麻豆社

People in Gainesboro, Tennessee, have some new neighbours. A conservative developer has bought land just outside the tiny rural Appalachian town, with the aim of forging an 鈥渁ligned鈥� community based on shared values like 鈥渇aith, family, and freedom鈥�. Two of the first people to come to town are controversial Christian nationalists who talk about civilisational collapse and the 鈥渋mperative for like-minded Christians to gather and fight鈥�.

Their extreme views on women, civil rights, and the role of the Church have attracted the attention of critics both locally and further afield. In Gainesboro itself, a resistance movement has formed and the battle lines have been drawn.

This small town of 900 people has become a symbol of the next frontier of America鈥檚 political warfare. Is the new development a haven for hate and extremism, with the newcomers looking to take over local power? Or are they just conservative businessmen catering to a renewed demand for the rural, traditional lifestyle? What actually is Christian nationalism? And what is it like for the locals, whose little town has been thrust into the spotlight? Ellie House reports from Gainesboro, Tennessee.

Producer: Mike Wendling
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Studio Manager: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Penny Murphy

(Image credit: Ellie House/麻豆社)