This is a shorter version of a much longer article I wrote about my reflections on Christian Nationalism. This article will quickly sum up what Christian Nationalism looks like and why we need to avoid it. If you’d like to read a more thorough discussion, click here.
What is Christian Nationalism?
At its heart, Christian Nationalism believes that America is a Christian nation, and thus the government should fight to protect, promote, and enforce the influence of Christianity above all other belief systems, worldviews, and religions. It doesn’t necessarily believe in a theocracy (where the church is the government), but a good government is one that serves the interests of Christianity, and Christianity has a large influence over the government.
As far as individuals are concerned, the core idea is that patriotism and Christianity are inseparably linked – a patriotic American is going to be a faithful Christian, and a faithful Christian is going to be a patriotic American. These aren’t two separate identities, but a single one.
We often think of nationalism as more militaristic, but we see components of it through the church today. This list isn’t exhaustive, nor will everything apply to everyone, but here are some behaviors and beliefs that are frequently seen in American Christianity:
- Treating liberals or Democrats with suspicion, dismissiveness, mockery, or hostility because of their political beliefs (sometimes going so far as sharing photos of unflattering facial expressions or even devil horns to make them look like inhuman villains)
- Making statements like “We need to take back our nation” or “We need to fight to protect our country”
- Spending more time on Fox News or similar news sources than in God’s word
- Likewise, getting our truth and beliefs from the media than the Bible
- Lamenting how far our country has fallen from God or Christian values
- Breaking ties with people over politics, perhaps even making statements like “If you don’t agree with [this political opinion], then just unfollow me”
- Filling online and in-person discussions with politics more than Christ-centered discussions
- Doubting someone’s faithfulness to Christ because of a political stance
- Assuming someone would make a “good Christian” because of their political affiliation
- Willing to go to war, and even kill others, if the government tries to take our guns or property
- Being supportive of someone, especially in politics, because they claim to be a Christian even if their life doesn’t reflect Christ
- Wanting freedom for all, but hoping for preference and favor toward Christianity
Why we must avoid Christian Nationalism
There are a number of issues with this belief system, and many of them may not seem apparent because they’re so ingrained into our culture.
First, it tries to mix our identities as Christians with our identities as Americans. The end result is that we take what we want to believe as Americans (and especially as conservative Republicans) and try to find any biblical justification we can. We distort God’s word to support our politics, and we lift up those who will tickle our ears and let us find justification for what we already want to believe about the world, and especially America’s importance to God’s plans.
Second, it misunderstands what it really meant for America to be a “Christian nation.” In the past, Christianity was such an assumed part of our culture that it was a disadvantage not to be a Christian in this country. Unfortunately, what looked like a country of Christ’s followers was just cultural Christianity – people who did Christian things because that’s what they were expected to do. Not only did this produce a lot of false converts who eventually met a Jesus they never truly knew, but it allowed true followers of Christ to be lazy in understanding their beliefs, making disciples, and giving the gospel to others. It was a nation of people who prayed during dinner, closed stores on Sundays, but never truly surrendered to Jesus Christ.
Third, and related to that, Christian Nationalism is rooted in a desire to win. It wants polls to show that Christianity, not atheism, is on the rise. It wants to feel the safety and security of not having our beliefs challenged; in feeling like we’re right because everyone around us believes it too. It creates a desire for an easy life where we don’t have to prepare our kids for a world that will try to tear apart their faith, letting us all comfortably rest in a weak and immature faith.
Fourth, it’s focused on behavior and not heart changes. It wants the government or society to regulate the behavior of its people so that they’ll give the appearance of righteousness and Christian living rather than having it come from a heart that’s been changed by Jesus Christ.
Fifth, we equate Christianity with political views. It insists that everyone who is a true Christian is a conservative Republican, and it assumes most conservative Republicans are Christians. It promotes the idea that being a Christian means you will have a very specific vision for America, and that you’ll always promote or reject certain laws. To do otherwise doesn’t just make you a bad American, but an unfaithful Christian.
Sixth, Christian Nationalism focuses our attention on the news, politics, and world events at the expense of our time with God. Bible reading is something that might happen for a few minutes every day, but the majority of truth is found by spending hours reading or listening to the news. And since that news tends to have the appearance of Christian values because of its political affiliation, we develop our understanding of God based on the values of a worldview created by human beings. We’re okay with being informed citizens while remaining immature in our spiritual walk.
Seventh, it ignores world history. The Roman Catholic Church stands as an example of what happens when “the church influencing the government” eventually becomes “the government influencing the church.” We have plenty of examples of why nationalism in any form is dangerous in the hands of sinners, yet we ignore it because it gives us safety and comfort today.
Eighth, it makes us believe that being hated for our political beliefs is the same as being persecuted for our faith. We feel so justified when those liberals argue with us on Facebook that we completely ignore the fact that sinners on our own side of the political aisle have no problem with us. Christ warned us that the world would hate us for our faith, yet we don’t realize that people are only hating us for how we use the Bible to push a political agenda.
Ninth, it drives a wedge between us and those who need the gospel because they’re on the wrong side of the political aisle. Because they threaten our vision for America, we treat them as the enemy. Likewise, we break fellowship with other believers because of their political views rather than unrepentant sin or blasphemous theology.
Finally, we must reject Christian Nationalism because it puts our focus on Christianizing the country instead of giving the gospel to individuals. It rejects our commission from Christ to make disciples in favor of gaining power for our team. Success for Christianity is measured by how much influence we have in the various areas of society. Ultimately our greatest desire is to make Christianity dominant in the government and media, rather than proclaiming Christ through individuals sharing the gospel and making disciples.
Discernment and false teaching
As I said, the point of this article is to distill everything I wrote in a lengthy essay into something more easily digestible. If you’d like a bigger picture of why Christian Nationalism is so dangerous for Christians and the church, click here to read the full thing. It’s broken up into bite-sized pieces, so you can spend a few days reading over it as your schedule allows.
In the end, my desire is for all of us to be faithful to our God. My discussion on Christian Nationalism isn’t meant to point fingers or shame people, but simply to show how important it is for us to devote ourselves to understanding truth through the Bible above all else. When we don’t have a thorough understanding of our beliefs, it’s easy to be led astray by any teaching that sounds so very Christian, especially when it seems to give biblical credibility to our identities as Americans.
Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such people are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. (Romans 16:17-18)
All throughout the Bible, God warns us about using wisdom and discernment to spot false teaching, especially since the greatest lies seem so close to the truth. I hope this discussion has encouraged Christ’s followers to do just that by filtering what we believe through a biblical worldview. We desire to be on guard for false teachers who come in and teach a different gospel, yet I worry many of us don’t realize that one particular false teaching has been with us for so long that we’ve been conditioned to assume it’s true.
I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
