Religious Outlook, Culture War Politics, and Antipathy Toward Christian Fundamentalists

Abstract

Despite the societal trend toward religious comity and accommodation, sizable fractions of the American public hold antagonistic sentiments toward religious conservatives. Utilizing 1988-96 American National Election Study (ANES) data, this study explores the nature and depth of antipathy toward Christian fundamentalists. Data show that antagonism toward fundamentalists is significant today, and increasingly has become concentrated in segments of the populace that have distinct and overlapping characteristics. Multivariate analyses demonstrate that antipathy has religious as well as political sources. It is pervasive among the highly educated and among seculars. And recently, cultural progressivism has also become a significant predictor of antipathy. Antifundamentalism has declined among religiously conservative Catholics and Protestants, cultural traditionalists, and self-reported Republicans. Beginning in 1992, attitudes toward this religious group have become polarized. These results have implications for the American party system and religious pluralism.

Secular Privilege: Deconstructing the Invisible Rose‐Tinted Sunglasses

“…Self-disclosing as a Christian can result in being stereotyped as judgmental, ignorant, uninformed, insensitive, and out of touch with reality, particularly among those with societal influence (Kinnaman & Lyons, 2007). Indeed, the level of animosity directed toward evangelical Christians exceeds the level directed toward African Americans among the general public (Bolce & De Maio, 1999). In keeping with this study, the highest levels of hostility existed among the highly educated and secularists (Bolce & De Maio, 2008).…”

Portraits of Religion in Introductory American Government Textbooks: Images of Tolerance or Intolerance

“…That is, despite religious affiliation (Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical Protestant, Black Protestant), individual members of various religious groups believe that their religion and their faith are negatively portrayed in broadcast media in the United States. Indeed, bolstered by adverse television framing effects, there is an antipathy toward certain segments of Christianity (Bolce and De Maio 1999b), which is most prevalent among the highly educated and seculars (Bolce and De Maio 1999a). And, this antipathy and antagonism toward religiously conservative Christians has become more pronounced since 1992 among those considered culturally progressive De Maio 1999a, 1999b).…”

The Anti-Christian Fundamentalist Factor in Contemporary Politics

“…The 1992 election became important in one other respect. It was during this election that Christian fundamentalists, a religious movement within the evangelical faith tradition, became associated with the Republican party in the political thinking of nonfundamentalists (Bolce and De Maio 1999).…”

“…Christian fundamentalists into the public spotlight and infusing into oldtime antifundamentalism, dating back to the Scopes days, a modern political dimension fitted to the culture wars (Bolce and De Maio 1999;Byrd 1993;Larson 1997). Perhaps the most highly publicized of these other developments was the rise of the Christian Right and its perceived capture of the Republican party during the 1992 presidential campaign (Fowler, Hertzke, and Olson 1999;.…”