Defending right wing politics and racism with religion
20th Century Christian conservatives are fond of describing themselves as God fearing folk in favor of traditional values, sanctity of life and morality. But this self description ignores the origins of the modern Christian right as an organized force of white identity politics – set in motion to resist federal civil rights and desegregation of schools. They established “Christian schools” in order to exclude enrolling anyone not white. Then they got in trouble with the IRS who let them know that racial discrimination would trigger revocation of their tax exempt status. This issue turned conservative Christians into a political voting block on the right and moving full steam ahead.
Today, descendants of these folks (now calling themselves Christian nationalists) quote bible verses if the words support their view of religious and racial “purity” and even try to re-write American history to claim that America has always been a Christian nation. Ask them if they advocate violence and death to those whom they designate as their enemies, and you won’t be able to recognize Jesus in their polemic answers.
I suggest you Goggle “is Christian Nationalism racist?” It appears there is a strong connection between their politics and the racism of these white Americans, advocating white supremacy beliefs and judgments.
Want a more academic explanation, try Samuel L. Perry’s “How Christian Nationalism Promotes White Supremacy: An Examination of Racial Stereotypes” in July 14, 2025 post of Sage Journals (Sociology of Race and Ethnicity). Or, Samuel L. Perry and Joshua B. Grubbs’ “The religion of white identity politics: Christian national and white racial solidarity” in the Social Forces journal (volume 104, issue 2,December 2025).
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23326492251352804
https://academic.oup.com/sf/article/104/2/453/8030582
Perhaps you want book references – how about Robert P. Jones White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity. Or Jones’ book The End of White Christian America.
Maybe you want something more activist? Christians Against Christian Nationalism is a grassroots campaign working to combat Christian Nationalism on a national, state and local level. In the words of Amanda Tyler (Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee) “We will not end Christian nationalism if Christians do not actively work to dismantle it: to rid it from ourselves, our congregations, and our larger communities.” Christians Against Christian Nationalism is a project of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Contact them at https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/about
Marylee Raymond Diamond 4/14/26