Before we get started, let's talk about what hegemony is. Lauwers (2023) outlines how hegemony is a "system of hierarchical power based on manufacturing a kind of ‘common sense’ (p. 405)." They continue to cover how hegemonies rely on the "invisibility of norms," in that those who are part of the dominant culture are able to establish hierarchies based on what is normal, which are reaffirmed through "societal expectation, peer pressure, propriety and at times politics of shame" (Dhawan et al., 2016, p. 3).
For our purposes, we want to focus on Christian hegemony because it is particularly prominent in, though not exclusive to, the US context. We're leaning into the definition from Kivel (n.d.) "the everyday, pervasive, deep-seated, and institutionalized dominance of Christian institutions, Christian values, Christian leaders, and Christians as a group." As Kivel continued, this is not meant to be a "critique of individual Christians or of their beliefs," but rather, a chance to build awareness of how Christian hegemony has shaped the Western world, and in our context, influenced Western medicine in the US.
York University also provides a great introduction to the concept of Christian hegemony through the lens of leadership. They also provide some insightful questions to consider the impacts of Christian hegemony on leadership:
We're primarily concerned with this intersection of power, religion, and healthcare in the United States, but we also wanted to quicky demonstrate a few ways in which Christian hegemony is prevalent in many areas of American life:
The anthology below reviews Christian hegemony, which they define as the "overarching system of advantages bestowed upon Christians" (Blumenfeld et al., 2019, p. xii). It's a normalization of what is Christian and the questioning of all others. For example, calling those who practice other religions "deviants" allows Christians to consider themselves as the good and correct ones.
Schlosser (2003) also explores Christians' privileges in the US and how many people are afraid to talk about the subject. He points out how Christians are considered the dominant religion in the US due to the sheer number of people who identify themselves as being Christian. This has led to Christians having a large stronghold on politics in the country; he brought up how, when Vice President Al Gore chose Senator Joseph Lieberman as his running mate, it was Senator Lieberman's "Jewishness" that was pointed to as an issue. Further on, Schlosser provides a section that is dedicated to specific ways in which Christians enjoy privileges in the US, including holiday specials on TV, having religious symbols on cars not being an issue, and the ability to remain oblivious to other languages and customs of other religious groups without fear of repercussions.
MacDonald-Dennis (2006) explores the "Jewish ethno-religious target development model" when students come to understand Anti-Semitism and how it relates to them. MacDonald-Dennis identifies five main stages of examining their "target ethnoreligious identity" (p. 271): ethnoreligious awareness, acceptance/minimization, awakening to historic and political consciousness of Anti-Semitism, Rejection of Christian Hegemony, and Redefinition.
Bend the Arc provides a message guide that can be used to help dismantle antisemitism. They argue that antisemitism isn't just an issue against Jewish communities, but rather a tool that is used to "deflect blame for the failures of those in power". The guide provides a narrative that can be shared to "fight for [the] collective safety and liberation."
Wegner (2019) explores how the concept of religious freedom in the US has been both a tool used to expand what counts as religious, but also to exclude groups. Her argument is framed around the role of Judaism in the US, originally considered to be an outsider and threat in the early 20th century, which then turned into an "integral part of a new American religious triad – Protestant, Catholic and Jew."
Ali (2021) explores the interconnections between Islamophobia and Anti-Blackness in the US. She explores the origins of the US and the pronouncement of the importance of religious tolerance, when in reality, anything other than Christianity was often excluded or ignored. Even in situations when Islam was accepted, the Africans who practiced it were not seen as Black, but rather Arab/Moorish to avoid dealing with the concepts of Blackness of the time. This rhetoric has continued on throughout the country's history, and has become further inflamed, especially post 9/11 and during Trump's presidencies. Ali argues "that meaningful interfaith dialogue must account for the ways in which white supremacy impacts Muslim-Christian relations."
Additional post from the Berkley Forum explore the relations between American Muslims and Christians, which can be found at the link below:
