Robert P. Jones founded the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) because he knows that you can’t understand American politics without understanding religion. The influence of Christian nationalism, especially among white Evangelicals in the South, explains why Trump’s base has stayed with him through so much scandal — and why our politics in general is so polarized and dysfunctional. (For more on that point, read my 2023 post, “How White Christian Political Might Made the Republican Party Hard Right, in 8 Charts.”) We hear nonstop about the so-called diploma divide, but almost nothing about the much larger and more consequential religious divides.
So why do we almost never hear about religion in political reporting? As Robby and I discussed, it’s a third rail for reasons that are understandable, but not defensible. Nobody wants to risk offending or essentializing people’s most deeply held beliefs — but those beliefs, and the institutions behind them, are too important to ignore.
Other highlights of our conversation included:
Why Trump can’t take Catholic voters for granted. He’s never had a lock on Catholics the same way he has on Evangelicals — and that was before his war on Iran and his public attacks on Pope Leo XIV. (Also, Vance is the one who should be more “careful” about theology; the Pope has been so outspoken about the war in Iran because Catholic doctrine is very clear about the immorality of wars of choice.)
More at Robby’s Substack: “How Trump’s Fight with Pope Leo XIV May Hurt Republicans in the Midterms.”
How Pete Hegseth’s anti-DEI crusade is really about mainstreaming white Christian nationalism in the military.
Why reporters who refuse to use the term “Christian nationalism” are out of step with well-grounded social science research.
The enormous influence of Christian media on those within its bubble (which doesn’t include most political reporters).
How the Roberts Court has weaponized (individual) religious liberty to curtail other freedoms.
Make sure to pre-order Robby’s new book, Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy, here.
In addition to the book and his research at PRRI, be sure to follow his popular weekly Substack newsletter, Redeeming Democracy.
