Andrew Whitehead, an Indiana University Indianapolis sociologist, says fewer Americans identify with Christian nationalism, yet religion still runs through politics for candidates and voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Whitehead, who is also a research fellow for the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, cited Kettering and Gallup data from an annual national survey of more than 23,000 adults. About 14% of Americans strongly embrace Christian nationalism, and just over 16% are at least sympathetic. The belief holds that Christianity defines the nation and the government should take active steps to keep it that way.
The numbers shift by group, with 31% of white Americans at least sympathetic. A third of men are, compared with 28% of women. Among Republicans, 55% strongly embrace or sympathize with it.
Whitehead says it shows up more in national political talk than it used to. "Even though there are fewer Americans who embrace Christian nationalism, there are Americans in positions of power in federal government and media who will take that rhetoric of Christian nationalism and really make it part of the national discourse," he said. He added that the two camps see democracy differently. Americans who embrace it worry more about certain threats to democracy than those who reject it.
Common questions
What percentage of Americans embrace Christian nationalism?
- About 14% of Americans strongly embrace Christian nationalism, and just over 16% are at least sympathetic, according to Kettering and Gallup data. The figures come from an annual national survey of more than 23,000 adults, cited by Indiana University Indianapolis sociologist Andrew Whitehead.
What is Christian nationalism?
- Christian nationalism is the belief that Christianity defines the nation and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way. Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at Indiana University Indianapolis, says fewer Americans identify with it, though religion still runs through politics for candidates and voters ahead of the 2026 midterms.
How does support for Christian nationalism differ by group?
- Men are more likely than women to be at least sympathetic, per the survey data. A third of men are, compared with 28% of women. Among white Americans, 31% are at least sympathetic. Whitehead cited Kettering and Gallup data from the annual survey.
