
Contents
-
-
-
-
Christian Heritage and Lived History Christian Heritage and Lived History
-
White Evangelicals and D.C. Tourism White Evangelicals and D.C. Tourism
-
The Christian Right’s Search The Christian Right’s Search
-
For Christian America For Christian America
-
-
Narratives and Identity Narratives and Identity
-
Embodied Experience Embodied Experience
-
Saving History Saving History
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Introduction Searching for Christian America
Get access-
Published:April 2020
Cite
Abstract
This chapter introduces how white evangelicals imagine and reimagine the American past and how their dynamic relationship to the nation informs their political behavior. It draws on ethnographic research on Christian heritage tourism in Washington, D.C.; the history of the Christian Right; narrative theories of identity; and the material culture of the nation’s capital. Together, these sources show that white evangelicals imagine themselves in four different roles in the American story—founders, exiles, victims, and saviors—and that they see history as the key to America’s salvation. In their view, the nation is in decline, but if they can restore their nostalgic, imagined past, it will prosper once more. This jeremiad is central to white Christian nationalism, and it is perpetuated by the Christian heritage industry, including Christian heritage tours that capitalize on the ambient Christianity of D.C. Attention to this lived history is essential for understanding how religion and politics entwine in the United States today.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
January 2023 | 5 |
September 2023 | 1 |
April 2024 | 4 |
August 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 8 |
November 2024 | 3 |
January 2025 | 1 |
March 2025 | 19 |
May 2025 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.