What is guiding the health information-seeking behaviors of right-leaning Christians regarding the COVID-19 vaccines?

Abstract

Research has shown that politics influence Americans’ religious identities (Christian, atheist, etc.) and behaviors (church attendance). However, the research on how right-leaning Christians view the Covid-19 vaccines (and other measures to control the virus) has focused mainly on religion as driving the narrative (through Christian nationalism, etc.). Research also has not been done on where right-leaning Christians are receiving (and not receiving) information on the Covid-19 vaccines. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing 17 interviews with right-leaning Christians about their information-seeking behavior on the Covid-19 vaccines. Contrary to media reports about famous pastors discussing the Covid-19 vaccines, the participants seldom discussed them in their churches. Also, most of my participants’ information-seeking behavior was driven by politics and their preconceived notions about vaccines rather than religion. The messages they received about the vaccines from these sources had a secular and political bent, not a religious one. This study adds to the research on Covid-19 and religion by suggesting that many right-leaning Christians' negative feelings toward the vaccines were driven more by politics than religion.