Christian nationalism, religious struggles, and the structural amplification of emotional distress

Laura Upenieks and Terrence D. Hill

Social Science Quarterly, 2024, vol. 105, issue 1, 5-24

Abstract: Objective Although studies have linked Christian nationalist beliefs with greater emotional distress, little is known about the potential underlying mechanisms or subgroup variations. Informed by the strain‐struggles‐distress model and the concept of structural amplification, we tested whether religious/spiritual (R/S) struggles mediate and moderate the association between Christian nationalist beliefs and emotional distress. Methods Regression models were conducted on national survey data collected in 2021 (n = 1704). Results Results suggested that respondents who reported stronger Christian nationalist beliefs also tended to report higher levels of R/S struggles, anger, and psychological distress. Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of Christian nationalist beliefs on emotional distress through R/S struggles. Moderation analyses also indicated that the effects of Christian nationalist beliefs on emotional distress were amplified at higher levels of R/S struggles. Conclusion In support of the strain‐struggles‐distress and structural amplification models, we find that the adverse emotional impacts Christian nationalism are explained and intensified by the cognitive vulnerabilities of R/S struggles.

Date: 2024
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