Order begins at home: Christian nationalism and control over children

Abstract

Studies have long documented a persistent link between sectarian Protestantism and authoritarian parenting ideologies and disciplinary practices. The current study proposes “Christian nationalism” as a schema that demands civic and social life be ordered according to sectarian Protestant norms, and consequently, a key dynamic in shaping how Americans think about parenting and punishment. Given that Christian nationalism seems rooted within particular community and parenting exposures and is powerfully linked with support for hierarchical gender relationships, authoritarian means of social control, and violence to govern problem populations, I theorize these associations represent a dynamic found not just for society or between couples, but in parenting approaches, specifically in prioritizing children’s obedience over their intellectual autonomy and support for corporal punishment. Drawing on data from the 1996, 2014, and 2021 General Social Surveys, I find Christian nationalism (measured in two ways) is a strong predictor that Americans prioritize obedience in children over children thinking for themselves, and endorse “hard spanking” to discipline children. These associations are robust to controls for numerous religious measures often found in association with these outcomes, as well as relevant political and demographic factors. Tests for interactions reveal inconsistent moderating effects, but among consistent patterns, Christian nationalism makes moderate and liberal Americans indistinguishable from their conservative counterparts on the issue of spanking. Findings affirm Christian nationalism has been and remains linked with prioritizing obedience to authority, deprioritizing independent thought, and endorsing the corrective use of violence, not only just for civil society but also those most vulnerable to coercion.