Trump, Christian Nationalism, and Polarization: A Survey of Iowa Clergy in 2020

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Abstract

Prior research offers a window into differences between evangelical, mainline Protestant, and Catholic clergy in general elections (Smidt 2004, 2016). We know less about the attitudes or activism of U.S. clergy in presidential nomination campaigns. This paper highlights findings of a survey of 480 clergy on policy, candidate support, and views on political activism in the 2020 Iowa caucuses. The survey touches on ideology, partisanship, and issues (immigration, racial justice, health care, and more). In light of discussion during Trump’s presidency of how religion and patriotic or nationalist nostalgia are intertwined, I also trace attitudes about Christian nationalism and how clergy define that term. I find that most Iowa clergy disapproved of the job Trump was doing as president in early 2020, but only a plurality wanted him to be removed from office after the Trump-Ukraine affair. I find that the Trump years energized activism by Iowa mainline clergy on the "religious left." Compared to a survey I conducted in 2012, I find growing polarization between the three religious traditions on church-state issues, views of Christian nationalism, and racial justice. Lastly, when asked about the most important problem in the United States in 2020, the largest share of Iowa clergy (30%) mention themes tied to "polarization and division."

Author

• Kedron Bardwell, Simpson College