A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Christian nationalism divided: Exploring the transferability of an American concept to a secularized Nordic multi-party democracy




AuthorsKoiranen, Ilkka; Äystö, Tuomas; Kyyrö, Jere; Ahonen, Talvikki; Hjelm, Titus

PublisherSAGE Publications

Publication year2026

Journal: Social Compass

Article number00377686261421044

ISSN0037-7686

eISSN1461-7404

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1177/00377686261421044

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingOpen Access

Publication channel's open availability Partially Open Access publication channel

Web address https://doi.org/10.1177/00377686261421044

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523300490

Self-archived copy's licenceCC BY

Self-archived copy's versionPublisher`s PDF


Abstract

Christian nationalism (CN) has emerged as a significant concept in discussions concerning politics and religion in the United States. While the relevance of the concept has been much discussed in American sociology of religion, its applicability to other contexts remains unexplored. We aim to address this gap by examining the transferability of CN to European contexts. Using a representative survey from Finland, we refine the measurement proposed in the American discussions of CN. We explore the relationship between CN and attitudes towards religious pluralism and show that while CN cannot be applied to the Finnish context unmodified, it nonetheless has explanatory value. We identify two forms of CN: state and identity-oriented CN (SICN), and culturally diffuse CN (CDCN). CDCN is associated with positive attitudes towards religious diversity, whereas SICN correlates with negative attitudes towards non-Christians. We argue that in European contexts, CN takes at least these two forms.

Le nationalisme chrétien est devenu un concept clé dans les débats sur la relation entre religion et politique aux États-Unis, mais son applicabilité à d’autres contextes reste peu étudiée. Cette recherche explore sa transférabilité en Europe à travers une enquête représentative menée en Finlande. Nous avons adapté les mesures américaines du nationalisme chrétien et avons analysé leur lien avec les attitudes envers le pluralisme religieux. Nos résultats révèlent deux formes distinctes de nationalisme: le nationalisme chrétien orienté vers l’État et l’identité (SICN), associé à des attitudes négatives envers les non-chrétiens, et le nationalisme chrétien culturellement diffus, lié à une ouverture à la diversité religieuse. Bien que le nationalisme chrétien ne puisse être transposé tel quel au contexte finlandais, il conserve une valeur explicative. Nous soutenons qu’en Europe, le nationalisme chrétien se manifeste au moins sous ces deux formes.


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Funding information in the publication
This research was supported by the Research Council of Finland (Research Council for Culture and Society; Grant: 334157) and by the Finnish Cultural Foundation (Grant 00242676).


Last updated on 12/05/2026 10:31:37 AM