By John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College
Christian Nationalism is a buzzword for a religious interpretation that calls for shattering the wall of separation between Church and State, and to impose a hard right interpretation of religion upon the U.S. government, which would be enforced upon its citizens. It’s been getting a lot of attention in the media. But could it actually be waning, instead of being ascendant, in America?
The Baylor Religion Survey, Waves II and VI, were consulted for this study, using material from @religiondata from Ryan Burge. They compare data from 2007 to 2021. And these are the results.
In 2007, those surveyed were asked whether “the federal government should advocate Christian values.” Those who strongly agree fell from 22% to 15% in 2021. Those who somewhat agree dropped from 33% to 23%. Meanwhile, those who strongly disagree jumped from 19% to 33%. Adding those who somewhat disagree, those in disagreement rose overall from 38% to 44%, while the strongly agree and somewhat agree fell from 55% to 38%.
It’s a similar story with the question about whether “the federal government should allow prayer in public school.” Those who agree (strongly and somewhat) outnumber those who disagree. But those who somewhat agree fell from 32% to 26% between 2007 and 2021, while those who strongly agree fell from 37% to 29% over the same period of time. Those who disagree with having prayer in public school are increasing slightly.
It’s a similar story for questions about whether “the federal government should allow the display of religious symbols in public spaces. Those who agree outnumber those who disagree, but the gap is closing. Those who somewhat agree fell from 40% to 28%, and those who strongly disagree dropped from 29% to 22%. Those that disagree are growing, albeit slightly.
The there’s the question “the federal government should declare the United States a Christian Nation.” The strongly disagree spiked from 33% to 46% Those who disagree outnumber those who agree (slightly and strongly), 57% to 22%.
There is some good news for Christian Nationalists. When asked whether “the federal government should enforce strict separation of church and state,” more disagree than agree and that’s trending in favor of the conservatives.
As for those who feel that “the success of the United States is part of God’s plan,” those who agree crept up from 32% to 37% over the 14-year span. But those strongly disagreeing with that statement increased from 29% to 31%.
The PCUSA of the Presbyterian Church recently took a strong stand against Christian Nationalism. “By a vote of 458-18, commissioners approved RUS-01, which asks the denomination’s 164 presbyteries to ratify new Book of Order language affirming the church’s commitment to justice, peace, mercy and human dignity while rejecting “any ideology that seeks to establish Christianity as a privileged or dominant force through the power of the state, or that conflates religious identity with national, racial, or ethnic supremacy.”
In many cases, the surveys also reveal an rise in undecided people on these questions from 2007 to 2021. So the jury is still out on whether Christian Nationalism will take over America. But as these preliminary findings show, there’s not as much evidence for Christian Nationalism, as much as some media perceptions would have us believe.
John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. His views are his own. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu or on “X” at @johntures2. His first book “Branded” a thriller novel where corporate greed, media manipulation and academic intrigue collide in a deadly game of product placement, has been published by the Huntsville Independent Press (https://www.huntsvilleindependent.com/product-page/branded). His second novel, “Independent Thought,” about a third-party candidacy that brings America to its knees, is coming out later this summer with HIP (https://www.huntsvilleindependent.com/).