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About My Work

My research examines how deeply held moral and religious commitments shape democratic life. I study how sacralized identities and beliefs structure political attitudes, rights claims, and perceptions of threat. Across survey experiments, survey data, and original measurement development, I investigate how these belief systems influence support for democratic norms, civil liberties, and social equality.

A central focus of my work is understanding how identities develop and influence attitudes.  I show that when political beliefs are framed as divinely ordained or sacred, they take on a different character than standard ideological preferences. These commitments can reshape how individuals evaluate democratic principles, gender roles, minority rights, and political conflict. Taken together, my research offers a framework for understanding how sacralized identity commitments are reshaping contemporary democratic politics.

Be Fruitful and Multiply: Complementarianism, Pronatalism, and Reproductive Rights

Walker, B. and Djupe, P.A.

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

2026

Christian Nationalism as a Social Identity

Walker, B., Djupe, P.A., Sokhey, A.E., and Haider-Markel, D.

Public Opinion Quarterly

2026

The Rapid Anti-Democratic Turn of American Christian Nationalism

Djupe, P., Neiheisel, J., Sokhey, A., and Walker, B.

Routledge Handbook of Religion and Nationalism

2025

Jesus and John Wayne Wannabes: How Christian Nationalism and Femininity Shape Extreme Politics Among Men in the US

Djupe, P.A. and Walker, B.

Sociology of Religion

2025

Religious Liberties or Reading Rainbows? The Partisan Implications of Religious Liberties Frames in Education Attitudes

Walker, B. and Haider-Markel, D.P.

Social Science Quarterly

2023

The Weakness of Anti-Christian Nationalism: When Religiously-Inclusive Orientations Can't Increase Tolerance

Djupe, P.A. and Walker, B.

Politics and Religion 19(1): 166-183

2026

An Eye for an Eye? The Conditional Punitiveness of Christian Nationalists

Walker, B. and Mullinix, K.J.

Political Science Quarterly

2026

Fellowship in the Fiery Furnace: How Religious Persecution Transcends Racial Divides

Walker, B., Djupe, P.A., and Calfano, B.R.

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

2025

Fear, Loathing, and Anger: Emotion, Demographic Change, and Support for Christian Nationalism

Walker, B. and Haider-Markel, D.P.

Public Opinion Quarterly

2024

Christ, Country, and Conspiracies? Christian Nationalism and Belief in Conspiracy Theories

Walker, B. and Vegter, A.

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

2023

An Army for God: Gun Ownership, Christian Nationalism, and Support for Political Violence

Haider-Markel, D.P., Walker, B., and Vegter, A.

Social Science Quarterly

2026

Reviewing and the State of the Discipline

Djupe, P.A. and Walker, B.

PS: Political Science and Politics

2025

Christian Nationalism is Unbounded by LGB Status

Walker, B. and Djupe, P.A.

Political Research Quarterly

2025

A Colorblind Christian Country? How Racial Attitudes Affect Support for Christian Nationalism and Civil Religion

Walker, B. and Haider-Markel, D.P.

Politics and Religion

2024

Contagious Cooperation: Exploring International Global Health through Pandemic

Walker, B.

Short Games and Active Learning in Political Science: Beating the Clock

2026

Holy Nations: Why Black Americans Support Christian Nationalism

Walker, B.

Political Behavior

2025

Religion is Sometimes Raced: When Christian Nationalism is Ingroup Protection

Walker, B., Djupe, P.A., Calfano, B.R., Lewis, A.R., and Sokhey, A.E.

Perspectives on Politics

2025

Words and Attitudes of the Heart: The Emotional Content of Christian Nationalist Communications

Walker, B.

Religions

2024

Misc. Work

Methods summary for: Are you ready for it? Taylor Swift finally endorsed Kamala Harris for president. But what if it actually turns off voters? 

Research Statement

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