The Pedagogy of Power

This chapter interrogates the influence of Christian nationalism on the P–12 schooling process through the dual lenses of historical genealogy and Foucauldian analysis. Tracing the development of Christian nationalism from colonial antecedents to its contemporary political manifestations, the author argues that the ideology operates as both theological dogma and political theology, fusing religious orthodoxy with national identity. Drawing upon Foucault’s conceptions of power, the author situates Christian nationalism as a diffuse and regulatory force that shapes the institutional practices of schools, producing conditions under which heteronormativity is normalized and LGBTQ+ identities are rendered deviant, marginal, or unintelligible. The chapter examines legislative incursions, curricular bans, and administrative restrictions as technologies of power that police identity under the guise of parental rights, child protection, and community standards. In this way, schools are transformed from democratic spaces of pluralism into sites of surveillance, exclusion, and normative adjudication. Particular attention is given to the consequences for LGBTQ+ students, whose erasure from curricula and delegitimization of support structures create conditions of psychological distress and cultural invisibility. Ultimately, this analysis reveals Christian nationalism’s capacity to restructure education not merely as a policy intervention but as a comprehensive reconstitution of epistemological and ethical foundations.