denouncing Christian Nationalism

Christianity & Christian Nationalism

Mark Tooley on December 5, 2021

Denouncing Christian Nationalism is de rigueur. But what is it? Originally it was understood as conflation of Christian faith with national identity. But then it was expanded to include generic conservative religious political activism. Then it was expanded further to encompass any citation of Christianity in American history or the ongoing role of civil religion.

Christian Nationalists were originally hyper patriotic Evangelicals. But the ever widening definition now, whether the critics realize or not, includes liberal Mainline Protestants, black churches and Catholics, all of whom address public issues with faith language. Nearly all of Christianity and most religions assume God has purposes for nations. Some critics of an elusively defined Christian Nationalism seem to expect America to become France, with all religious language deemed inappropriate in public conversation.

This increasingly exacting expectation has prompted some Evangelicals to defend at least some forms of Christian Nationalism. After all, they say, shouldn’t Christians care about their nations and express themselves accordingly?

“Christian Nationalism” is probably not a term worth defending. Carefully defined, it can usefully describe disturbing misdirections of religion in national life. The fanatics who supportively “prayed” and brandished Christian symbols on behalf of the January 6 mob showcased destructive exploitation of Christian imagery. Some may be more accurately described as nativist folk religionists.

Others no doubt are sincerely Christian but inject their religious certitudes into politics, ascribing supernatural evil to opponents, sacralizing their allies, presuming all disputes are cosmic, rejecting compromise as demonic, and expecting apocalypse to be near.

Such fanaticism typically rejects religious hierarchy and denominations, relying on charismatic personalities, “prophets,” and ostensible direct communications from God. It thrives on conspiracism, paranoia, and grievance against presumed elites who are supposedly masterminding great events to the detriment of the true “elect.”

These zealots are odd nationalists because typically they view the truly worthy as only a narrow slice of society. They claim to celebrate and defend the nation but see most of their countrymen as evil or deluded, manipulated by powerful sinister forces. In this sense, they are more accurately described as separatists and schismatics, who want to seize power on behalf of that minority who are the “saints” called to rule.

Paradoxically, these religious true believers are as Christian Nationalists aligned with less religious zealots who are not conventionally pious but relish a cultural identity marinated in religious rhetoric. They are civil religionists on steroids, ignoring civil religion’s traditional inclusivity, patience and moderation. They heed conspiracy narratives that empower them as Illuminati who really know what is happening, unlike the ignorant masses. For many of them, “Christianity” is not an invite into redemption but a shield against “aliens.”

The pious and not so pious who are these kinds of Christian Nationalists merit critique from orthodox Christians who reject their millenarianism, their militant spiritualized political certitude that borders on jihadism, and their determination to fast track separating the sheep from the goats, preempting the Final Judgment.

What orthodox Christians can defend and offer as an alternative is a healthy nationalism that is not ideology but an appreciation that nation states have providential utility for human prosperity. And they can explain Christianity’s important role in shaping America, and the world, in ways pointing to human equality and human rights.

Traditional Christians can be nationalists in the sense of stewarding nation states as communities God loves and that He wants to flourish. Christians can champion a civic nationalism that offers unifying themes coalescing diverse people for their common benefit. In these times of intense identity politics, which depend on division and resentment, inclusive nationalism is especially imperative.

Nationalism can be ennobling for creating social harmony and lofty purpose, overcoming religious, racial and economic divisions. And it can be demonic if it seeks to divide, conquer and exploit, privileging one caste to rule others. Nelson Mandela and Gandhi were nationalists. So too were Mussolini and Saddam Hussein.

Every major branch of Christianity has contributed to building and sustaining healthy nation states. Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox have been and can be inclusive nationalists, rightly understood. The national visions they advocate seek to serve all citizens as equals in rights and duties. But Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox cannot be Christian Nationalists who think their heavenly citizenship is fully interchangeable with their earthly citizenship.

Christians in sync with the universal church understand that their faith is a call to service, not a passport for privilege or a banner for political conquest. Christianity absolutely has political implications, which include justice, mercy and dignity for all. Persons seeking conflict and advantage, whether Christian Nationalists or Identity Politics warriors, may not welcome this vision. But the ecumenical invite to just and harmonious societies surpasses all alternatives.

  1. Comment by Star Tripper on December 6, 2021 at 9:33 pm

    Mark, you hold to the dream of earthly unity through good works and feelings to bring about the Millennium before the Second Coming. This makes you a Globalist in outlook even though you drape it in Christian garb. You support the Narrative (Jan 6 mob) and get all frustrated with the immigrant disaster that is present day America but address it with nothing more than wishful thinking. Drop your illusions if you want to contribute to the discussion.

  2. Comment by Polly on December 11, 2021 at 12:14 pm

    Communism requires we worship the govt as God. This is where we are. What are you talking about in your article? It is unclear. If enough worship good works, etc. and don’t worship the Lord, we will have communist regime. We are very close, with many feeling that the govt owes them a living. This entitlement is being worshiped. Many don’t even know the difference. If you deny satan is foremost with many in our govt , you are wrong. They are obeying satan’s call to murder as many babies as possible, destroy as many Christian groups as possible, etc. Our present DC govt is about love of money to stay in power. You know what the Bible says about that.

  3. Comment by Barbara on December 11, 2021 at 12:52 pm

    I often wondered about your stance on issues, since you group was founded by Reinhold Niebuhr, a very Leftist and political man. Niebuhr was a founder of another extremely political group Americans For Democratic Action. They have an interesting website.

  4. Comment by Ken Dean on December 11, 2021 at 7:45 pm

    Mark ,l read your rambling incoherent essay. Following a drunken squirrel on ice skates would have been less tiresome. I do now under why the UMC has taken so long to define the reason for splitting up. You academics spend far to much effort to confuse folks.
    Christian Nationalists: folks that love and seek to serve GOD AND COUNTRY.
    Academics: folks so enamored of their so-called higher education they have to get a tractor and chain

  5. Comment by jill Fort on December 11, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    Very muddled ideas, sounding pseudo-intellectual and unhelpful to civic discourse. For a better appreciation of the virtues of a sound nationalism, please read Rich Lowry’s “The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United and Free.”

  6. Comment by William Brewer on December 13, 2021 at 10:02 am

    Every Sunday morning, for the last few months, our Anglican Rector prays the following just prior to preaching (and he preaches….no insipid homilies from this man!):

    Heavenly Father,
    We pray that by your Spirit my mouth would be filled with your Gospel,
    So that our ears would be filled with your Gospel,
    That our hearts and our minds would be conformed to your Gospel
    So that through our living your world may be filled with a Gospel people,
    Who look like Christ.
    For this morning we pray it in Jesus name.

    Living out the Gospel will at times take our biblical world view into the market place, including politics. Now please understand,
    THERE IS NO POLITICAL SOLUTION,
    to what ails our land. However, there will be political outcomes if and when the LORD grants us a national re-awakening. The GLORY is His, not our personal comfort. William Wilberforce spent over twenty years politicking for abolition of slavery in England and it’s empire. Doing such is NOT Christian Nationalism, but being faithful to the LORD.
    Like the other comments, I’m disappointed that your piece was not more clear on what Christians SHOULD be doing in the political sphere. Easy to criticize those who were inadvertently swept along with the crowd on Jan 6th in DC. However that is an outlier to what normative Christian political interaction will look like.
    Pray for the day when Democrats and Republicans can agree on moral and ethical issues but civil disagree but compromise on the true political issues of entitlements versus national defense spending.

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