New Research; Ignorance of History & Religion Associated with Christian Nationalist Views
According to new research published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Christian nationalists perform worse on tests of religion’s role in American history. The study, “Historical Fundamentalism? Christian Nationalism and Ignorance About Religion in American Political History“, was authored by Samuel L. Perry, Ruth Braunstein, Philip S. Gorski, and Joshua B. Grubbs.
For purposes of the study, the authors identified Christian nationalists as those who agreed that “the federal government should declare the United States a Christian nation” and that “the success of the United States is part of God’s plan.” Both are extreme views of Christianity's role in America, but are often taught in conservative evangelical churches and schools.
The authors found that these Christian nationalists were much more inclined to accept factually incorrect notions about religion in American political history.
Psypost: “We found that even after we accounted for Americans’ religious, political, and demographic characteristics, those who more strongly affirmed Christian nationalism were more likely to belief false things about religion’s place in American history,” Perry told PsyPost. “They were more likely to believe, for example, that the US Constitution references our country’s obligations to God several times (it does not), that the First Amendment says Congress could make laws privileging Christianity (it does not), or that the Supreme Court made it illegal to pray or read your Bible in public schools (it did not).”
The authors noted that their views about religion mirrored the teachings of conservative white evangelical churches and other right-wing purveyors of religious misinformation. Their purpose is to place conservative religious dogma above secular law on such issues as LGBT rights and abortion.
Psypost: "Perry explained. “There’s actually a fairly robust ‘Christian nationalism industrial complex’ that supplies Study Bibles, Bible studies, video series, sermon materials, and scores of books dedicated to teaching this history of America as a ‘Christian nation.'”
By: Don Lam & Curated Content
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