesting. First, they open with the photo (on left) of Patriot Front (PF moving forward). This is my first time to hear about this group by name. THIS was the “racist” group in Charlottesville and they certainly smack of “White Nationalism.” I have my doubts about calling them “Christian” because their stance on race is very problematic. Yet, many articles on CN like to pump the racist mantra…and couple PF with MAGA supporters.
Why do they do this? Because they are biased.
Back to PRRI
In the previous article I introduced PRRI. (Public Religion Research Institute) “is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in the U.S. that conducts independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy.”
That sounds really good, but as with most media in our post-modern, 10 second attention span and algorithm driven feeds…you need to read the fine print:
Focus Areas for PRRI: Studies commonly cover topics such as political polarization, religious demographics, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, climate change, and social inequality.
That does not sound “nonpartisan.” But, you ask “How do YOU know that?” I looked closely at 3-4 of their reports. Their 2-3 studies on CN are biased against President Trump and MAGA supporters. The studies of PRRI are always slanted LEFT. Why? Because their sponsors are clearly biased. I asked Google AI a simple question about PRRI sponsors. My simple question: “What kind of projects does “Name of the Organization” focus on? These were the responses, shortened to vital aspects of the Google answers:
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: “its mission to prioritize social justice”
Their site lists immigration as a current focal point. Hmm. Mellon recently gave a $1 million grant to PRRI.”
Henry Luce Foundation: “…race, justice and religion…underrepresented artists…close the gender gap”
Open Society Foundations (OSF): “…founded by George Soros…justice, equity, and democratic practice (And the American Way!…oh sorry, it did not say that).”
Carnegie Corporation of New York: “Political Polarization (2024–2026), the foundation supports projects that intersect with the themes often associated with Christian nationalism…”
Arcus Foundation: “LGBTQ social justice…uplifting pro-LGBTQ religious voices to counter antagonistic narratives within traditional denominations.”
No need to continue. PRRI is funded by many Left or “Progressive” foundations. Their claims of “nonpartisan” and conducting “independent research” are bogus. This explains why their handling of CN is so biased.
Summary and Conclusions Thus Far
This ends my third post on this slippery topic. Here are the major points I would like the reader to grapple with:
- There is not a solid definition of “Christian Nationalism” that is agreed upon by MOST sectors of our society.
- This makes the topic vague and unclear.
- The organizations offering survey work and research reports openly state that the public has “widely varying ideas” on the main points of the topic.
- Most of the media coverage AND “research” is biased.
In my next article I will offer some comments from Kelly Baker, Ph.D. She was the scholar behind the above CNN article on White Nationalism and Patriot Front. Although at times she presents historical data cloaked in a progressive mindset, she does present a nuanced view that I appreciated.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In