Samuel L. Perry and Andrew L. Whitehead: Who is a Christian nationalist?

(Samuel L. Perry is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Oklahoma. Andrew L. Whitehead is an associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. They are co-authors of the award-winning book “Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States.”) Last month, Fox News contributor, MAGA supporter and pastor of Dallas’ First Baptist Church Robert Jeffress said that if “Christian nationalist” means believing that “we ought to use elections to help return our country to its Christian foundation. If that’s Christian nationalism, count me in.” Though he had publicly denied the label this summer, Jeffress has become the latest in a string of visible Christian right politicians and leaders to embrace it. When we reached out to Jeffress to make sure we had the context right, he pointed out that he does not love his country more than his God, and doesn’t disciple others to do so.

Jeffress’ apparent reversal and confusion over the meaning of the label reflects part of a wider trend. Early last summer, U.S. House Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted videos calling herself a “Christian nationalist” and calling on Republicans to become the “party of Christian nationalism.” She even sold T-shirts saying “Proud Christian Nationalist.” She’s since been joined by worship leader, election denier and former Republican House candidate Sean Feucht; ReAwaken America Tour founder Clay Clark; Trump’s former national security adviser Mike Flynn; and influential pastor Doug Wilson in openly warming to the label, often positioning it as the only alternative to “secular globalism.” And the trend goes beyond a few prominent leaders. In the past few months, popular books have been published calling for “Christian nationalism” by name. What used to be an underlying ideology that Christian right leaders denied or dismissed as fringe is now becoming an identity that they are leading their followers to embrace publicly. But is it working? How many Americans actually identify with the label “Christian nationalist”? In the first national survey to inquire directly about this issue, we asked a representative sample of more than 1,700 American adults how well “Christian nationalist” described them.