Christian nationalism fuses moral traditionalism, authoritarian control, and ethno-racial boundaries

Evidence

White Christian nationalism combines a number of elements. The first element is a strong moral traditionalism based on creating and sustaining social hierarchies. Oftentimes these revolve around gender and sexuality. The second element is a comfort with authoritarian social control. The world is a chaotic place, and at times society needs strong rules and rulers to make use of violence, or at least the threat of violence, to maintain order. The final element is a desire for strict boundaries around national identity, civic participation, and social belonging that fall along ethno-racial lines. A “Christian nation” is generally understood to be one where white, natural-born citizens are held up as the ideal, with everyone else coming after. — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 142

Categorization

• DEFINE: Breaks the concept into its three component elements.
• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: Christian nationalism is a cultural framework, not a political theology; Christian nationalism predicts approval of the Capitol rioters and political violence — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 219; White Christian nationalist beliefs predict perceived anti-white discrimination — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian…, 93 (+20 more)

Broader Connections

• Christian nationalism bundles political ideology with cultural religious claims #expands (0.85)
• Christian nationalism conflates whiteness with Christian American identity #exemplifies (0.80) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 14
• Authoritarianism and traditional religiosity reinforce each other bidirectionally #expands (0.75) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 1972