Why does Christian Nationalism (CN) resonate with some Americans but not others? Boniuk Institute researchers find that support for CN is largely motivated by concerns for in-group loyalty and sanctity but not authority, while opposition is motivated by concerns for fairness, but not care. Findings also indicate that moral foundations map onto each of the commonly used CN survey measures in two distinct patterns, one statist and the other akin to civil religion, where the former is linked to loyalty and the latter to liberty. These results suggest that controversy over Christianity’s place in politics is driven by disagreement over foundational moral concerns, but not always in the ways we expect.
The Moral Foundations of Christian Nationalism
