Straight White American Jesus The Sunday Interview: Leah Payne with Dr. Melissa Deckman (PRRI) on Measuring Christian Nationalism (PRRI’s 2025 American Values Atlas)
Feb 22, 2026
Dr. Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI and political scientist focused on religion and public opinion. She explains PRRI’s five-item measure of Christian nationalism and maps its reach across states. Short talks cover demographics, media trust, links to immigration attitudes and political violence, and how national narratives shape local school-board and state politics.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
How PRRI Defines And Measures Christian Nationalism
- PRRI defines Christian nationalism as an ideology that America was founded as a Christian nation and should remain so, opposing pluralism and favoring government aligned with conservative Christianity.
- Measurement uses a five-item scale (declare U.S. a Christian nation; laws based on Christian values; losing Christian foundations means losing the country; being Christian is central to being American; God calls Christians to exercise dominion).
Prevalence And Stability Of Christian Nationalist Views
- About 10% of Americans are adherents (agree with all five items) and ~20% are supporters (mostly agree), totaling ~32% endorsing Christian nationalist views in 2025.
- Meanwhile ~27% completely reject and ~37% are skeptical, showing stability since 2022 across PRRI's 22,000+ American Values Atlas sample.
Why Christian Nationalism Shows Little Growth
- Christian nationalism hasn't grown significantly because declining Christian affiliation, rising secularism (~28% religiously unaffiliated), and younger generations (Gen Z less religious) limit its expansion.
- Older adults remain more likely to be Christian nationalists, so demographics shape future trends.
