Resisting Christian Nationalism

As defined by multiple sociologists and academic researchers, Christian nationalism is a political ideology and cultural framework that claims America was founded to be a "Christian nation" where Christians should receive special legal treatment not available to non-Christians. This merges the previously separate Christian and American identities, proclaiming that the only true Americans are the country's Christians (and a specific subset of conservative Christians, at that). This means that Christian nationalism is antisemitic and Islamophobic, and poses a threat to the religious freedom of America's Jews, Muslims, Indigenous peoples, mainline Protestant Christians, and more.

As the "Christians Against Christian Nationalism" coalition notes, "It often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation," which is why you will also often hear the related and important term "white Christian nationalism." Christian nationalism also falsely teaches that there is no separation of church and state -- and that conservative Christians should seize complete power by any means necessary.

Driven by that lust for power, Christian nationalism is the ideology that inspired and guided the deadly January 6 insurrection; organizes countless attacks on the equal rights and religious freedom of non-Christians, immigrants, women, the LGBTQ community, people of color, and other Americans; and now threatens to incite a new wave of political violence with never-ending rhetoric about "holy war," the "armor of God," and "the angel of death" coming for the movement's political opponents.

By the most oversimplified measure, one could point to an October 2022 poll from Pew Research that found 45% of Americans believe the country should be a so-called "Christian nation."

However, as a political ideology, Christian nationalism is a spectrum of beliefs. Some individuals hold more of these beliefs -- or feel them more intensely -- than others. Even within the above-mentioned Pew poll, respondents meant different things by the phrase "Christian nation."

Most sociologists and pollsters who have surveyed Christian nationalism ask a series of questions about multiple beliefs, then divide adherents (and opponents) into categories based on how many of the beliefs they affirm holding. In 2024, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Brookings Institute jointly found that just 10% of Americans are Christian-nationalist "adherents," while an additional 20% are "sympathizers." A plurality of 37% are skeptics, while only 29% are outright rejecters. Sociologists Dr. Samuel Perry and Dr. Andrew Whitehead used a similar methodology in 2020, with slightly different questions and categories. They found that 19.9% are "ambassadors" for Christian nationalism, while 32.1% are "accommodators," 26.6% are "resisters," and 21.5% are "rejecters."

No, Christian nationalism is a political ideology and a form of nationalism, not a religion or a form of Christianity. It directly contradicts the Gospel in multiple ways, and is therefore considered by many Christian leaders to be a heresy. While Jesus taught love, peace, and truth, Christian nationalism leads to hatred, political violence, and QAnon misinformation. While Jesus resisted the devil's temptations of authority in the wilderness, Christian nationalism seeks to seize power for its followers at all costs. And while Christianity is a 2,000-year-old global tradition that transcends all borders, Christian nationalism seeks to merge faith with a single, 247-year-old, pluralistic nation.

We still say "Christian nationalism" because, just as white nationalism seeks to define national citizenship by a particular race, Christian nationalism seeks to define national citizenship by a particular religion. We need to note which faith is being hijacked -- our faith -- in order to highlight the danger to the church as well as to explain why we are the ones speaking out.

Equally importantly, while the ideology of Christian nationalism isn't Christian, individual Christian nationalists are. We should not question anyone else's stated faith or relationship with God the way that some of our own critics have questioned us. Instead, it is precisely because we are their fellow Christians that we can say to the pastors and politicians who abuse their power, "This is not what our shared faith is supposed to look like. This hunger for power and this mistreatment of others is not the love that Jesus wants from us."

Pro-democracy, pro-love Christians must speak out together to show the country that Christian nationalism does not represent Jesus or our faith. When we do this, we prove that the biggest critics of the Christian-nationalist ideology are in fact Christians, and thus disprove the source of its biggest power: the false perception that the religious-right speaks for all American Christians.

Scared of losing this power, Christian-nationalist leaders like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Michael Flynn, and Tony Perkins have worked very hard to convince their followers of the lie that all critics of Christian nationalist are "atheistic globalists" from "the godless left" who want to "marginalize" Christians. Others, like Franklin Graham, warn that "progressive Christianity will lead you to hell." They are desperate to sideline or silence our voices, but their backlash simply shows that speaking out for the Gospel's message of love works.

In reality, it is Christian nationalism that marginalizes the Black Church tradition, mainline Protestants, Roman Catholics, progressive evangelicals, and millions of other members of the Body of Christ by trying to erase our faith and our relationship to the public square. To assist such Christians and churches in recognizing and responding to Christian nationalism when we see it, Faithful America has compiled the following list of helpful resources.

This Faithful America Preacher's Toolkit preacher's includes general background information on Christian nationalism, specific talking points that preachers might wish to include to educate their congregation, an emphasis on the values that we're for as well as the injustice that we're against (including Scripture references), sermon illustrations including examples of Christian nationalism and stories from those it harms the most, and a dose of hope: Examples of what Christians are already doing to resist Christian nationalism, and what your congregation can do too.

You'll also find a few sample sermons to watch for inspiration, plus a few sample prayers you may choose to use or modify.

"The Threat of Christian Nationalism: Where it's coming from and how it is being used": Organized in response to lies from Tony Perkins and Michele Bachmann, this Faithful America webinar from October 12 features our executive director, the Rev. Nathan Empsall, with guests Jemar Tisby, PhD; New York Times bestselling author and historian; the Rev. Jen Butler, Faith in Public Life founder-in-residence; and the Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners. Dr. Tisby's list of three ways to talk to Christian nationalists is particularly helpful.

