Christian nationalism shapes even those Americans who reject it

Evidence

Furthermore, throughout the book we are focused on examining Christian nationalism, not just Christian nationalists. Clearly, we will learn a lot about Americans who strongly embrace Christian nationalism. But we will also hear from those who reject or resist Christian nationalism, and their views and stories are equally important. So instead of writing about a specific social group—Christian nationalists—we aim to examine the cultural framework of Christian nationalism as a whole, including reactions against it. We hope to show how Christian nationalism has thoroughly permeated American society and culture. It is a lens through which all Americans experience and interpret the social world, and the rejection or embrace of it motivates them toward very different ends. — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 96

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies that Christian nationalism is treated as a cultural framework affecting all Americans, not a discrete group — a framing choice relevant to how its measurements should be read.
• XREF: connects to: Christian nationalist claims about America provoke backlash even from devout Christians — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 108; Americans rejecting Christian nationalism skew young, white, and male — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 117; Rejecters of Christian nationalism skew highly educated, urban, and affluent — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 122 (+2 more)