Written and compiled with love and care by Pastor Lily
What is Christian Nationalism?
In her book Jesus and John Wayne, Calvin College history professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez defines Christian nationalism as “the belief that America is God’s chosen nation and must be defended as such”. In other words, Christian nationalism is the belief that God loves America the most and this truth must be defended at all costs.
Immediately, these words might rub up against the ways we talk about God in Sunday worship, or God’s welcome and love in baptism, or Jesus’ radical invitation to the table. When talking about God’s love revealed in Jesus, we talk about a God who loves all of God’s creation—not just some of it. We talk about a God who loves beyond measure and without boundaries. Christian nationalism contradicts many of the things we hold true about God and religion.
Where did Christian Nationalism even come froM?
What is known as Christian nationalism in the United States isn’t a new movement. Scholars trace it back to the 1970s and the 1980s. Some scholars even point to a time as early as the 1910s when Christianity was being “re-packaged” to appeal to an emerging identity of the American man that was hyper-masculine, militant, and war-like. Think President Theodore Roosevelt and you’ll get the idea.
The ideal American man was now aggressive and militant and hyper-masculine. How would this rough-and-tumble character fit in with the Christian faith? Suddenly, Christianity, which had been defined by an emphasis on restraint, compassion, and kindness, didn’t fit with the idyllic gender norms of the time. Soon, American Christianity adopted the values of the idealized American man. In the 1910s, this also looked like being white, independent, and aggressive.
To this day, Christian nationalist sentiments are tied to xenophobia, white supremacy, Islamophobia, and a generalized fear of differences. In other words, the Christian nationalist movement needs an enemy to solidify its militant identity. From a nationalist perspective, it’s us versus them.
But wait… can I be a Christian and be patriotic?
“Patriotism” is love of country that is expressed in many ways, such as waving an American flag, volunteering at a food bank, teaching in the public schools, serving in the military, running for public office, or protesting policies with which you disagree. “Nationalism” is an extreme form of patriotism that demands a position of superiority and has little or no room for dissent or disagreement. (from Christians Against Christian Nationalism)
Is Christian Nationalism a religious movement?
While Christian nationalism draws upon symbols and language commonly used in Christian religious life, it relies more on social attitudes than faith as an identifier. Christian nationalism is a political movement in the United States seeking to amass political power for its own agenda.
So, now what?
Christian nationalism appears in headlines, majority narratives on Christianity in America, and everyday conversation. It’s an ever-evolving movement and seems to have an increasingly strong hold on our nation’s rhetoric. So, we will keep learning and worshipping together. We will talk about the things that challenge us and the Holy Spirit who draws us together. We will remind ourselves that it is Jesus who unites us into one body, not a political ideology and we will try again and again, to love the world with God’s whole heart.
If you would like to dive a little deeper into the topic of Christian nationalism, here are a few resources to get you started:
Christians Against Christian Nationalism
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org
Christian Nationalism and the January 6, 2021 Insurrection
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty & The Freedom From Religion Foundation
https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/jan6report
Taking Back America for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States
Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry, Oxford University Press (2020)
The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism
Katherine Stewart, Bloomsbury Publishing (2019)
White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity
Robert P. Jones, Simon & Schuster (2020)