An Ecclesiastical Court: Christian Nationalism and Perceptions of the U.S. Supreme Court

Recently, scholars have increasingly examined the unique blending of Christian and political ideology known as Christian nationalism. During this period, the U.S. Supreme Court has increasingly ruled in ways that favor Christian nationalism, and Court watchers have criticized several justices for showing bias toward Christianity at best and Christian nationalism at worst. We use two large, nationally representative samples to examine the connection between Christian nationalism and attitudes about the Court. Observationally, we ask if this ideology relates to support for the Court’s decision to overturn abortion rights and agreement with the use of non-legal and religious logic in decisions. Experimentally, we test whether exposure to a story about Justice Alito flying a Christian nationalist flag can legitimate the use of religious decision making logic. We find support for all three propositions, indicating the Court’s recent turn has real effects on its supporters, its legitimacy, and, potentially, its future behavior.