Christian nationalism is not synonymous with white evangelicalism.

Evidence

What do we not mean by Christian nationalism? First—and this may surprise (or disappoint) some readers—this isn’t a book about white evangelicals. Certainly, we will address the considerable overlap between Christian nationalism and white evangelicalism. But the two concepts are not at all synonymous. Christian nationalism is a framework that orients Americans’ perspectives on national identity, belonging, and social hierarchies. American evangelicalism, strictly speaking, is a theological tradition prioritizing certain doctrinal commitments including biblical inerrancy and conversionism. While a large percentage of Christian nationalists are affiliated with evangelical Protestant denominations and hold characteristically evangelical beliefs, many non-evangelicals (or non-Christians, for that matter) also hold strong Christian nationalist beliefs. Conversely, many white evangelicals in surveys unequivocally reject Christian nationalism, including a number of the white evangelicals we interviewed for this book. — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 15

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes the analytic separation between Christian nationalism as a cultural framework and evangelicalism as a theological tradition — a key clarification for anyone citing the book.
• XREF: This empirical separation of cultural framework from theology parallels Cooper’s distinction between neoliberal coalition partners and the social-conservative movement proper — both refuse to collapse coalition identity into a single core group. — connects to: A quarter of evangelicals oppose Christian nationalism, not all endorse it — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 168; Christian nationalism is a political ideology, not a religious creed. — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers: Inside the…, 28; Christian nationalism is not an exclusively evangelical ideology — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 213 (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Christian nationalism is not an exclusively evangelical ideology #corroborates (0.95) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 213
• Christian nationalism is a political ideology, not a religious creed. #expands (0.85) — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 28
• White Christian nationalism is a defensible empirical category, not a slur #qualifies (0.80) — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross, 63
• Christian nationalist adherence is primarily political rather than religious #corroborates (0.78) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 214
• Christian nationalism is a cultural framework, not a political theology #expands (0.75)
• Christian nationalism seeks power, not pluralistic cultural influence #expands (0.72) — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 26
• Christian nationalism functions as a power grab disguised in religious language, not genuine piety #expands (0.72) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 455
• Christian nationalism is a global, not uniquely American, phenomenon #expands (0.70)