Date

12-16-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Ralph Lecounte Ogburn

Keywords

Christian Nationalism, conservative, politics, culture, society, identity politics, progressive, political identity, social identity, religious identity, political backlash, counter-backlash, Protestant, Christian, disaffiliation, affiliation, Gen Z, young adult, religious nationalism, conservatism, Religious Right, Trump, Republican, polarization, nones, church and state, Christianity, organized religion, fundamentalist, mainline, evangelical, LGBTQ, gay marriage, same sex marriage, abortion, Constitution, U.S., United States, immigrants, Islamophobia, racism, racist, homosexual, transgender, patriarchal, family values, patriarchy, White Americans, outgroup, ingroup, conflict, messaging, derogatory language, hate speech, rhetoric, violence, social justice, Judeo-Christian, moral, moralization, morality, secular, Two Kingdoms, patriotic, patriotism, religiosity, doctrine, intolerance, liberal, symbols, language, sociopolitical, qualitative, interpretation, interpretive, IPA, interpretative phenomenological analysis, interpretation, interpret, lived experiences, perception, government, partisan, normalization, collective action, love, ideology, Bible, biblical, Scripture, voter, disengaged, dehumanize, Descent of Man, national, themes, codes, interview, reflexive, ideological, meaning, worldview, separation of church and state, heavenly law, earthly law, secularization, secular, acceptance, inclusion, exclusion, evangelicals, fundamentalists, traditional, city on a hill, spiritual but not religious, phenomenon, diversity, equity, DEI, populism, authority, love, election, president, presidential, shared grievances, conspiracy, nonnormative, normative, Capitol Riot, faith, hate, theology, assassination, God, fear, democratic, institutions, distrust, suspicion, legitimization, ethno-Christian, abortion, wedge issue, White, religious freedom, freedom of worship, freedom of religion, freedom from religion, democracy, tradition, traditional, nostalgia, populist, retrospect

Disciplines

Political Science | Psychology

Abstract

This study investigated the lived experiences of young adults who have disaffiliated from a Protestant church, focusing on political, national, and religious dynamics, including reflections on Christian Nationalism. The study also examines how these meaning-making processes informed participants’ retrospective accounts of disaffiliation. Building on the quantitative research that has dominated prior studies, this study employed interpretative phenomenological analysis to investigate how encounters with Christian Nationalism have shaped perceptions of organized religion. The study’s ten participants ranged in age from 21 to 29 years old and identified as having been part of the Protestant Church prior to disaffiliating from organized religion. Findings suggest that young adults combine perceptions of sociopolitical conservatism and the Protestant Church. Common themes emerged across participant narratives, reflecting significantly negative attitudes toward organized religion and its connection to traditionalist political and social ideologies. Participant demographics provided data for descriptive statistics. Findings also contribute to the understanding of backlash effects and counter-backlash within political backlash theory. Implications include recommendations for organized Protestantism to examine biblical interpretations, clarify doctrine, and disassociate from politics to increase engagement with young adults. These implications may also inform discussions about the role of religion in the American democracy.

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