Abstract
White evangelical Christians in the United States are a population that plays a vital role in political influence. Data supports the assertion that a significant number of white evangelicals in America harbor negative attitudes toward immigrants, refugees, or the perceived “other.” A contradiction then arises between the political attitudes of white evangelicals toward migrant groups and the main tenants of the faith that evangelicals so firmly proclaim, such as compassion, justice, and love. This thesis will specifically seek to answer the question what explains white evangelical attitudes toward immigrants and refugees? This research utilizes a cross tab analysis consisting of data from the Pew Research Center to support the hypothesis that the stronger a white evangelical identifies with their white identity, the more likely they are to oppose immigrants and refugees. This research contributes new findings to the existing literature on white evangelical political behavior by arguing that the very faith they so strongly proclaim directly contradicts their political attitudes. Rather than letting love, compassion, and the teachings of Jesus motivate their political views, the data reveals that racial perspectives represent a much stronger predictor.
Semester/Year of Award
Fall 2019
Mentor
Kerem Ozan Kalkan
Mentor Professional Affiliation
Government and Economics
Access Options
Open Access Thesis
Document Type
Bachelor Thesis
Degree Name
Honors Scholars
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Department
Government
Department Name when Degree Awarded
Government and Economics
Recommended Citation
Girgis, Joy, ""For I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me In": Explaining White Evangelical Attitudes Toward Immigrants and Refugees" (2019). Honors Theses. 674.
https://encompass.eku.edu/honors_theses/674
