The Christian label often masks tribal politics among secular whites

Evidence

Third and finally, white Christian nationalism is not just a problem among white American Christians. There are secular versions of white Christian nationalism that claim to defend “Western Culture” or “Judeo-Christian civilization.” And there are secular white Americans who know how to leverage white Christian nationalist language. For such Americans, the “Christian” label simply signals shared tribal identity or veils political values that would otherwise be socially unacceptable. That is certainly how Trump himself used the label—as a rallying cry and a fig leaf—and one reason why so many white Christians have been attracted to him: not because he himself is an exemplar of Christian piety, but because he waved the Christian flag and announced his willingness to “fight” for it. — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross, 55

Categorization

• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: Christian nationalism conflates whiteness with Christian American identity — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 14; White evangelical political positions contradict their own scriptural and reform heritage — Randall Balmer, Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the…, 175; White Christian politics since the 1970s has leaned toward domination and control — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 209

Broader Connections

• Christian nationalism conflates whiteness with Christian American identity #corroborates (0.85) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 14