Isabelle Atkins

Thesis Title: The Collective Action Frames of the Christian Nationalist Movement: Political Impact on Donald Trump and the Republican Party Since 2016

This research aims to build on a growing field of research into the beliefs and societal impacts of the Christian Nationalist movement in the United States. The core research question is: what do Christian Nationalists believe about US society, and why do they seek political change? To answer this, the research follows two phases. Phase One will conduct a discourse analysis of Christian Nationalist websites, online forums, and social media to explore how these frames are constructed and maintained, with understanding deepened by the use of semi-structured interviews with proponents of the movement. Phase Two examines the influence of these frames on the Republican party through an analysis of policy statements, official memos, speeches, and other official texts. This will enable an assessment of the extent to which the Republican party draws on Christian Nationalist themes in positioning their political stances. This methodological approach will provide significant insights into the discursive practices which decide the Christian Nationalist agenda. By choosing to root the research in social movement theory, this study will reveal the processes by which the movement decides its political agenda and transforms itself into a political force. This sets this research apart from the preexisting literature on the movement, which has thus far focussed largely on single-issue beliefs. Understanding the collective action frames of the Christian Nationalist movement will provide an unparalleled insight into its dynamics and to the projection of their views nationally and on the global stage.

Biography:

Having joined Warwick as an undergraduate in 2015, Isabelle has always had a strong academic focus on American politics, specifically those relating to religion. Her undergraduate dissertation focussed on how religious feedback shaped the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), while her Master's dissertation explored the religious rhetoric of George W. Bush in selling the early years of the War on Terror to the American public. ESRC funded for four years, her doctoral research expands upon this strong base in providing unparalleled insight into the current Christian Nationalist movement in the US. She is a disabled scholar, accompanied on her doctoral journey by assistance dog Rumba, and is a strong advocate for inclusivity and accessibility in higher education and postgraduate studies.

Politics and International Studies (PAIS)

University of Warwick

2025 Cohort

Email:

LinkedIn

Supervisory Team:

Dr Steve Kettell

Prof Trevor McCrisken