HuffPost recently highlighted the dual pressures affecting working Americans: the tangible strain of escalating costs and economic instability, alongside the growing influence of Christian nationalism within U.S. politics.

The Reality of the Working Economy

While political figures in Washington debate economic statistics, the average American is experiencing a genuine financial squeeze characterized by rising expenses and sudden market volatility.

This focuses on the real economy—the one that directly impacts daily life for most citizens.

Mapping Christian Nationalist Beliefs in America

PRRI Study Methodology

The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) conducted an extensive study involving over 20,000 adult interviews nationwide to gauge the prevalence of specific beliefs.

Interviewees were asked to agree or disagree with statements such as:

  • “U.S. laws should be based on Christian values.”
  • “If the U.S. moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore.”
  • “God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society.”

Defining Adherents and Political Alignment

Respondents were categorized as adherents, sympathizers, skeptics, or rejectors of Christian nationalism based on their responses.

Melissa Deckman, PRRI’s chief executive, explained to HuffPost that complete agreement with these statements generally defines a Christian nationalist adherent.

Although most Americans express skepticism or outright rejection of these views, the movement still commands considerable political power. The PRRI report found that 56% of respondents were either adherents or sympathizers of Christian nationalism.

Women's Role in the Movement

The Hard-Line Theology

A notable segment of those who strictly adhere to Christian nationalist views consists of women committed to its more rigid theological stances.

Deckman noted, “Plenty of American women are conservative, and they hold strong theologically conservative positions, and they have found a home in this movement.” This participation is sometimes confusing given the movement's goals.

For instance, the Rev. Doug Wilson, a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist, has publicly stated that the 19th Amendment granting women suffrage “was a bad idea,” preferring that the husband or head of the household cast the vote.

Motivations for Restrictive Views

Deckman suggested that Christian nationalists, including many female supporters, are prepared to see certain rights curtailed because they feel alarmed by societal shifts.

These shifts include seeing younger women who are less religious and are choosing to opt out of marriage.

The worldview is characterized by “militant masculinity with very patriarchal views,” Deckman stated. Consequently, the prescribed role for women within this framework is primarily as mothers, often of many children, and as wives submissive to their husbands.

Shared Views on Violence and Immigration

Strong Christian nationalist adherents, both male and female, demonstrated similar hard-line positions concerning political violence and immigration policies.

The group most likely to agree that true American patriots might need to “resort to violence to save the country” were strong believers in Christian nationalism.

Furthermore, both men and women in this group supported the deportation of undocumented immigrants without due process. They also agreed with the Great Replacement theory, defined as the belief that “immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background,” according to PRRI findings.

Shifting Targets of Exclusion

Sociologist Katie Gaddini, who studies Christian women in U.S. politics, said this focus on exclusion is consistent, though the targets change.

Gaddini observed that in 2016, women she interviewed were more focused on Muslims entering the country. By 2020, a shift toward concern over Latinos began, which was very strong leading into the 2024 election cycle.

Nuances Among Strict Adherents

Despite the shared political leanings, Christian nationalist women who are strict adherents showed slightly less extreme views than their male counterparts on certain gender issues.

A 2025 PRRI survey indicated these women were significantly less likely than men to agree that “The gains that women have made in recent years have come at the expense of men.” They were also marginally less likely to feel society had become “too soft and feminine.”

Gaddini noted that within the broader MAGA coalition, some conservative women identify as feminists who believe in equality. While their style of politics might differ, she concluded that “the fervency of beliefs and the commitment to the cause is not any different from men.”

Gaddini concluded that the primary harm stemming from these rigid, exclusionary beliefs is the exclusion caused to minorities, including trans people, immigrants, and racial and sexual minorities.