Fight‐or‐Flight for America: The Affective Conditioning of Christian Nationalist Ideological Views During the Transition to Adulthood1,2

Abstract

Christian nationalism has gained attention both inside and outside of academia for its powerful influence on sociopolitical attitudes, voting behaviors, and political mobilization. However, limited work has examined how Christian nationalist views develop, the mechanisms by which they relate to sociopolitical attitudes, or potential varieties of Christian nationalism. Building on recent culture and cognition scholarship, this article synthesizes insights from affective neuroscience to conceptualize the fundamental role of emotions in shaping ideological views and cultural attitudes—an enculturation process termed “affective conditioning.” The author then examines the development of Christian nationalist ideological views during the transition to adulthood using longitudinal interviews, field notes, and surveys with 41 Christian nationalists from the 10‐year National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). The author identifies distinct traumatic upbringing experiences among respondents, which condition heightened RAGE and FEAR affective systems. This gives Christian nationalists an enduring sense that their way of life is “under attack” and motivates reactionary sociopolitical attitudes. The author also distinguishes two dominant affective types of Christian nationalism, dubbed “Fight for America” and “Flight for America.” These findings illuminate how both past and present social conditions interact with emotional neuroarchitecture to influence ideological views and cultural attitudes.