Americans to take positions on issues and rally behind candidates that will defend their cultural preferences, preserve their political influence, and maintain the “proper” social order.

The Christianity invoked by the national populists . . . is not a substantive Christianity; it is a “secularized Christianity-as-culture” . . . a civilizational and identitarian “Christianism.” It is a matter of belonging rather than believing, a way of defining “us” in relation to “them.”65

Appeals to someone’s religion, in this case Christianity, may involve a plea to live out transcendent Christian values of love, mercy, or justice. Appeals to Christian nationalism, by contrast, involve either a proprietary claim or a call to arms, always in response to a perceived threat. In short, Christian nationalism is all about power.

Why is this important? Obviously it would be a mistake for sociologists or other observers to conclude that “religious commitment” necessarily inclines Americans to hold more conservative political positions. In fact, religious commitment often appears to do the opposite.

that’s just disrespectful to our veterans who have fought and died for your right to do that. Okay?

“All of us should thank God every day we live in a country where we do not have to fear government persecution for expressing our beliefs.”53

Family James Dobson recalled that Roe v. Wade was put into place by “unelected, unaccountable, and imperialistic judges.”

What do these findings mean in relation to support for Trumpolitics? It shows that preying on fear regarding terrorism and refugees from the Middle East is ultimately one part of a winning political strategy.

Matthew does not consider the possibility that the values of other nations might somehow augment or improve America’s core values. Rather, he sees the situation in terms of purity and corruption.