White Christian Nationalism: Understanding Its Core Connection to Race in America
Resist & Rise Christian Nationalism Series—Week 5
A data-driven analysis reveals how race is central to white Christian nationalism, shaping policy, courts, and daily life. The evidence shows a strong correlation between Christian nationalism and white racial solidarity, authoritarianism, and exclusionary politics. This is not a coincidence but a deliberate design. The consequences for pluralistic democracy are immediate.
The root of the matter is that across states and denominations, the most robust and unwavering support for Christian nationalism emanates from white Americans, particularly white evangelicals. This support correlates with more stringent stances on race, immigration, and “order.” This isn’t merely a cultural trend; it’s a political program that’s transitioning from the pulpit to policy. In the 2024-2025 period, statehouses enacted Ten Commandments mandates and Bible lessons in public schools, while the Supreme Court upheld laws that were celebrated by Christian nationalist groups. Consequently, there’s a growing divide between a multiracial democracy and a movement that asserts “real America” is predominantly white and Christian. This week, we delve into the data and the power dynamics driving this phenomenon.
The Evidence: Race isn’t incidental to Christian nationalism—it’s central
PRRI’s 2024 American Values Atlas reveals that Christian nationalism is predominantly concentrated among white Americans and in Southern states. For instance, support for Christian nationalism is notably higher among white residents in Louisiana and Mississippi, with white evangelicals leading the national trend. In a peer-reviewed study, sociologists Michael Emerson and Glenn Bracey found that “Christian nationalism is one of the leading predictors of racial solidarity, but it is solely associated with White Americans” (Social Forces, 2024). PRRI/Brookings’ national studies further demonstrate that Christian nationalist views are intertwined with white identity, anti-immigrant sentiment, and support for authoritarian measures and political violence. However, these patterns do not manifest in the same way among nonwhite Christians. Quote: “Christian nationalism is one of the leading predictors of racial solidarity, but it is solely associated with White Americans.” — Michael O. Emerson and Glenn E. Bracey II, Social Forces (2024).
Analysis:
If your ideology consistently strengthens white racial solidarity, particularly among white individuals, it doesn’t constitute an apolitical theology. Instead, it’s a racial project cloaked in religious language. Therefore, the demographic pattern holds as much significance as the theology.
From pews to policy: Codifying a racialized theology
Louisiana mandated Ten Commandments posters in every public-school classroom (2024), a direct test of church–state lines likely to chill religious pluralism for religious minorities and nonreligious students. Oklahoma’s state superintendent ordered Bible instruction in public schools (2024), framing it as recovery of “foundations,” a familiar Christian nationalist narrative that privileges one faith in civic space. In 2025, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth (U.S. v. Skrmetti), a decision cheered by Christian nationalist groups; Interfaith Alliance called the ruling a green light to “discriminate against trans kids and their families.” Quote: “SCOTUS ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti helps Christian nationalists discriminate against trans kids and their families.” — Interfaith Alliance (2025)
Analysis:
School walls don’t decorate themselves, and court dockets don’t fill accidentally. A coordinated policy pipeline is translating ideology into state power, resulting in predictable, distinct impacts on racial and religious minorities, particularly in states already characterized by racial stratification.
Power and backlash: How communities are pushing back
Americans United cautions that Christian nationalism poses a threat to the pursuit of justice in education and public life. They are mobilizing litigation, public education, and interfaith partnerships to defend the separation of church and state. According to PRRI’s multi-year surveys, most Americans oppose declaring the U.S. a Christian nation. While Christian nationalism remains a minority position nationally, it does dominate certain white conservative subcultures. Brookings (2025) reports that voters of color identify white nationalism as a significant concern and note its ideological connection to the rising Christian nationalism movement. This highlights why multiracial coalitions view this as a fight for democracy rather than a cultural conflict. Quote: “White nationalism remains a major concern for voters of color and appears to be ideologically connected to the growing Christian nationalism movement.” — Brookings (2025)
Analysis:
The resistance is not limited to secular groups. Numerous Christians, spanning Black Protestant, mainline, Catholic, and evangelical traditions, are firmly stating, “This is not in our name.” This diverse, multi-faith, and multiracial opposition is precisely why the movement is urgently seeking to secure policy victories now.
