White Evangelical Support for Trump: Examining the Overlapping Roles of Rural, Ethnic, and Religious Identities

• In Event: 40469 - Religion and Politics

Abstract

Why are "white evangelicals" such steadfast supporters of Donald Trump? White evangelicals are not a monolith but are diverse in region, theology, ethnicity, and political engagement. In this paper I ask: How are dimensions of evangelical identity activated in conjunction with local, rural, and ethnic identities to shape boundaries of belonging and the choice to vote for Trump? Drawing on ethnographic and interview data collected in 2016/17 and 2023, I examine four cultural dispositions in a rural Midwestern town: pride in place, preservation of traditional norms, pragmatism, and a preference for plain speech. For each of these dispositions, I show how they are expressed locally, intersect with evangelical commitments, and resonate with Trump. My findings contribute to our understanding of the evolving boundaries of “evangelical” in the US and nuance some of the claims of the white Christian nationalism literature.

Author

• Jessamin Birdsall, Wheaton College