An Army for God: Gun Ownership, Christian Nationalism, and Support for Political Violence

ABSTRACT Introduction Recent trends suggest that the United States is experiencing right‐wing political violence with heightened influence of Christian nationalism in public dialogue. Method Using original data from a nationally representative survey of American adults, we explore whether gun ownership and gun owner identifying Christian nationalists are more likely to support political violence. Results Christian nationalists believe that their identity is under threat, increasing the desire for political violence. Meanwhile, the tools of violence are made salient through gun owners’ possession of firearms; and for those with a high gun owner identity, there is an inculcated culture of personal and community protection that should make them more likely to endorse extreme actions like violence. Finally, we find that gun ownership and gun owner identity amplify the effect of Christian nationalism on support for political violence. Conclusion Our results point to Christian nationalism, gun ownership, and gun owner identity as accelerants to support for political violence.