Christian nationalism and organized white supremacy: British-Israelism and Christian Identity in the twentieth-century United States

Abstract

Christian nationalism in the United States has recently gained increased attention from scholars because of its consequential connections to contemporary right-wing politics; however, the historical roots of the connections between Christian nationalist rhetoric and white supremacy often remain obscured. Here, we highlight these roots by analyzing the rhetorical uses of Christian nationalist narratives in overt white supremacy movements, focusing on British-Israelism and Christian Identity. Using qualitative content analyses, we examine rhetorical themes of Christian nationalism in the Kingdom Digest, a magazine produced, edited, and distributed by popular radio preacher and influential British-Israelist John A. Lovell. Across more than 40 years of content (from 1949 until 1991), Christian nationalism was a foundational and fundamental trope used to justify, frame, and advance racialist claims about civilization, segregation, citizenship, patriotism, and politics more generally. By straddling the line between underground and aboveground activism and ministry, Lovell was able to disseminate the message of Christian nationalism and white supremacy among the mainstream American public, while simultaneously supporting and religiously legitimizing underground leaders of far-right, racialist movements.