Praise Jesus (and Trump): Language and Indoctrination Strategies Used by the Alt-Right and Christian Nationalists

Abstract

Ever since the 2016 presidential election, researchers have spent years studying how two controversial communities helped secure Donald Trump’s controversial win: the online Alt-Right and Christian Nationalists. Putting these communities in the spotlight also showed researchers the unique language and indoctrination strategies these two groups use to radicalize new and established members. My research aims to bridge the gap between the research on the two groups and answer the following questions: How has a common ideological foundation established similarities between how the Alt-Right and Christian Nationalists formulate a shared identity and indoctrination practices within their respective communities? And, more specifically, what linguistic strategies and emotional appeals do both groups utilize to indoctrinate and further radicalize new members? Before going over my analysis, I first provide an overview of each group's histories, ideologies, and key characteristics. Then, I answer my research questions by looking at what strategies both groups use to indoctrinate new members, as well as what shared ideologies, such as white supremacist and paternalist values, are emphasized when speaking to new and established members alike. My research shows that the similarities run deeper than surface-level ideology: Although these movements have extremely different organizational structures, modes of communication, and methods of reinforcing a common in-group identity, they still have somehow cultivated a unique ideological identity through the ways members are forced to give up their ‘past lives’ in order to join the group. Additionally, members are encouraged to spread their beliefs to as many people as possible to help the movement expand and gain more cultural and political power. My findings not only provide important historical context for understanding the modern-day Christian Nationalist movement but also fill in a significant gap in the literature on the similarities between the Alt-Right and Christian Nationalism by providing an in-depth analysis of the ways the language and indoctrination strategies are similar between the two groups.