The present thesis is an attempt to investigate the role of American nationalism in American history by focusing on the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter. I will make two main claims in the present...Show moreThe present thesis is an attempt to investigate the role of American nationalism in American history by focusing on the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter. I will make two main claims in the present thesis. First of all, that American nationalism helped to motivate Southern Baptists to support Jimmy Carter, despite suspicions regarding Carter’s religiosity. To be specific, the Baptists voted for Carter because of their desire to defend the United States of America as a Christian nation and not simply due to Carter’s public confession of faith as a ‘born-again’ Christian. Second, nationalist words and stories can be found in Carter’s rhetoric. His inclusion of this nationalistic content was intended to maintain support for Jimmy Carter among American evangelicals. Meanwhile, publications of the Southern Baptists such as the Southern Baptist News Press disseminated nationalistic expressions and connected them to support for Jimmy Carter. In other words, this thesis will provide an alternative answer by arguing that the election of Jimmy Carter was possible thanks to American nationalism, which was permeated with religion.Show less
