Evangelical Christianity predicts higher symbolic racism among White Americans

Evidence

Also contrary to Myrdal’s view, intense Christian faith now seems to promote racial prejudice rather than conflict with it. Evangelical Christians are higher in symbolic racism than any other White Americans, and White Southern Christian fundamentalists are the highest in the nation. Southern fundamentalists also show stronger opposition to policies intended to increase racial equality than do either other White Southerners or Northern fundamentalists. This exceptionally high opposition is due to their high levels of symbolic racism (Sears & Valentino, 2002). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2189

Categorization

• XREF: Contradicts Myrdal’s assumption that Christian faith would create moral conflict against racism; echoes wider sociology of religion literature on White evangelical racial attitudes (e.g., Emerson and Smith’s ‘Divided by Faith’). — connects to: Religious conviction type rather than strength predicts measured racism — Deborah L. Hall and David C. Matz and Wendy Wood, Why Don’t We Practice What We Preach? A…, 42; White Christian nationalist beliefs predict perceived anti-white discrimination — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian…, 93; Theology justified slavery and genocide by marking whiteness as Christian — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 145 (+10 more)