Andrew Whitehead
Sociology
Expert Bio
Andrew L. Whitehead is an associate professor of sociology and co-director of the Association of Religion Data Archives – the world’s largest online religion data archive – at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IUPUI. His research focuses on how religion both shapes and is shaped by contemporary American culture.
Whitehead’s research has been featured across national outlets including The New York Times, NPR, The New Yorker, The Washington Post and The Guardian, and he is routinely contacted for perspective on religion and politics from national and international news media.
He is the author of “Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States” (Oxford University Press, 2020) and more than three dozen peer-reviewed journal articles. In 2019, his co-authored article “Make America Christian Again: Christian Nationalism and Voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Election” (Sociology of Religion, 2018) won the Distinguished Article Award for both the Association for the Sociology of Religion and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.
Along with his work on Christian nationalism, Whitehead’s current research focus also explores childhood disability and religion.
Areas of Expertise
Christian nationalism, religion, religion in the United States, religion and politics, politics, evangelicals, religion and race, religion and disability, disability, religion data, data.
Other Information
Book: “Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States” (Oxford, 2020): https://www.amazon.com/Taking-America-Back-God-Nationalism/dp/0190057882
Op-Eds: “The Growing Anti-Democratic Threat of Christian Nationalism in the U.S.”: https://time.com/6052051/anti-democratic-threat-christian-nationalism/
“Free High-Quality Religion and Community Data Resources.” The Exchange with Ed Stetzer, Christianity Today. (April 14, 2021): https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2021/april/free-high-quality-religion-and-community-data-resources-for.html
“Christian nationalism’s Covid vaccine doubt threatens America’s herd immunity.” NBC News THINK. (January 2, 2021): https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/christian-nationalism-s-covid-vaccine-doubt-threatens-america-s-herd-ncna1252515
“Crusading for Moral Authority: Christian Nationalism and Opposition to Science in the United States.” International Research Network. (December 15, 2020): https://scienceandbeliefinsociety.org/2020/12/15/christian-nationalism-and-opposition-to-science-in-the-united-states/
“Nostalgia Voters? Not Really. Trump and His Supporters Value This More Than the Past.” Religion Dispatches. (September 21, 2020): https://religiondispatches.org/nostalgia-voters-not-really-trump-and-his-supporters-value-this-more-than-the-past/
“Gun-Wielding White Couple Make Perfect Protagonists for Republican Convention’s ‘Great American Story.’” Religion Dispatches. (August 26,2020): https://religiondispatches.org/gun-wielding-white-couple-make-perfect-protagonists-for-republican-conventions-great-american-story/
New York Times:
“How White Evangelical Christians Fused With Trump Extremism” (1/11/21): https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/how-white-evangelical-christians-fused-with-trump-extremism.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
“The Capitol Insurrection Was as Christian Nationalist as It Gets.” (1/28/21): https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/opinion/christian-nationalists-capitol-attack.html
NPR:
“Militant Christian Nationalists Remain A Potent Force” (1/19/21): https://www.npr.org/2021/01/19/958159202/militant-christian-nationalists-remain-a-potent-force
“Disinformation Fuels A White Evangelical Movement. It Led 1 Virginia Pastor To Quit” (2/21/21): https://www.npr.org/2021/02/21/969539514/disinformation-fuels-a-white-evangelical-movement-it-led-1-virginia-pastor-to-qu
Religion News Service:
“For insurrectionists, a violent faith brewed from nationalism, conspiracies and Jesus” (1/12/21): https://religionnews.com/2021/01/12/the-faith-of-the-insurrectionists/
“What next? Christian leaders offer advice for confronting Christian nationalism “(1/29/21): https://religionnews.com/2021/01/28/what-next-christian-leaders-offer-advice-for-confronting-christian-nationalism/
Presentation to Faith Leaders:
“Democracy and Faith Under Siege: Responding to Christian Nationalism” Christians Against Christian Nationalism (1/27/21) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmgWHBoGBi8&feature=emb_logo
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