Philip S. Gorski & Samuel L. Perry - The Flag and the Cross - Notes

 The subject is "white Christian nationalism."

What is it?   When did it emerge?  How does it work politically?  Where might it be headed tomorrow?

White Christian nationalism, a "deep story,"  is mostly mythology.  It is a story we tell ourselves to fictionalize our nation's history.  It goes like this.

America was founded as a Christian nation by white men who were traditional Protestant Christians who based the founding on "Christian principles."  The United States is blessed by God, which is why it has been so successful; and the nation has a special role to play in God's plan for humanity.  But these blessings are threatened by cultural degradation from "unAmerican" influences from both inside and outside our borders.

The heroes of this story are conservative white Christians mostly men usually native born.  The villains are racial, religious, and cultural outsiders.  This creates an "us" and "them" mentality.  Violence may be necessary to restore white Christians to the top of America's religious and racial hierarchy.The heroes are those who defend the purity and property of the white Christian nation with violence when necessary.

The religious views of the Founders varied widely from atheism to deism to Unitarianism to Congregationalism to Baptism to even Roman Catholic.  The Declaration and the Constitution drew from classical liberalism (Locke) to civic Republicanism (Machiavelli) and the country was built on slave labor starting in 1619 and stolen land genocide.

White Christian nationalists believe that America should be a Christian nation, or at  least a nation ruled by White Christians.  "Whiteness" is clearly assumed.  What counts as white and what counts as Christian has evolved over time.  Its enemies have changed also from Native Americans and Catholics to communists, Black Radicals, atheists, Muslims, each taking their turn as a threat to (white) Christian values.

White Christian nationalism has particular understanding of freedom, order, and violence.  Freedom is understood in a libertarian way as freedom from restrictions mostly from government.  Order is understood in a hierarchical way with white Christian men at the top.  Violence is seen as a righteous way to restore order and defeeding freedom, means that are reserved by white men.  This understanding of freedom, order, and violence is at the heart of White Christian Nationalism.  

Government regulations infringe on the freedom of white Christians.  So do mask mandates and COVID lockdowns.  So do urban crime and race riots.  They must be met by violence,  police force or if necessary good white Christians with guns.  The general principle is that white men must sometimes defend their freedom and maintain good social and racial order.