As one might imagine, Yale University’s recent conference on White Christian nationalismand the midterm elections was full of sobering information. And yet, two conclusions managed to stand apart from the rest. First, that the phenomenon is firmly anchored within the Republican and conservative mainstream; and second, that its most fanatical proponents keep moving further and further to the Right.
While dreams of American Theocracy are being fostered in the American Northwest, sociology professor Cynthia Miller-Idriss’s presentation focuses on how the far-right White nationalist fringe is responding to the themes and narratives of White Christian nationalism. The common denominator, which makes proponents of White Christian nationalism more susceptible and potentially open to moving even further Right, according to Miller-Idriss, are themes of purity of body and the nation:
Miller-Idriss ties the central White Christian nationalist view—that of a god-given, racialized order of nature and society led by White cis men, which is under threat—to far-right forms of White nationalism, pointing out that among those who have embraced the far-right, she’s frequently observed a moment that feels to them “like the pieces of the puzzle fitting together.” A feeling that the pre-existing structure of their world view, which is shaped by a more mainstream White Christian nationalism, neatly fits into a larger picture, when they’re exposed to far-right material.
This, she explains, is often referred to as red-pilling in far-right spaces, but is also compared to a spiritual experience: “like being baptized or reborn, an awakening.” The prevalence of the far-right “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory among the conservative mainstream is extremely concerning—its arguments are deeply rooted in antisemitism, ideas of territory and the racialized geography of ecofascism.