Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper defines and explores the concept of Christian nationalism and its implications for democracy. It describes Christian nationalism not just as an anti-democratic political ideology, but also as a political machine, a leadership-driven movement that seeks political power and domination in all areas of government and society. Christian nationalism succeeds by cultivating and exploiting a mindset with four key features: the belief in a particular, authentic, and superior identity group within America; the conviction that the members of this group are the most persecuted group in society; the apocalyptic fear that the nation is on the verge of collapse; and an affinity for strongman leadership. Rather than merely advocating for conservative positions on social issues like abortion, Christian nationalist activists use these topics as tools to advance an anti-democratic agenda and advantage religious and political elites. I show that Christian nationalism is a key feature of the anti-democratic coalition, and has always been a top-down movement, driven by a leadership cadre that has transformed Christian nationalism into an anti-democratic, pro-oligarchic force. Opposing this movement requires us to collaborate with those who share at least a majority of our common goals to build a pro-democracy movement at all levels.
Source: Journal of Illiberalism Studies
DOI: 10.53483/zcpc3596
Author: Katherine Stewart
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4410315600