Making White Christian nationalism plausible: Examining the institutional logic of a conservative Christian school

Abstract

Over the last several years, enrollment at Conservative Christian schools has risen noticeably due to a response to COVID-19 regulations and culture wars being played out within primary and secondary schools. Alongside this trend, there has also been a significant rise in White Christian nationalism during the early part of the 21st century. Using data gathered through an ethno-case study of a Conservative Christian school, I examine the institutional logic that animated and guided the way the school socialized students to think about their civic and public life. I describe this logic as a theo-political logic that manifested itself symbolically through the language and theory of the Christian worldview which was not only taught by faculty but also helped to organize the curriculum and pedagogy of the school. Building on this description of the theo-political logic and using Peter Berger’s (1967) notion of plausibility structures, I argue that while conservative Christian schools may not explicitly support White Christian Nationalism, the theo-political logic that organizes and dominates the school helps develop plausibility structures that allow students, faculty, and staff to support policies and public engagement that align with White Christian nationalism.