Date of Award

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Social Sciences

Committee Chair/Advisor

Matthew Costello

Committee Member

Andrew Whitehead

Committee Member

Miao Li

Committee Member

Thomas V. Maher

Abstract

Since the 1970s, the American Christian right has favored U.S. involvement with the state of Israel, supporting it through decades of conflict with its Muslim-majority neighbor, Palestine. Antisemitism in the United States has surged since the 2016 election of Donald Trump, along with growing research interest among sociologists in a theopolitical phenomenon called Christian nationalism. Building upon research documenting the civic, racial, and ethnic exclusivism of Christian nationalist ideology as well as theory suggesting Christian Zionism, despite appearing philosemitic, is structured by antisemitism that views Israel and Jews as artifacts of biblical prophecies, I theorize that such factors are associated with individuals’ support of Israel as well as belief in antisemitic stereotypes that racialize and other Jewish diaspora. Drawing upon data from a survey I designed and distributed to undergraduates at two U.S. universities during the spring semester of 2022, I find that (1) Christian nationalism was the fourth strongest predictor of respondents’ support of Israel, decreasing their odds of support, but was tied for the strongest predictor increasing odds that respondents support neither Israel or Palestine, and (2) Christian nationalism is the strongest predictor of increased antisemitic beliefs among respondents, even when controlling for support of Israel. Findings suggest that Christian Zionism may not overlap with Christian nationalism as previously theorized, yet Christian nationalism maintains religious and ethnic boundaries via prejudiced, antisemitic beliefs towards Jews.

Comments

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Author ORCID Identifier

0000-0002-4357-8983

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