Since the tragic events of January 6, 2021, during which a handful of violent rioters donned explicitly Christian symbolsMuch ink has been spilled over the growing threat of Christian nationalism, which critics accuse of being a malevolent anti-democratic force bent on subverting American democracy.
Fears of Christian nationalism have spawned an emerging subgenre of books, conferences And Newspaper articles. A widely cited survey, which included narrow definitions, found that a huge 51% of Americans were Christian nationalists.
And the new documentary “God and country“, scheduled for release Friday and produced by Hollywood mogul Rob Reiner, warns in an ominous tone about the nationalists lurking around every corner.
Certainly, there is academic debate among Christian scholars about the scope of government, and there is a small but growing cohort of those dissatisfied with classical liberalism and American democracy.
Patrick Deneenauthor of books such as “Why Liberalism Failed” and “Regime Change,” is part of a group of Catholic thinkers who espouse what is commonly called “regime change.” Catholic integralism. Protestant scholar Stephen Wolfe sparked a similar discussion in evangelical academic circles with his book: “The arguments for Christian nationalism”, in which he calls for a return to “Christendom.”
As a Baptist, I strongly disagree with Deneen’s and Wolfe’s theses. While Baptists advocate robust Christian engagement in the public square and believe that America’s founding ideals are rooted in part in Christianity, we believe that the best social arrangement is a free church in a free state.
I fully agree with the critiques of Christian nationalism made by thinkers such as Kevin DeYoung, Jonathan Leeman And Kevin Vallier.
The definition of Christian nationalism is unclear
Yet the term itself has been used to seemingly encompass all Christian engagement in the public square. Even Michael Wear, President Barack Obama’s former religious outreach coordinator, shared his opinion. concerns about how “Christian nationalism” is used in a too expansive way.
Andrew Walker, a Baptist scholar, rightly argues: “Convince me that your skepticism about Christian nationalism is not simply a cover for wanting Christians excluded from politics and power. Convince me that Christian nationalism is not just another progressive epithet launched against conservative Christians.”
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To address the lack of definition of what constitutes Christian nationalism, a group has released a survey that dispels some hyperbole and paints a more nuanced picture. The group, Neighborly Faith, began with a 14-point definition of Christian nationalism. What researchers have found is that the number of true Christian nationalists is much lower than we are led to believe: Only 5% of Americans identify as Christian nationalistsand only 11% of Americans fall into the “adherent” category.
Even among the members, none respects the 14 measurement pointsand only 31% accepted more than seven.
What’s interesting is that even among Americans fitting this label, most display pro-democratic ideals. According to the authors: “(Our) study found that many of those we classify as Christian nationalists exhibit civic-minded and prosocial attitudes and behaviors. They are among Americans most likely to say they are interested in working with others on interfaith dialogues (52%); provide food, medical supplies or clothing to those who need it (77%); raise funds or organize to help victims of a natural disaster (81%) and discuss local problems and solutions (65%). More than half (51%) agree that the United States should “welcome refugees – even though I don’t all share the same beliefs as them,” which is almost identical to the mindset of the general public (54%).”
The survey also reveals that the conflation of conservative Christian Republicans and Christian nationalists is a mistake. While 60% of Christian nationalists are Republicans, 40% are either Democrats or independents. And only 17% of Republicans adhere to Christian nationalism.
Patriotism is not the same as Christian nationalism
Advocating a public policy based on one’s faith is not Christian nationalism.
A strong love of country is not Christian nationalism.
Recognizing America’s deeply Christian roots is not Christian nationalism.
And those who analyze politics and religion should be honest enough to admit it.
Cruel political speech:As scholars of religion, we cannot remain silent as this poison continues to eat away at the soul of our nation.
This is not to say that there is not a worrying level of extremism in the country, on both sides. The January 6 riots at the Capitol and the riots protesting the killing of George Floyd prove that even a handful of extremists can cause major damage.
In an election year that promises to be more divisive than ever, we should do everything we can to reduce political rhetoric.
One of the best ways to achieve unity is to diagnose problems as they are, not as we imagine them, and to avoid portraying our fellow citizens too broadly.
Daniel Darling, director of The Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is the author of several books, including “The dignity revolution” And “Agents of grace“.
