While it is coming to the fore in strong and frightening ways, the idea of Christian nationalism is nothing new. There are, according to John D. Wilsey in The Many Faces of Christian Nationalism, several distinct periods when Christian national identity was strengthened in American history. These periods are American Puritanism and Puritan Millennialism, Christian Republicanism, Manifest Destiny, Lincolnian Unionism, Wilsonian Idealism and Christian America.
Christian America is the period in which we find ourselves today. It first gained ground in 1977 when Peter Marshall and David Manuel published a book called The Light and the Glory. It set forth the idea that persists today, that America is the new Israel, God’s beloved and chosen people. It promulgates the idea that America was founded as a Christian nation and that all efforts to blend American and Christian identity together were to be supported and strengthened.
Christian nationalism is once again coming to the limelight and has widespread support in various sectors of American life. Such ideology is seeping into our national leadership with legislators (I cringe to use the term) like Marjorie Taylor Green selling T-shirts on her website sporting the words “Proud Christian Nationalist.”
According to the Religious News Service, a poll from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that fully one third of Americans hold Christian nationalist views.
If you’re not afraid yet, you should be.
At its simplest, Christian nationalism is the belief that being Christian is central to American identity. As an ideology, the “Christianity” it embraces is racist, homophobic, xenophobic and about every other phobic you can name. While the percentages of people who wholeheartedly embrace this ideology are relatively small, they hold positions of power and influence that make their numbers more than the sum of their parts.
There is, however, some good news. The Religious News Service reports that, according to PRRI, “Americans who have heard of Christian nationalism are twice as likely to hold a negative than a positive view of the term. These Americans also reject the specific ideas associated with the ideology. Indeed, the 3 in 10 Americans that PRRI found who align with Christian nationalism to some degree are opposed by near the same percentage who completely reject the ideas associated with Christian nationalism. Another 39% are skeptical.”
The good news is that there is value in making our voices heard to stand against Christian nationalism. The squeaky wheel does indeed get the grease, and it is time for us to squeak more loudly than those who support the ludicrous notion that America should be a straight, white, Christian nation.
The pushback against Christian nationalism is taking a pluralistic form. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Vote Common Good are visible groups working to counteract Christian nationalism. They are joined by the longstanding Baptist Joint Committee, the Poor People’s Campaign and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Vote Common Good has a state of the art curriculum titled, “Confront Christian Nationalism Curriculum,” for faith community leaders and individuals.
As is often the case, the majority is often the silent majority. Clearly more Americans stand against Christian nationalism than for it. It is time to make our voices heard. Join one of the organizations listed above and support their work. Educate yourself on the manifestations of Christian nationalism. Here are some examples posted by Keith Simon on the Blog “Truth Over Tribe”:
- You believe America was founded by white evangelicals.
- You want your church to fly the American flag in the sanctuary.
- You think America is God’s chosen nation.
- You call yourself an evangelical but don’t go to church.
- You think it’s wrong to criticize America.
- You think government zoning laws should allow churches to be built, but not mosques.
- You want mandatory Christian prayers in public schools.
- You think immigrants aren’t as good as Americans who were born in this country.
- You think spiritual revival will be ushered in by a new president.
- You believe the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are divinely inspired.
Think long and hard about which of those statements lives somewhere in you. Your country is depending on you.
The Irreverent Reverend 