Andrew L. Whitehead

Samuel L. Perry

The President of the United States brags about sexually assaulting women, cheats on his wife with Playboy models and porn stars, and claims he's never asked for God's forgiveness. Yet, majorities of both white evangelical and mainline Protestants continue to support him. Why do Americans in these religious groups embrace a politician who seems to violate their basic standards of morality? 0A megachurch pastor declares on Fox News that he and tens of millions of Americans think that professional football players kneeling for the national anthem should "be thanking God that they live in a country where they're . . .free from the worry of being shot in the head for taking a knee like they would be if they were in North Korea." Why do some Americans conflate God and country? And why do many of these same Americans seem so unsympathetic to the plight of their fellow citizens who are0racial or religious minorities? 0The answer, Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry argue, is a strain of thought that they call "Christian nationalism," the belief that the United States is-and should be-a Christian nation. Christian ideals and symbols have long played an important role in American public life, but Christian nationalism demands far more than a recognition of our religious heritage. At its heart, Whitehead and Perry argue, Christian nationalism is about a fight to preserve a particular kind of social order, one in which everyone? Christians and non-Christians, native-born and immigrants, whites and minorities, men and women - recognizes their "proper" place in society. And it is a significant driver of political behavior. In fact, knowing someone's stance on Christian nationalism tells us more about his or her political beliefs than race, religion, or political party.0.

Christian Nationalism in the United States

Taking America Back for God

Few cultural issues alarm conservative Protestant families and communities like the seemingly ubiquitous threat of pornography. Thanks to widespread access to the internet, conservative Protestants now face a reality in which every Christian man, woman, and child with a smartphone can access limitless pornography in their bathroom, at work, or at a friend's sleepover. Once confident of their victory over pornography in society at large, conservative Protestants now fear that "porn addiction" is consuming even the most faithful. How are they adjusting to this new reality? And what are its consequences in their lives? Drawing on over 130 interviews as well as numerous national surveys, Addicted to Lust shows that, compared to other Americans, pornography shapes the lives of conservative Protestants in ways that are uniquely damaging to their mental health, spiritual lives, and intimate relationships. Samuel L. Perry demonstrates how certain pervasive beliefs within the conservative Protestant subculture unwittingly create a context in which those who use pornography are often overwhelmed with shame and discouragement, sometimes to the point of depression or withdrawal from faith altogether. Conservative Protestant women who use pornography feel a "double shame" both for sinning sexually and for sinning "like a man," while conflicts over pornography in marriages are escalated by patterns of lying, hiding, blowing up, or threats of divorce. Addicted to Lust shines new light on one of the most talked-about problems facing conservative Christians.

Samuel L. Perry

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