Lent Post #3: The Heresy of Christian Nationalism
Christian nationalism turns the state into an object worthy of worship but claims to do so at the behest of God. Dr. David W. Scott, a Methodist historical researcher and the Director of Mission Theology at the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church describes these key characteristics of Christian nationalism: it “identifies the nation with God's will and action in the world; conflates national and Christian identity; and identifies service of the nation with service of God.”
Christian nationalism elevates the state to a divine position. Christian nationalists not only believe that the United States is a recipient of God’s special blessing and favor, but they also insist that it is their Christian duty to ensure that the United States continues to be worthy of that station. And any group of people or individuals that are viewed as threatening the status of America’s alleged greatness is an enemy to be eliminated.
In the United States, Christian nationalism is often tied to white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity. Meaning that people of color, women, and queer people, are a threat of life to both Christianity and the nation. Now of course, there are Christian nationalists who are people of color and women, (perhaps even queer,) but they often uphold the very structures and beliefs that demean them to second class status.
Christian nationalists also insist that because the United States is a “blessed” nation, divinely chosen by God to be a beacon to the world, that any action taken to defend the United States’ elevated position is good and necessary. This includes unjust wars, such as the War on Terror that has lead to the deaths of at minimum hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and Pakistan and the displacement of millions of people.
Christian nationalism also explains why some of the Trump supporters that attacked the Capitol Building in January 2021 were holding Bibles, a giant cross, and signs professing their faith in Jesus. For these rioters, storming the Capitol was not only necessary in order to protect “democracy” but it was an expression of faith. Because Christian nationalists believe that their vision of America is endorsed by God, then actions such as storming the Capitol building are an example of following God’s will.
But even if Christian nationalists are not engaging in violence or advocating for war, they still endorse policies that are exclusionary and oppressive. Immigrants, especially Black and brown immigrants from majority non-Christian countries, are viewed as threats to the “American way” of life.
Christian nationalists have used their faith to argue against COVID 19 restrictions, for an economic system that thrives on poverty or the threat of poverty for the majority of people in order to survive, in limiting women’s reproductive rights, and to squash attempts at an honest reckoning of America’s racist history.
Christian nationalism turns faith in God and Jesus into a weapon that endorses violence and oppression. Christian nationalism flips the gospel on its head. Christianity, instead of being a religion that challenges empire, becomes a religion that seeks to defend and expand it. Instead of a religion based on Jesus, the poor, brown-skinned Palestinian Jew, killed by the Roman Empire Christian nationalism emphasizes Emperor Jesus: the one who rules through violence.
Nothing good comes from Christian nationalism. It is an ideology based on violence, oppression, racism, and sexism. As such, Christians who claim to follow and love Jesus have no choice but to strongly condemn Christian nationalism as a false gospel whose only purpose is to kill and destroy.
