From “American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays The Gospel and Threatens The Church” by Andrew L. Whitehead
White Christian nationalism is a cultural framework that idealizes and advocates for a fusion of a particular expression of Christianity with American civic life. It holds that this version of Christianity should be the principal and undisputed cultural framework in the United States and that the government should vigorously preserve that cultural framework.
White Christian nationalism combines a number of elements. The first element is a strong moral traditionalism based on creating and sustaining social hierarchies. Oftentimes these revolve around gender and sexuality. The second element is a comfort with authoritarian social control. The world is a chaotic place, and at times society needs strong rules and rulers to make use of violence, or at least the threat of violence, to maintain order. The final element is a desire for strict boundaries around national identity, civic participation, and social belonging that fall along ethno-racial lines. A “Christian nation” is generally understood to be one where white, natural-born citizens are held up as the ideal, with everyone else coming after.