Abstract
The United States’ longstanding principle of the separation of church and state has been put into question by proponents of Christian nationalism who seek to make the United States an established Christian state. This paper seeks to argue that Thomas Jefferson’s philosophy was based on sound reasoning, and its benefits to American society were later recognized by French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville. Furthermore, this paper uses Jefferson’s philosophy and Tocqueville's analysis and applies it to the contemporary relationship between church and state in the United States to argue that Christian nationalism is unfeasible, and that religion should remain a private matter where it provides the most benefits to American citizens.
Recommended Citation
Staib, Grahm M.
(2023)
"Jefferson and Tocqueville on Christian Nationalism,"
Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas: Vol. 7:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/compass/vol7/iss1/1