While definitions can vary, here we define Christian nationalism as defined by Gorski and Perri: “encompasses the many ways bigotry, prejudice, xenophobia, and patriarchy, and racism show up in Christian guise” ( Gorski & Perry, 2022 AU29: The citation "Gorski & Perry, 2022" matches multiple references. Please add letters (e.g. "Smith 2000a"), or additional authors to the citation, to uniquely match references and citations. , p. ix).
Published in Chapter:
From Burning Crosses to Burning Books: How the Religious Right Leverages Book Bans and Censorship to Build a Christian Theocracy
Copyright: © 2024
|Pages: 19
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-9655-8.ch001
Abstract
Banning books, unfortunately, has a long history in the United States nearly always along political and religious lines. While efforts to restrict the types of books and curriculum available to students have crested and waned over the decades, we are currently in a heightened era of book banning. Developing political clout arguing against COVID-19 mitigation efforts, organizations like Moms for Liberty have expanded their vitriolic focus to banning books that highlight race, that present LGBTQ+ characters, and that take up critical thought. Fueled by politics, these organizations and some elected officials have also grounded their aims in Christian nationalism. Recognizing Christian nationalism and its influence on educational politics and policies, such as book banning, is necessary for understanding contemporary activism and division within the United States.