In Trump, White Evangelical Christians, and American Politics, political scientists Anand Edward Sokhey and Paul A. Djupe bring together a wide range of scholars and writers to examine the relationship between former President Donald Trump and white American evangelical Christians. They argue that, while this relationship-which saw evangelicals supporting a famously unfaithful, materialistic, and irreligious candidate despite self-defining in opposition to these characteristics-prompted many to wonder if Trump himself transformed American evangelical religion in politics, this alliance reflected both change and the outcome of dynamics that were in place or building for decades. Contributors contextualize the Trump presidency within the story of religious demographic change, the growth of politicized religion, nationalistic religious expression, and the ways religion and politics in the United States are enmeshed in the politics of race. These investigations find that the idea of religious "transformation" is not accurate. Instead, the years 2015 to 2022 saw mainly minor changes to the ways religion appeared in public life-but these changes ultimately complemented and advanced an existing white evangelical strategy to increase political and social power as they became a demographic minority in the United States. Taken together, this collection reveals new insights for readers seeking to understand the religious dimensions of Trump's rise, the reasons evangelicals become political activists, and the multifaceted alliances between secular politicians and conservative religious subcultures. Contributors: Abraham Barranca, Ruth Braunstein, Ryan P. Burge, David E. Campbell, Jeremiah J. Castle, Paul A. Djupe, John C. Green, Sarah Heise, Geoffrey C. Layman, Andrew R. Lewis, Gerardo Marti, Eric L. McDaniel, Napp Nazworth, Shayla F. Olson, Enrique Quezada-Llanes, Kaylynn Sims, Anand Edward Sokhey, Hilde Lovdal Stephens, Kyla K. Stepp, Allan Tellis.
Anand Edward Sokhey is Professor of Political Science and a faculty fellow at the Institute for Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Paul A. Djupe is Professor of Political Science and director of the Data for Political Research program at Denison University.
1. Introduction: Deliver Us from Evil Paul A. Djupe and Anand Edward Sokhey Part I. Religious Change and Continuity in the Trump Years 2. The Shifting Religious Vote: Compositional Changes in the Religious Electorate Post-2008 Ryan P. Burge and Kaylynn Sims 3. Making America Secular: The Growing Political Impact of Secularism in the Trump Era David E. Campbell, Geoffrey C. Layman, and John C. Green 4. A Tale of Two Evangelicalisms Napp Nazworth Part II. The Growth and Effects of Politicized Religion 5. How Sermons Became More Political in the Trump Era Shayla F. Olson and Enrique Quezada-Llanes 6. And They Shall Know Me by Your Trump Support: The Tightening Link Between Christian Conservatives and the Republican Party Paul A. Djupe 7. Embattled and Radicalizing: How Perceived Repression Shapes White Evangelicalism Ruth Braunstein Part III. How Race Ramps Up Religious Politics 8. American Religion and Attitudes Toward Reparations for Slavery Allan Tellis and Anand Edward Sokhey 9. In God's Image: White Evangelical Protestants and Threats to White Masculinity Eric L. McDaniel, Sarah Heise, and Abraham Barranca 10. Public Schools, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and the Christian Right: How Trump Refueled Family Value Politics Hilde Lovdal Stephens and Gerardo Marti Part IV. Religion Has Been Nationalized 11. Is Public Support for Religious Freedom Nationalistic? Andrew R. Lewis 12. Using the Pen as a Sword: Donald Trump's Use of Unilateral Presidential Power to Fight the Culture Wars Jeremiah J. Castle and Kyla K. Stepp 13. Conclusion: The Trump Revival Moves On Anand Edward Sokhey and Paul A. Djupe Contributors Index Acknowledgments
"Anand Edward Sokhey and Paul A. Djupe have done a masterful job creating this outstanding volume. Spanning polarization, the inescapable politics of race, and religious nationalism, the volume brings together insights from leading scholars across disciplines. Readers will gain a clear understanding of the factors that led evangelicals to support Trump and a sense of what one might expect from evangelical politics in the years ahead." (Laura R. Olson, Clemson University)
