Race over Religion: Christian Nationalism and Perceived Threats to National Unity

Abstract

Building on the insight that American religion is fundamentally “raced” and “complex,” we theorize American religion is so deeply racialized that seemingly “race-neutral” religious claims about national identity are ultimately more oriented toward racial rather than religious considerations. Drawing on recent, nationally representative data, we test how technically “race-neutral” measures of Christian nationalism interact with race to shape how Americans evaluate the national implications of religious and racial diversity. Though Christian nationalism predicts viewing both religious and racial diversity as national hindrances, its association with racial diversity is much stronger. This holds across racial groups, and particularly among Black and Asian Americans. In contrast, interactions show Black Americans diverge from whites in that they become more favorable toward religious diversity as Christian nationalism increases. Combining outcomes into four categories, Americans who score higher on Christian nationalism are more likely to become “Ecumenical Ethno-Pessimists” (viewing religious diversity as a strength, but racial diversity as a hindrance) than pure “Ethno-Nationalists” (viewing both religious and racial diversity as hindrances). This association is especially strong among Black and Asian Americans. Findings demonstrate even with seemingly “race-neutral” measures that would ostensibly target religious heterogeneity as the core national threat, it is racial diversity that threatens national unity.