IVF, CPAC, and MAGA: Christian Nationalism Erupts to the Surface
PLUS, Register now for the 2/28 release of PRRI's 50-state survey of support for Christian Nationalism
Dear #WhiteTooLong readers:
Last week, I went back down to Mississippi to speak at the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration. Because of some family scheduling challenges, my middle school son got to make the trip with me—a rare treat. We flew into Jackson Thursday night and made the two-hour drive down I-55 through Hazlehurst to avoid the hazards deer represent on the Natchez Trace at night (this is no joke in rural Mississippi—while we were there, my nephew’s wife showed us the dent in her car made by an unfortunate deer just a few days ago).
At the conference, I was honored to be on a panel with Dr. Carolyn Dupont, author of the important book, Mississippi Praying: Southern White Evangelicals and the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1975; Keena Graham, superintendent of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument in Jackson; and Dr. C.J. Rhodes, Pastor, Mt. Helm Baptist Church in Jackson and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life at Alcorn State University. The powerful and honest conversation about white Christians’ complicity in supporting white supremacy was moderated by Rev. Andy Andrews, Missioner for Beloved Community and Congregational Vitality for the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. (Note: Unfortunately, the session was not recorded).
I took full culinary advantage of being back in my home state—grits, biscuits with Mayhaw jelly, catfish and hushpuppies, black-eyed peas, and strawberry cake. My son and I made the return drive to Jackson on a 70-degree Saturday morning via the picturesque Natchez Trace Parkway. Along the way, we stopped at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, the ruins left from the flourishing Indigenous tribe that was likely weakened by diseases introduced by Hernando de Soto in the 1540s and then annihilated by French settler colonial forces in 1730. And we sat together in silence on the great Emerald Mound, the second-largest Mississippian Period ceremonial mound in the country (35 feet high covering eight acres, used between 1200 CE and 1730 CE).
This week, my attention will be focused on the release of PRRI’s groundbreaking new analysis of support for Christian nationalism in all 50 states (see below for details and registration for the launch webinar on 2/28 at noon ET). As we’ve been working on finalizing the analysis and report, which will be on the PRRI website Wednesday morning, I’ve been struck by the prominent ways the threat of Christian nationalism has erupted to the surface in just the last few weeks.
FEBRUARY 16
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization are children. The court arrived at that decision by combining the logic of the June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, which referred to fetuses as “unborn human being[s]” (which it cited more than a dozen times), with an 1872 statute allowing parents to sue over the wrongful death of a child; if fetuses are “unborn human beings,” the reasoning went, then frozen embryos can be considered “extrauterine children.”
In a concurring opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker cited the King James version of the Bible, biblical commentaries, and Christian theologians as the basis for declaring that the people of Alabama have adopted a “theologically based view of the sanctity of life.” Parker spelled out the implications of this view explicitly: “Human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself…. Even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”
Media Matters for America noted that Parker also appeared on QAnon conspiracist and Christian nationalist Johnny Enlow’s program on the same day the ruling was released. There Parker claimed that “God created government” and lamented that “we have let it go into the possession of others.” Invoking the New Apostolic Reformation’s “Seven Mountain Mandate,” which declares that Christians should achieve dominion by controlling seven major sectors of society, Parker continued, “And that's why he is calling and equipping people to step back into these mountains right now.”
FEBRUARY 20
Politico highlighted the work of Russell Vought, former director of the Office of Management and Budget for Trump, who has founded The Center for Renewing America think tank, part of a confederation of organizations who are laying out an agenda for a second Trump term. CRA explicitly touts promoting “Christian nationalism” as a top priority (along with invoking the insurrection act immediately to suppress protests), and the CRA website declares its mission to be “renew[ing] a consensus of America as a nation under God.”
FEBRUARY 22
In a packed ballroom at the annual gathering of National Religious Broadcasters at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Donald Trump walked onto the stage after a recording of the Star-Spangled Banner was played, sung by a group who have been convicted and imprisoned because of their role in the violent January 6th insurrection. RNS reported that Trump made an explicit promise to the gathered leaders of conservative Christian media outlets: “If I get in, you’re going to be using that power at a level that you’ve never used before.”
Trump also repeated his promise (made in a December campaign event in Iowa) that one of his first acts of his second term would be to set up a task force to root out “anti-Christian bias.” He received enthusiastic applause from promises to promote school vouchers, seal the United States’ Southern border, and ensure that America would have only two genders — male and female. He finished with a flourish, “We have to bring back our religion…. We have to bring back Christianity.”
ALSO FEBRUARY 22
In my own backyard in Washington, DC, Steve Bannon hosted the opening panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The first speaker was right-wing activist Jack Posobiec. Holding up a silver cross necklace in a clinched fist, he declared, “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this right here. We’ll replace it with this right here.” Steve Bannon responded, “Ho-ho-ho, alright, amen!” As NBC News reported, Posobiec continued: “Because all glory is not to government. All glory to God! …After we burn that swamp to the ground, we will establish the new American republic on its ashes, and our first order of business will be righteous retribution for those who betrayed America.”
I’ll wrap with the opening line from Charles Blow’s insightful recent New York Times column: “If you don’t think this country is sliding toward theocracy, you’re not paying attention.”
Wednesday, 02/28: Webinar on the Prevalence of Christian Nationalism in All 50 States
You're invited to join me and a panel of experts for a webinar about the levels of support for Christian Nationalism across the country, based on a first of its kind PRRI survey that includes data for all 50 states. Register here!
During the webinar, I will share key findings from PRRI's American Values Atlas, based on interviews with more than 22,000 Americans. I’ll be joined by some of the leading authors and experts on the threat of Christian Nationalism:
Katherine Stewart, and .Join us to learn about the prevalence of Christian nationalism in all 50 states and the implications for the presidential election in 2024.
Thank you, Robert. The CPAC
and Trump's remarks are especially important for people to understand what
another Trump presidency
has in store for all of us.
You refer to Christian Nationalism as did David French yesterday in The NY Times. I know Dr. TIsby has encouraged people to name it White Christian Nationalism. Is there a specific reason for you omitting White in the term and use?