“The Right, Religion, and a Plan to End Democracy, Part One: A Primer on Christian Nationalism” by Anne Keifer
This is the first of a series of articles submitted to local news media as letters to the editor from the Finger Lakes Justice Partnership (FLXJP) and its members. FLXJP is an affiliate organization of Saint Mark’s Church. Opinions contained herein do not wholly represent Saint Mark’s or all of its members but instead serve as a dutiful reminder to be transparent and open-minded when we discuss things of a political and partisan nature.
The Right, Religion, and a Plan to End Democracy, Part One: A Primer on Christian Nationalism
by Anne Kiefer
If you didn’t know the subversive intent of ‘Christian nationalism,’ you might think it’s a good thing. A patriotic version of the Golden Rule, maybe. The reality is different—and darker.
Christian nationalism is an ideology that merges conservative religious beliefs with conservative political convictions. Its goal is to pull the United States to the political right, toward authoritarianism in government and a hierarchy of privilege in society.
Defining the United States as “Christian” and chosen by God, Christian nationalists maintain that the U.S. must remain a Christian nation going forward to retain that divine endorsement. It characterizes Christianity as integral to what it means to be an American and holds that the tenets of conservative Christianity should undergird law, policy and the courts. In a Christian nationalist United States, Christian symbols would be featured in public settings, and a select group of appropriately right-wing religious, political and economic leaders would wield the levers of power and influence.
Dr. Kristin Du Mez is a historian of the intersection of religion, politics and gender at Calvin University. In her 2020 bestselling book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, Du Mez discusses the correlation between Christian nationalism and the following inclinations: anti-Black racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, hostility to immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community, and opposition to gun control and criminal justice reform. Christian nationalists valorize a type of masculinity that is white, militant and aggressive. The ideal family follows the male head-of-household model—a strongman in charge with a submissive female spouse—and that patriarchal, authoritarian family model should be mirrored in government.
Most disturbing are research findings that show that Christian nationalist beliefs are associated with support for political violence.
Is Christian nationalism rooted in Christianity? Christian nationalism holds only a tenuous connection to the teachings of Jesus. Rather than spreading the Gospel ‘good news’, Christian nationalist rhetoric expresses ‘biblical’ themes: moral order, authority, judgment, spiritual warfare, militancy. It’s more exclusive and hierarchical than accepting and equitable, more wrath than mercy. It distorts policy differences into apocalyptic, good vs. evil power struggles.
Is nationalism the same thing as patriotism? They’re actually worlds apart. Patriotism is love of country and the dedication to bringing one’s country to the best it can be. Nationalism is “tribal.” It distinguishes one particular cultural identity as the ideal and defends that identity’s claim to privilege.
A significant point: As Christians Against Christian Nationalism states, “People of all faiths and none have the right and responsibility to engage constructively in the public square.” The Founders intentionally incorporated religious pluralism in the Constitution with the Establishment clause. Our faith traditions and belief systems can and should inform our participation in civic affairs, our voice in a democratic system of self-government.
It’s important to note that opposition to Christian nationalism is neither an assault on religious freedom nor Christianity. It’s not an attack on political or social conservatism, or the right to support conservative candidates. Opposition to Christian nationalism confronts unprincipled exploitation of religion to acquire political power, attempts to embed sectarian religious beliefs into law, to elevate one culture or religion over others, and to marginalize groups that don’t conform to the dictates of the privileged.
Who are the Christian nationalists? In Part 2 we’ll look at who fits the Christian nationalist profile, and the roots of Christian nationalism in the United States.
Anne Kiefer, Alex Andrasik, Peter Salva, The Rev. Columba Salamony, Angela Proietti-Nelson, and Sally White
Co-facilitators, Finger Lakes Justice Partnership