Christianity in the Political Compass
Christian churches are present in all the quadrants, but they show up differently. Political compass memes show religion is generally represented as auth-right, the red (top right) quadrant of the U.S. political compass.
Christian Icons in the U.S. Political Compass
Photo attributions: Thanks “Humanitarian Help” for the hands icon, “Darius Dan” for the church icon, and “Hippies” for the dove icon.
U.S. Religion According to the Political Compass
Blue Quadrant
In contrast with evangelical sects, Universalist Christian sects believe that salvation is available to all. They generally emphasize mercy over justice, and faith over good works.
Popular Perception of Religion Belonging in the Auth-right Quadrant
The following related political compass memes indicate organized religion is seen as primarily an auth-right value (top right quadrant). The coloring in these linked memes matches the international political compass, swapping colors of the top two quadrants.
· Uncomfortable truths for each quadrant to accept
· A political compass guide to religion
· The quadrant as views I held as a 6-year-old
Red Quadrant
Many see the Republican party as the supporter of “traditional” values of Christian organized religion, which has been a strong influence in U.S. culture. However, the majority of Americans within a large established religion could be considered as having observances that do not impose much on the morality of their Monday thru Saturday lives. Many are primarily interested in preserving social traditions.
With the ever-increasing number of “nones,” ardent believers of evangelical Christianity are now feeling somewhat marginalized. Fundamentalist Christians take an increasingly defensive stance, feeling outside the mainstream culture in relation to how religious concerns are viewed in an increasingly rationalist world. Pew’s “faith and flag conservatives” (moral majority) generally agree with a small-government ideology, but they remain in an authoritarian stance as they want to make abortion illegal, at least in their own states, or at least make it a much less common occurrence. They also are more likely than other groups to want to express their faith through public prayer, feeling that they have the authority of the founding fathers’ moral sentiment “in god we trust” as validation.
Yellow Quadrant
I want to make a case that Christian belief is just as strong in the yellow quadrant as it is in Pew’s faith and flag conservatives type, but their belief may be less obvious because of different policy preferences.
In the run-up to the 2016 election, there was much notice in the press about polls indicating that Trump supporters tended to be evangelicals, more often rural, more often working class. In view of Pew’s 2021 research, that description from earlier polls seemed to be drawing from two of the Pew types. Pew research found the strongest Trump supporters in the categories it labeled “faith and flag conservatives” and “populist right.” There are many evangelicals in rural areas. In fact, urban areas are increasingly secular in comparison. There is a plausible reason the populist right’s equally strong religious conviction was less apparent in this poll.
Pew’s faith and flag conservatives tend to strongly agree that “Christianity belongs in public life.” The Pew types I’ve placed in the yellow quadrant were less inclined to agree with that statement, so their religious conviction would be less obvious in the survey.
Ideologically consistent Libertarians maintain the separation of church and state. If they believe prayer should be more a part of daily life, they push for increased homeschooling rights or create private schools where student-initiated prayer can be approved both socially and legally, without imposition on others. Similarly, in a Pew survey, the republican-leaning [social] liberals were more likely to identify with the statement, “while I disagree with abortion, I support the right of others to choose it.” Many in the lib-right (yellow) quadrant are ardent Christians, but they believe in a clear separation of moral decisions from state authority.
Green Quadrant
The many other religions present in the United States have had less history than Christianity, except for the varied Native American traditions that generally would fit in the green quadrant.
Thanks for reading.
Corrections
My mother, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, aka Mormon) objected to the characterization that her church is “about” Glenn Beck. She is definitely correct that for her and most others in the church, it is about God. I am guilty of presenting, for literary purposes, a political figure who happens to be Mormon, which more readers would know of. I should also concede that Catholics and Southern Baptists also would consider God their focus. However, the point I was trying to make is that these are earthly authorities. In these three traditional religions (among the largest and most socially conservative U.S. Christian denominations), even those adherents who are confident of their ability to receive direct revelation are admonished to look to earthly authorities for guidance. Countering that point, my mother correctly suggests I should note Mormonism is about the living LDS prophet who guides the church. As a side note, this prophet counseled members to choose as political leaders those with good character. In that case, they all should have voted for someone like McMullin in 2016, as my mother did.
I am also reminded that the church leaders request that we use the full name of the church, not abbreviations. Forgive my lack of compliance. If I did so, fewer readers would recognize what church I was referring to. When others give you a nickname, you’re kind of stuck with it, especially when they would rather speak two syllables instead of ten.
As a third criticism, what does this post have to do with politics? Well, Glenn Beck. It’s about the culture wars that drive politics. But the takeaway I would prefer to promote is to emphasize similarities. I want to say you can love Jesus from anywhere. Maybe loving Jesus could unite us more. I’m in the green quadrant, and I love Jesus. Jesus was definitely anti-establishment in his day, a disrupter to the religious authorities who goaded the Romans into killing him. He also was collectivist, as described in the New Testament when early Christian followers lived with all things common among them. So please take note all you Republicans, Jesus is in MY QUADRANT!
And the helping hands icon in the blue quadrant isn’t an exclusively Christian symbol. It was the closest I could find. It works. It’s about community and service. Love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:8-10).
Repeat of Quadrants Content
This section repeats the writing in the quadrants, for any who have difficulty reading in that format. Groups are presented in order of political party size.
Auth-Left Quadrant
It’s about the flock, the community.
Universalist Christian (e.g., Unitarian & Episcopalian); the nones (atheist or agnostic); yoga, meditation
Auth-Right Quadrant
It’s about the Pope (or Billy Graham, or Glenn Beck).
Conservative mainstream Evangelical Christian (Catholic, Southern Baptist, or Mormon)
Lib-Right (lower right) Quadrant
It’s about the religious-dissident Jesus with working class followers including his fishermen disciples.
Christian independent congregation (non-denominational)
Lib-left (Green) Quadrant
It’s about the mystic & poet.
Progressive Christian (e.g., Quakers who govern by consensus), also paganism, shamanism, New Age (Gaia worship, chakras, angels)