Parental rights in “God’s dominion”: A case study of Canadian Christian nationalism in Alberta

In Alberta, Canada, Christian nationalist activists have successfully advocated for parental-choice laws and regulations, specifically targeting “sexually explicit” books in K–12 (Kindergarten through Grade 12) schools. Drawing on history, reporting, and online sources, the authors present a qualitative analysis of the “parental rights” movement to propose a framework for the study of Canadian Christian nationalism. They adapt definitions of Christian nationalism offered by US scholars, including Andrew Whitehead, Samuel Perry, and Daniel Miller, to map the mechanisms that facilitate identification with Christian nationalism and their effects in the Canadian context. In doing so, they show how Canadian Christian nationalism is informed by US practices and beliefs but is distinctly Canadian, emerging from a history of conservative Christian politics and linked to its multiparty system and multicultural commitments. They develop Lydia Bean’s work on Christian nationalism, arguing that Canada’s civil religion—the values, symbols, and narratives that unite a multicultural society—is mobilized by parental rights activism. Using the case of parental rights in Alberta, the authors map how the Alberta parental rights movement mobilizes two key mechanisms of identification with Christian nationalism: the “power devaluation crisis,” which raises alarm about historically empowered groups losing power, and the “declensionist narrative,” which claims that society is in decline. It is demonstrated how Canadian Christian nationalism in Alberta is emerging through a common-sense politics mobilized by appeals to Canada’s past as “God’s dominion” and strong feelings about parental authority. The authors conclude by suggesting that future studies of Canadian Christian nationalism might attend to the affective economy of the project—specifically, how Canadian “smugness” provides cover for this ideological movement.