Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States
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| Title: | Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Kevin J. Burke, Heidi Hadley, University of Colorado at Boulder, National Education Policy Center (NEPC) |
| Source: | National Education Policy Center. 2025. |
| Availability: | National Education Policy Center. School of Education 249 UCB University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Tel: 303-735-5290; e-mail: nepc@colorado.edu; Web site: http://nepc.colorado.edu |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 23 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Descriptive |
| Descriptors: | Christianity, Protestants, Nationalism, Public Education, Beliefs, Political Attitudes, Racism, Power Structure, Gender Bias, Governance, Ideology, Court Litigation, Government School Relationship, Politics of Education, Federal Government, State Government, Censorship, State Legislation, Religious Factors, Parent Rights, Educational Policy, Public Policy, State Church Separation |
| Abstract: | American public education, though historically rooted in Christian ideals, has long navigated tensions among denominational differences and, in modern times, secularism. The growing influence of Christian nationalism--a movement blending Protestant religious identity with political ideology--threatens this balance. Grounded in beliefs that the U.S. was divinely founded as a Christian nation and that social hierarchies under a Christian God must be preserved, it envisions public schooling as a vehicle for promoting Christian values and opposing "wokeness." This ideology has fueled book bans, parental rights movements, and school board takeovers, bolstered by sympathetic Supreme Court rulings and political agendas such as Trump's Project 2025. At its core, Christian nationalism views education as a battleground in a holy war over whether the U.S. remains a pluralistic democracy or becomes a Christian theocracy. The brief urges state lawmakers to expose how Christian nationalist ideologies shape schools by requiring publicly funded institutions to disclose which people and ideas they exclude. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED677343 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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