Context matters: Defining the ideology clearly
Yale’s Institution for Social and Policy Studies asserts that white Christian nationalism intertwines a mythical “Christian America” with exclusionary citizenship, rendering race and nationhood inextricably linked in practice. UC Berkeley researchers characterize Christian nationalism as a burgeoning “threat to U.S. democracy,” tracing its origins and its contemporary policy program that merges religion with state power. PRRI’s state-by-state data reveals that this ideology aligns with hardline positions on immigration, gender, and voting, all issues that correspond to America’s racial hierarchy. Quote: “Crisis of Faith: Christian Nationalism and the Threat to U.S. Democracy.” — UC Berkeley research feature (2022)
Analysis:
Call things what they are. When political power is organized around declaring one religion and one racial identity, the arbiter of “real American” pluralism isn’t a feature: it’s the enemy.
What It Means
Key Takeaway: White Christian nationalism operates as a racial hierarchy project disguised as theology.
The movement’s demographic base, disproportionately white and concentrated among white evangelicals, and its policy agenda reinforce a political order where white Christian identity is the gold standard of belonging. This agenda includes religion in public schools, civil rights carve-outs, and punitive social control. Policies like these pose an existential threat to multiracial democracy and create daily challenges for communities of color, religious minorities, and LGBTQ+ Americans, resulting in fewer rights, reduced safety, and increased state-backed stigma.
What’s Next
Court challenges to Louisiana’s Ten Commandments mandate and Oklahoma’s Bible directive will advance. Watch for appellate rulings testing the Establishment Clause in late 2025.
Continued fallout from U.S. v. Skrmetti as states expand copycat restrictions on trans healthcare and litigation strategies, respond to this ruling.
Ongoing fights over school vouchers, chaplain bills, and curriculum standards as legislatures reconvene and pivot on public education and religious neutrality.
Call to Action
Add your name: Christians Against Christian Nationalism statement (open to clergy and laity): https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/
Support church–state watchdogs: Americans United’s ongoing legal and educational work: https://www.au.org/
Share your story: How is white Christian nationalism showing up or being resisted in your school board, legislature, or congregation? What worked, what didn’t, and what do you need next? Email stories@resistandrise.blue or leave a comment below before Friday to be featured in our Week 6 roundup.
Methods & Verification
All factual claims were cross-checked against primary research (PRRI/Brookings), academic analyses (Yale ISPS; UC Berkeley), and legal/policy reporting (Interfaith Alliance; Brookings; states-level legislative trackers). Quotes and data were verified at the source URLs listed below.
References:
PRRI. Christian Nationalism Across All 50 States: Insights from PRRI’s 2024 American Values Atlas. https://prri.org/research/christian-nationalism-across-all-50-states-insights-from-prris-2024-american-values-atlas/
Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies. Understanding White Christian Nationalism (2022). https://isps.yale.edu/news/blog/2022/10/understanding-white-christian-nationalism
Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Christian Nationalism in America and in Our Political Education Threatens the Pursuit of Justice (2025). https://www.au.org/the-latest/articles/christian-nationalism-in-america-and-in-our-political-education-threatens-the-pursuit-of-justice/
Brookings Institution. White Nationalism Remains Major Concern for Voters of Color and Appears to Be Connected Ideologically to the Growing Christian Nationalism Movement (2025). https://www.brookings.edu/articles/white-nationalism-remains-major-concern-for-voters-of-color-and-appears-to-be-connected-ideologically-to-the-growing-christian-nationalism-movement/
PRRI/Brookings. A Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism to American Democracy and Culture (2023; updates 2025). https://prri.org/research/a-christian-nation-understanding-the-threat-of-christian-nationalism-to-american-democracy-and-culture/
UC Berkeley, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Crisis of Faith: Christian Nationalism and the Threat to U.S. Democracy (2022). https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/news/crisis-faith-christian-nationalism-and-threat-us-democracy
Emerson, M.O., & Bracey, G.E. Social Forces (2024). “Christian Nationalism and White Racial Solidarity.” https://academic.oup.com/sf/article-abstract/103/2/789/7523702
Interfaith Alliance. SCOTUS ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti helps Christian nationalists discriminate against trans kids and their families (2025). https://interfaithalliance.org/post/scotus-ruling-in-us-v-skrmetti-helps-christian-nationalists-discriminate-against-trans-kids-and-their-families
American Atheists State Policy Analysis (2024). Religion in public schools’ developments (Ten Commandments mandates; Bible instruction). https://states.atheists.org/analysis/2024-developments
American Atheists State Policy Analysis (2024). School chaplains and curriculum changes. https://states.atheists.org/analysis/2024-developments
American Atheists State Policy Analysis (2024). Universal voucher expansions. https://states.atheists.org/analysis/2024-developments