Unraveling the Strands of Christian Nationalism - Part 2

Opening Prayer

Light, golden light fresh from the source. Colors, creation’s colors calling our senses. Life, life in its oneness, life in its manifold oneness all from You. You are the Sun from whom the morning shines. You are the River in whom each life-form flows, each face, each race, each cell within our ever-living soul. This new day we greet You.

• John Philip Newell, Praying with the Earth – A Prayerbook for Peace, p. 10.

Unraveling the Strands of Christian Nationalism:

What is Christian Nationalism? When did it emerge? What interpretation of scripture regarding the End Times drives Christian Nationalism? How does systemic racism undergird it? Can you be a patriot without being a Christian Nationalist?

What is Christian Nationalism? – Part One

Riot of Images

“The chaos of the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021, was bewildering for many. In part, because the violent riot was also a riot of images: a wooden cross and a wooden gallows; Christian flags and Confederate flags; ‘Jesus Saves’ and ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ banners; button-down shirts and bullet-proof vests. But these confusing – and even seemingly contradictory – symbols are part of an increasingly familiar ideology: ‘white Christian Nationalism.’”

“White Christian Nationalism is one of the oldest and most powerful currents in American politics. But until the insurrection, it was invisible to most Americans. It was invisible to most conservative white Christians, because for decades it has been the water they swim in and the air they breathe. It was invisible to most secular progressives, because they live in a bubble of their own in which white Christian nationalism seems ‘fringe’ rather than mainstream.”

“But that bubble was burst on January 6, 2021. . . . The Capitol insurrection was like the eruption of a volcano. The pressure had been building for decades. . . . Geologists study volcanic eruptions for four reasons: (1) to understand the shape of the landscape, (2) to uncover the forces that have formed it, (3) to explain why they erupt when they do, and (4) to forecast eruptions and avoid catastrophes.”

• Gorski, Philip S., Samuel L. Perry, and Jemar Tisby, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, 2022, pp. 1-2.

Report from the House of Bishops Theology Committee [The Episcopal Church]

“At the House of Bishops [The Episcopal Church] gathering in March 2022, Presiding Bishop Michael

Curry charged this committee to study the issue of Christian Nationalism, which has increasingly become an urgent issue, especially since the insurrection on January 6, 2021, and now perhaps the greatest threat to democracy. Since then, Christian Nationalism has come to the forefront of national news and conversations in both social media and scholarly studies.”

“As we began our conversation, we quickly recognized the complex and elusive nature of the term ‘Christian Nationalism.’ We grappled with how to define it and found ourselves disagreeing on the semantics of nationalism. The large scope of this issue easily took our conversations in many different directions. To keep our exploration theologically focused, we agreed on the Anglican framework of Scripture, tradition, reason, and liturgy as our methodology. We also recognized the deep connection between white supremacy and Christian Nationalism in the context of the United States and our previous work on white supremacy.”

“In our publication Realizing Beloved Community [2022], we showed that ‘Whiteness is essentially

the passport into the exceptional space that is American identity, as defined by the Anglo-Saxon myth.’ It has been recognized that Christian Nationalism in the U.S. context has deep roots in white supremacy, even though it cuts across all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups today.”

“’Christian’ in Christian Nationalism is not so much about a religious faith as an ideologically driven identity, even though religious beliefs are cleverly deployed to support its ideological stance on certain political and social issues.”

“The ideology of Christian Nationalism in the U.S. context consists of assumptions about white supremacy, Anglo-Saxon nativism, patriarchy, and militarism. This ideology is a prime example of how white supremacy has morphed into and given energy to the systemic sin of Christian Nationalism. Thus, the term ‘white Christian Nationalism’ is often used not so much to distinguish the white members of Christian Nationalist adherence as to show the intersectionality between white supremacy and Christian Nationalism in the U.S. context.”

• The Crisis of Christian Nationalism, 2024, pp. 9-11.

What is Nationalism?

“People who call themselves nationalists should be aware of what nationalism means to scholars, what it has meant in history, and what contemporary politicians mean when they use it. The word ‘nationalism’ has a history, a scholarly definition, and a specific political resonance.”

“In those contexts, nationalism is not merely love of country; it is an argument about how we define our country, about how we draw the boundary lines and say who is part of the nation and who is not, and it is also an argument about the nature, purposes, and duties of government. Nationalism is a theory about how communities are best organized and what are the proper bases of political organization.”

“Nationalism is the belief that humanity is divisible into mutually distinct, internally coherent cultural groups defined by shared traits like ethnicity, language, religion, or culture; that these groups should each have their own governments; that one of the purposes of government is to promote and protect a nation’s cultural identity; and that sovereign nations with strong cultures provide meaning and purpose for human beings.”

• Paul D. Miller, The Religion of American Greatness, 2022, pp. 30-31.

An Alternate View of Christian Nationalism

“’Christian Nationalism is a totality of national action, consisting of civil laws and social actions, conducted by a Christian nation as a Christian nation, in order to procure for itself both earthly and heavenly good in Christ.’ The purpose of this book is to show that Christian Nationalism (as defined) is just, the ideal arrangement for Christians, and something worth pursuing with determination and resolve.”

• Stephen Wolfe, The Case For Christian Nationalism, 2022, p. 9.

For this week: For reflection: (1) What is the connection between Christian Nationalism and white supremacy? (2) Does Christian Nationalism distort our relationship with God? And if so, how? (3) How would you define American culture? What are the best virtues in American culture? What are the worst?

An invitation to our virtual participants: Discussion and comments are very much encouraged and welcomed. Online discussions can be held in the comments section in the upcoming post on Social Media for this week’s Deacon’s Reflection which is part of adult formation at St. Francis Episcopal Church.

Closing Prayer – Prayer of Blessing

On this day the blessings of heaven. On this day the blessings of earth. On this day the blessings of sea and of sky. To open us to life, to ground us in life, to fill us with life and with wonder. On those we love this day and on every human family, the blessings of heaven, the blessings of earth, the blessings of sea and of sky.

May the light of God illumine the heart of my soul.

May the flame of Christ kindle me to love.

May the fire of the Spirit free me to live this day, tonight, and forever. Amen.

• John Philip Newell, Praying with the Earth - A Prayerbook for Peace, p. 12.

“Unraveling the Strands of Christian Nationalism,” Deacon Joe Dzugan, St. Francis Episcopal Church, 2025.