Webinar — The Fight to Make America Christian Again: Christian Nationalism in National and Texas Politics

Christian nationalism — the belief that the U.S. should be an expressly Christian nation governed by biblically-based laws — has become a significant overt force in U.S. politics and religious life. It has influenced the Trump administration’s treatment of “religious liberty” and of non-Christians (especially Muslims) and has critical ramifications for church-state separation and the rights of religious minorities.

In this webinar, four leading scholars and researchers will discuss their recent research on Christian nationalism. Sociologists Andrew Whitehead of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Samuel L. Perry of the University of Oklahoma will present findings from “Taking America Back for God” (Oxford University Press, 2020), the first comprehensive empirical analysis of Christian nationalism in the United States. Journalist and researcher Katherine Stewart, author of “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism” (Bloomsbury, 2020), will describe a network of think tanks, advocacy groups and pastoral organizations that seek, she asserts, “to replace our foundational democratic principles and institutions with a state grounded on a particular version of Christianity.” Lastly, Baker Institute nonresident scholar David R. Brockman will discuss the role of Christian nationalism in Texas politics. William Martin, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy and director of the Religion and Public Policy Program, will moderate the discussion.

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