ERIC Number: EJ1474468
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-2891
EISSN: EISSN-1536-0717
Available Date: 2025-06-05
Unlearning and Deradicalizing from White Christian Nationalism: Implications for Adult Learning and Education
Esther Prins1
New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, n186 p67-74 2025
Since the January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the influence of White Christian nationalism (WCN) has become even more pronounced and concerning. Adult educators and the public need a better understanding of whether and how WCN can be unlearned, and the roles ordinary citizens and adult educators can play in this process. After describing WCN and its reach in the United States, the article draws on three bodies of literature to consider how both the most committed proponents and sideline supporters might turn from WCN toward new beliefs and identities. These literatures are: (1) deradicalization from extremist groups and movements (e.g., terrorism, cults, gangs); (2) unlearning; and (3) personal accounts of leaving and discarding beliefs rooted in White supremacy, Christian nationalism, or White evangelicalism. Together, these sources offer useful insights into the conditions that help people change beliefs associated with extremist movements such as WCN.
Descriptors: Adult Education, Adult Learning, Whites, Violence, Political Attitudes, Christianity, Nationalism, Adult Educators, Teacher Role, Self Concept, Antisocial Behavior, Power Structure, Racial Attitudes, Religious Factors, Attitude Change, Social Change, Social Attitudes
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States