I want to thank those who’ve contributed to the definition below and continue to invite others to send any push-back or enhancements:
Christian Nationalism is a subtle form of idolatry that blends patriotism with Christianity in such a way that Jesus is no longer our first allegiance but some vision of a great America. It begins as a well-intentioned desire to be “salt and light,” and the belief that America needs to be restored as God’s primary actor on the world scene. In the process, however, the Beatitudes are deemphasized, shoved in a corner, and eventually gutted from the Sermon on the Mount. Meekness is replaced with dominance. Mercy with winning. Peacemaking with power. In the end, the face of Christ is distorted before a watching world, and fresh generations see Christianity as less and less good and beautiful.
Today, I want to unpack the italicized phrase above and talk about the first of the four dangers of Christian Nationalism—the mixing or blurring problem. We’ve already discussed “the central actor” problem here.)
The sociologists Samuel Perry and Andrew Whitehead define Christian nationalism as a “cultural framework that blurs distinctions between Christian identity and American identity, viewing the two as closely related and seeking to enhance and preserve their union.”[1]
In an abstract and visual way, we might think of the “blurring” problem like this: Instead of the flag being at the foot of the cross, it is draped over it. In thinking further about the flag’s proper relationship to the cross, it’s interesting to think about the set-up of many traditional sanctuaries. In these churches, the Christian flag and the American flag are of equal size and status, flanking both sides of the worship space. Many pastors concerned about Christian Nationalism and other subtle forms of idolatry have worked over time to move the American flag to a different area of the church.
But the mixing or blending image may be a more helpful way to get at this first danger. Let me illustrate by sharing my morning smoothie routine. Often, I make one for my wife, Pam, and myself using a banana, a half cup of vanilla protein powder, a handful of blueberries, two-thirds of a cup of plain non-fat Greek yogurt, a heaping tablespoon of almond butter, and a handful of Kale. Then I press blend. It goes through an 8-second cycle but then I have to do it again—sometimes twice more. The reason is that between each cycle, I have to take the lid off and use a spatula to scrape the yogurt and Kale off the sides, pushing it down so it will blend more thoroughly.
In politics, we as Christians are forced to do this all the time. One part Jesus, one part John Wayne. Three parts Trump, one part Trinity. Or no parts Trump and two parts Biden and a little Bible. Like the leafy Kale in my smoothie, not every party platform or piece of legislation blends easily with following Jesus. What’s more, when you take into account the character (or lack thereof), tone, and competency of the political leader himself or herself, things can get even more blurred or confusing.
Unlike the smoothie analogy, Christian Nationalism’s mixing is more subtle and less intentional. It happens gradually as one identifies more and more closely with one side or the other of America’s current two-party system. In recent years, for those who identify as conservative evangelicals, Christian Nationalism has shown up most vividly on the Republican side of the aisle. As examples and also as a warning, here are two signs that Christian nationalism may be a problem for you or someone you love:
- You trust only one news source and view all others as “fake” news.
- You view the leader of your favorite party in messianic ways. As examples, here are two recent memes related to Trump that I pulled off Facebook in the last two weeks:
And whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, if you can smile at and embrace the following meme posted by my good friend, Liz, be encouraged as Christian Nationalism may not be a problem for you!
Again, this is a good test because it shows “belonging to the Lamb” as something distinct from devotion to a political party or figure. Rather than blending or mixing, there’s a healthy separateness—one that allows believers to live confident, positive, counter-cultural lives, critiquing both parties, as those whose sole allegiance is to Christ and Christ alone.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9, NIV
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/05/19/christian-nationalism-religion-politics/