The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy

by Philip S. Gorski

Indicators of Christian nationalism (in combination or included separately) are powerful predictors of ultra-conservatism for white Americans, especially on any issues involving race, discrimination, xenophobia, or justice. But they have very little influence on the attitudes of Black Americans. And often little influence on Hispanic Americans too.9 As noted earlier, whiteness is the hidden link that transforms the deep story of Christian nationalism into a political vision. Is the era of dog whistle politics over? Perhaps. Though not in the way one might imagine. More and more, the quiet part is not just said out loud; it’s shouted to the heavens. In July 2020, for example, evangelical activist Eric Metaxas tweeted, “Jesus was white. Did he have ‘white privilege’ even though he was without sin?” The statement was absurd on its face. The idea of a “white race” did not even exist in Jesus’s time. But Metaxas’s message was clear enough: “Jesus was one of us. He was part of our tribe.”21 And, like him, we are without (racial) sin.