There’s been a lot of talk about White Christian nationalism since 2016. And for good reason. The rise of Trumpism brought fusions of Christian supremacy and White grievances out of the shadows and into the mainstream. Google searches for the term Christian nationalism spiked after the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Now, some politicians are even owning the descriptor—making t-shirts with the slogan: “Proud Christian Nationalist.”1 In owning the descriptor, “Christian nationalism” has formally become weaponized in the culture wars over who belongs in the USA and who is a real Christian.
I’m a follower of Jesus who is deeply concerned that White Christian nationalism presents an immediate threat not only to democracy in the United States but also to the church’s public witness. I believe we are living in the midst of a theological crisis as much as a political one—the church is desperate for spaces to define Christian nationalism, share corporate wisdom, and to ask “so what” questions—what should we do? How can we mobilize a social movement of Christians against Christian nationalism?
Tweet storms and Facebook threads stuck in algorithmic echo chambers have done little to change minds. How do we realistically go about disrupting White Christian nationalism’s influence? My focus today is on these “so what” questions and also the church’s witness. Saving democracy—though incredibly important—is outside my wheelhouse as a pastor theologian and New Testament scholar.
In this first of two essays, I will focus on defining Christian nationalism before turning to naming why it is a problem for the church’s public witness. My goal is not to demonize White Christian nationalists who bear the same image of God that I do. Rather, my goal is to tell the truth; this is a moment for the church to both own and show up for.
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strait-nationalism- Fatma Khaled, “Marjorie Taylor Greene Selling Christian Nationalist Shirts Amid Backlash,” Newsweek, July, 29, 2022, https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-selling-christian-nationalist-shirts-backlash-goddess-left-attacking-1729267. [↩]