An internal Home Office report lists concerns about immigration, multiculturalism and changing social values among the characteristics associated with what it calls "Christian extremism", it has been reported.
Journalist Steven Edginton writes on his Substack that the report was prepared by the Home Office's Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) to inform the government's Prevent counter-terrorism programme.
The document examines different forms of extremism associated with Christianity, including Christian nationalism, and considers how religious beliefs and symbols may be used to promote hostility towards particular groups.
According to Edginton, the report describes Christian extremism as a "radical interpretation of Christianity" in which Christianity and traditional values are perceived to be under threat from immigration and multiculturalism.
It also identifies opposition to liberal interpretations of sexuality and gender roles, alongside antisemitism, white supremacy and anti-Muslim prejudice, as features associated with the ideology.
However, it reportedly acknowledges that the threat of violence from Christian extremism in Britain is low and that no terrorist attacks in the UK have been assessed as being primarily motivated by the ideology.
Christian nationalism is described as the main expression of Christian extremism in Britain, although the document makes a distinction between Christian national identity and extremist activity.
"Christian Nationalism is not intrinsically extremist and promoting the fusion of national and Christian identities alone is not extreme," the report states.
According to Edginton, the document identifies support for overthrowing liberal democracy, justifying violence or threatening violence as factors that could distinguish extremist Christian nationalism from non-extremist beliefs.
The report also examines the influence of prominent figures and political movements that use Christian language and symbolism.
Among those named are Calvin Robinson, Jim Dowson, Jayda Fransen and Nick Griffin, whose social media followings are examined in connection with Christian nationalist and far-right networks.
The document reportedly recommends that the government work with churches and other religious organisations to strengthen "theological resilience" against interpretations of Christianity used to justify hatred or violence.
Its findings have prompted criticism from Christian legal advocates who argue that the report risks conflating traditional religious and cultural beliefs with extremism.
Jeremiah Igunnubole, a former senior crown prosecutor and UK legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, said: "Recognising and wanting to preserve Britain’s Christian cultural heritage and traditions is not extreme."
He acknowledged that advocating violence was unacceptable but questioned the need for the report given its assessment that the threat of Christian extremist violence was low.
"This begs the question: why was this report written? It suggests an institutional anti-Christian bias has taken hold in the Home Office, and Secretary of State Shabana Mahmood now has serious questions to answer," he said.
The report draws on the government's revised definition of extremism, introduced under the previous Conservative administration in March 2024.
The definition covers ideologies based on violence, hatred or intolerance that seek, among other things, to undermine or replace the UK's system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights.
It was introduced to guide government decisions about engagement with organisations and the allocation of public funding, rather than to create new criminal offences.
At the time, the then communities secretary Michael Gove said the definition would not affect people holding conservative religious beliefs.
The leaked findings have nevertheless renewed questions about where the government draws the line between legitimate expressions of religious conservatism and ideologies considered extremist.
The Home Office was contacted for comment.
