Document Type
Essay
Publication Date
Spring 2025
Abstract
Hate and fear have become the new American identity, plaguing social media platforms and legislation as it drips from the mouths of the citizenry. The nation has been torn apart by polarization in a continuation of the division and extremist ideology that has tormented generations of Americans since its founding. Today, Christian nationalism is at the forefront of division and extremism in its idea of a new America, defined by traditionalism, biblical law, and an end to our taken-for-granted democratic processes. Its proponents insist that America’s survival depends on Christian laws and national observance, a claim that hides the truth of its political subtext. When the ideology’s surface is peeled back, its threat to democracy and mainstream Christianity is clear in its perversion of Christian principles for political gain.
Recommended Citation
Dickerman, Paige R., "The New Antebellum: A Sociological Interpretation of Christian Nationalism and its Danger to Both Christianity and American Democracy" (2025). Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics. 35.
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ethics_essay/35
Included in
American Politics Commons, Christianity Commons, Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons
Comments
Honorable mention prize winner.