The Washington Post reports on a new and disturbing trend: the self-identified "Patriot Churches"

Since 2016, much attention has been drawn to the 80 percent of White evangelicals who voted for Trump. And experts say that support is best understood in the context of Christian nationalism.

Sociologist Samuel Perry, co-author of the new book “Taking America Back for God,” says no other factor better predicts a vote for Trump than adherence to a Christian nationalist ideology. Poll data shows it is also a stronger predictor of Americans’ attitudes about race, gender, Islam, family/sexuality issues and mask-wearing than traditional political ideology. More than one-third of Americans say this country has always been and is currently a Christian nation, and 40 percent of Americans agree that God has granted the United States a special role in human history, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.

Trump, in turn, has cultivated a Christian Nationalist image. There was his June stroll across Lafayette Square to hold up a Bible in front of St. John’s Church for a photo op, after having law enforcement remove peaceful protesters with tear gas. When tens of thousands of conservative Christians, including Peters, flooded the mall in late September for prayer and speeches, the White House issued a statement saying “our country continues to turn to the Lord.” Trump has also used religious language in his public remarks far more often than previous presidents did, according to research from Ceri Hughes from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Trump has brought more sentiments about Christian nationalism “to the surface,” says Paul Miller, a professor at Georgetown University who is working on a forthcoming book on nationalism, Christianity and American identity. "He’s given permission to say this stuff out loud. He’s mainstreamed them as prominent evangelical voices.”

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After the Sunday service, Joy Stafford is one of two people in a mask, choosing to wear one because she cares for her 89-year-old mother.

“I wish there were more social distancing,” Stafford says.

“Oh, trust the Lord with your health,” another churchgoer tells her.

But Stafford’s friend Nellaine Sutton is delighted by the church’s approach. She says when her church reopened with everyone wearing masks, it felt cold to her. Here, she was welcomed with warm hugs and brochures that encouraged people to remove their masks. [Pastor Ken] Peters says the Patriot Church has averaged between 50 and 100 people each Sunday during its first month.

Sutton plans to come back to learn more about being a Christian Patriot. “When I hear patriot, it’s probably someone who is pro-gun, against mandated vaccinations, probably a Republican and opposes abortion,” she says. “I fit those.”