Feb 18, 2026 – Politics & Policy
Where Christian nationalism is most dominant in the U.S.
Share whose views align with Christian Nationalist beliefs
Based on respondents’ answers to five questions about Christian Nationalism
Survey of 22,111 adults conducted Feb. 28 to Dec. 8, 2025
A choropleth map of U.S. states showing the share whose views align with Christian Nationalist beliefs. Agreement with those beliefs is based on respondents’ answers to five questions about Christian Nationalism. Overall, 32% say they agree. The share ranges from 54% in Arkansas to 15% in Massachusetts.
Christian nationalism is now deeply entrenched inside today’s Republican Party, according to a sweeping 50-state survey.
Why it matters: The once-fringe ideology holds that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed according to strict Christian values, even as the country becomes less religious and more racially diverse.
- The divide reflects a broader clash over whether America’s future is pluralistic or rooted in a singular religious-national identity.
By the numbers: About one-third of Americans qualify as Christian nationalism “adherents” or “sympathizers,” a new survey released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute finds.
- 56% of all Republicans are Christian nationalism “adherents” or “sympathizers,” the survey said.
- Meanwhile, only 25% of independents and just 17% of Democrats are “adherents” or “sympathizers,” according to the survey.
State of play: Many adherents say the U.S. was founded as the “Promised Land” for white European Christians, and falsely believe the founding fathers sought to create a Christian nation, PRRI president Robert P. Jones tells Axios.
- Critics say Christian nationalism reinforces rigid, male-dominated leadership models in church, home and government, and merges religious identity with white ethnic nationalism.
- It also elevates Christianity — often a specific conservative Protestant expression — above other faiths.
Between the lines: This is one of the first type of studies to show how widespread Christian nationalism has become, PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman tells Axios.
- PRRI first developed its five-question Christian nationalism scale in 2022, measuring agreement with statements such as declaring the U.S. a Christian nation and basing laws on Christian values.
- The overall share of Americans qualifying as “Adherents” or “Sympathizers” has remained largely steady over the past three years.
Zoom in: The new survey also shows that Christian nationalism strongly correlates with those who have a favorable opinion of President Trump and those who live in states with GOP-controlled state legislatures.
- In Arkansas and Oklahoma, for example, Republicans control roughly 80% of state legislative seats — and those states rank among the highest in Christian nationalism support.
- Blue states such as California (22%), New York (21%) and Washington (18%) report the lowest levels.
Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Where Christian nationalism is most dominant in U.S. states
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