What is Christian Nationalism?Growing Support for Republican Ideology

• Republican lawmakers have recently touted Christian nationalist ideals and accepted their explanations.
• Christian nationalism argues that there is an essential link between being American and being Christian.
• Critics say the political ideology contradicts both Christianity and American values.

Christian nationalism dates back hundreds of years, but the concept has received more recent attention as Republican lawmakers openly embraced ideological aspects and called for Christianity to play a greater role in American life and institutions. are collecting

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert said in June that she was “fed up with this separation of church and state crap” and that “the church is supposed to run the government.” Former President Donald Trump appeared to confuse being an American with being a Christian, saying, “Americans kneel to God and only to God.” Congressman Marjorie Taylor Green He has repeatedly argued that the Republican Party should be the party of Christian nationalism.

Greene and other proponents of Christian nationalism suggest that those alarming the concept are simply part of Christian nationalism. The “Godless Left” Hates Both America and GodHowever, some Republicans and Christians have also denounced the concept, with critics saying it goes against both American and Christian values.

So what is Christian Nationalism?

“The Fusion of Christianity and American Civil Life”

Christian nationalism has been defined in several ways, but the general consensus is that Christianity and the United States are intrinsically linked, and that religion should therefore have a privileged position in American society. It can be summed up in beliefs.

Sociologists Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry provide a solid explanation in their 2020 book Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States.

“Simply put, Christian nationalism is a cultural framework, a collection of myths, traditions, symbols, stories, and value systems that idealize and advocate the integration of Christianity with American civic life. ‘, they wrote.

Americans who support such ideas may not identify themselves as Christian nationalists, so Whitehead and Perry used a series of survey questions to determine if the person was on a scale of Christian nationalism. I have decided where I fit in.

The questions were part of a national survey of American religious beliefs regularly conducted by Baylor University. The questions used to develop the scale asked Americans to rate how much they agreed with the following statements, from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

1. The federal government should declare the United States a Christian nation.
2. The federal government should uphold Christian values.
3. The federal government must strictly separate churches and states.
4. The federal government should allow the display of religious symbols in public places.
5. America’s success is part of God’s plan.
6. The federal government should allow prayer in public schools.

Positions on the scale vary widely, suggesting that not all Americans are divided into supporting or not supporting Christian nationalism. He said he may not accept other aspects.

Americans of all demographics landed, but those who embraced Christian nationalism most likely came from specific groups: white, conservative, and evangelical Christians.

Who are the Christian Nationalists?

The authors found that approximately 52% of Americans are classified as ‘ambassadors’ or ‘recipients’ of Christian nationalism, while the rest are considered ‘resistors’ or ‘rejectors’.

Conformists, defined as those who are less decisive but more receptive to Christian nationalism, were the largest group at approximately 32%. Ambassadors, people who fully embraced Christian nationalism, made up one-fifth of his American population.

The ambassador believes the United States has a special relationship with God and that the government should declare the country a Christian nation, uphold Christian values, and bring prayer back to public schools, the authors said. said.

More than half were identified as evangelical Protestants. They were also the oldest of the four groups, were predominantly white, lived primarily in small towns in cities, and were mostly located in the South and Midwest. consider themselves politically conservative, with one in five identified as Democrats, but more than half identify as Republicans.

Those who scored higher on Christian Nationalism were more likely to hold racially intolerant views and to support racist or xenophobic policies. They were also more likely to view military service as important for being a “good man.” Christian nationalists may believe in religious freedom, but in American society Christianity is more prevalent than other religions. should also be prioritized.

Christian nationalism has gained support in the Republican Party, but belief in the ideology has declined over the past three decades, the authors said, especially as more and more Americans identify as irreligious.

Christianity, Trump, Riots

A key driver of the recent debate on Christian nationalism was the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Many Trump supporters had Christian symbols when they stormed a building to sabotage authentication for the 2020 election, which they believed had been stolen from the former president.

A report released in February by a group of religious leaders, historians and religious scholars, including Whitehead and Perry, detailed the extent to which Christian nationalism influenced and demonstrated the riots.

Flags with messages such as “Jesus is my Savior, Trump is my President” and “Make America Godly Again” were common in the crowd. Phrases such as “Trust God” and “God bless America” ​​were seen written on the table.

In one image, a man with a “Trump 2020” flag over his shoulder kneels and prays in front of a large cross.

The authors of the report — the Joint Baptist Committee for Religious Freedom, the Foundation for Religious Freedom, and the Joint Project of Christians Against Christian Nationalism — argued that Christian nationalism “intensified attacks on the U.S. Capitol. , justified and intensified” role. .

The authors also specifically examined the role of white Christian nationalism, highlighting the overlap between Christian nationalist ideals and racism.

Christians opposed to Christian nationalism

Scholars and advocates are quick to point out that Christian nationalism is not the same as Christianity, and that criticizing an ideology is not synonymous with criticizing a religion.

Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Joint Baptist Committee for Religious Freedom, citing the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the 2019 mosque shooting, told insiders: Zealand. In both cases, the suspects were espousing Christian nationalist ideas.

Tyler is also a major organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism. It is a campaign and coalition effort launched in 2019 to condemn Christian nationalism in a statement of principle signed by more than 27,000 Christians.

Tyler said that Christian nationalism is a distortion of Christianity in that it “leads people to idolatry of the nation rather than the worship of God.” She said it violated the basic Christian belief of loving someone.

She said it was especially important for Christians to speak out against Christian nationalism and show that its ideology is seen as dangerous even by those of faith.

“Many of our signatories believe that opposing Christian nationalism is essential not only to our democracy, but to defending our faith.