Christians Against Christian Nationalism webinars: This page features several embedded videos on topics like Christian nationalism's ties to white supremacy and confronting Christian Nationalism in your own congregation. Some of the speakers include the presiding bishops of both the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

"Christian Nationalism is on the Ballot": On September 28, our friends at the Interfaith Alliance held a briefing on Capitol Hill featuring the Rev. Dr. Richard Cizik from Evangelicals for Democracy, Rep. Jamie Raskin from the January 6th Committee, New York Times contributor Wajahat Ali, and more. Though from the 2022 elections, much of the content remains relevant and compelling.

"Countering Christian Nationalism: What Comes After the Ballots are Cast": This post-election Faithful America webinar from November 2022 features nine faith leaders, scholars, and issue experts in conversation with Faithful America members, including the Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, the general minister and president of the United Church of Christ; Rev. Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life; Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis of Middle Church; Joan Neal of NETWORK; Pastor Doug Pagitt from Vote Common Good; journalist Katherine Stewart; Rev. Adam Russell Taylor from Sojourners; sociologist Dr. Andrew Whitehead; and the webinar host, Faithful America's executive director, Rev. Nathan Empsall.

Instagram videos: Looking for something shorter than a webinar? If you're on Instagram, you can't go wrong with the reels and stories from New York pastor and author Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis or historian of race and religion Jemar Tisby.

We strongly recommend the podcast "Straight White American Jesus." Two starting points are its December 2022 subseries on the New Apostolic Reformation and the January 6 insurrection, titled "Charismatic Revival Fury," or its September 2023 interview with Faithful America's former executive director, the Rev. Nathan Empsall, about Michael Flynn's ReAwaken America Tour.

Other podcasts that frequently discuss Christian nationalism, alongside other topics related to both the religious right and progressive Christianity, include Dangerous Dogma from Word & Way, Footnotes with Jemar Tisby, State of Belief from the Interfaith Alliance, and American Idols from Andrew Whitehead.

Confronting Christian Nationalism: A free, three-session training from Vote Common Good with videos and discussion curriculum for faith communities, leaders, and individuals.

"Understanding Christian Nationalism": A three-part discussion curriculum from author Diana Butler Bass, inviting readers to explore the movement shaping American politics.

Jesus and Justice in Public: A study-action guide by the Wisconsin Council of Churches to help the church respond to the rising threats of White Christian Nationalism that have become increasingly violent and include attacks on our democracy. The guide includes sermon ideas in the appendix and offers hands-on ways that the church has historically engaged in civic life and what these practices can look like in our modern context.

Politically Divided Congregations: A Curriculum for Reconciliation and Transformation: The goal of this curriculum from Sojourners is to provide a biblical framework and rationale, plus practical tools and tips, for politically divided churches to create space for civil dialogue and to provide a theological foundation for transformative, faith-inspired engagement in anti-racism and justice work.

False Prophets Don't Speak for Me: This annual list from Faithful America identifies some of the top Christian-nationalist leaders in both church and the public square -- politicians and pastors alike who hijack our faith for the pursuit of power. We can think of few better examples of a ravenous wolf in sheep's clothing than the leaders on this list, who use Jesus's name to attack equal rights, throw out the separation of church and state, and overturn elections.

Christians Against Christian Nationalism: Read the statement organized from the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty and endorsed by dozens of Protestant denomination leaders, Catholic activists, and evangelical authors, then add your name along with nearly 30,000 others!

"Say 'No' to Christian Nationalism: An Evangelical Leaders Statement": Read the letter condemning Christian nationalism's role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, or watch an Ash Wednesday video of evangelical leaders reading the statement.

"What is Christian Nationalism?" A helpful one-page PDF from Christians Against Christian Nationalism.

"Christian Nationalism 101": A slightly deeper dive than one page, from Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood at the faithful Baptist publication Word & Way. It's behind a paywall, but you can get a seven-day free trial.

"Christian nationalism and the January 6, 2021 Insurrection": A comprehensive report on the most obvious ties between Christian nationalism and the political violence and election denial of the MAGA movement.

"Christian nationalists and QAnon followers tend to be anti-Semitic. That was seen in the Capitol attack." Political scientists present their research in the Washington Post. Faithful America's former executive director, the Rev. Nathan Empsall, wrote more about the Christian nationalist antisemitism on display at ReAwaken America in Religion News.

"Do We Dare to Disciple People Out of Christian nationalism?" Commentary from the Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners

"The Real Threat to America is Not Islam, It's Christian Nationalism" Commentary by Wajahat Ali

"Why Good Friday is a warning against far-right Christian nationalism" Commentary from Faithful America's former executive director, the Rev. Nathan Empsall

(Faithful America may receive a small commission from Bookshop for purchases made using these links. Shopping at Bookshop instead of certain giant other online booksellers also supports independent bookstores rather than tech billionaires.)

Diana Butler Bass, "Broken We Kneel: Reflections on Faith and Citizenship", 2004, rev. 2019

Anthea Butler, "White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America", 2019

Jennifer Butler, "Who Stole My Bible? Reclaiming Scripture as a Handbook for Resisting Tyranny", 2020

Pamela Cooper-White, "The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People are Drawn in and How to Talk Across the Divide", 2019

Angela Denker, "Red State Christians: A Journey into White Christian Nationalism and the Wreckage It Leaves Behind", 2019, rev. 20222

Kristin Kobes Du Mez, "Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation", 2020

Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, "The Flag + The Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy", 2022

Carter Heyward, "The Seven Deadly Sins Of White Christian Nationalism", 2022

Obery Hendricks, "Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith", 2022

Kevin Kruse, "One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America", 2016

Bradley Onishi, "Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--And What Comes Next", 2023

Jason Stanley, "How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them", 2020

Katherine Stewart, "The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism" 2020, rev. 2022

Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry: "Taking America Back For God: Christian Nationalism in the United States", 2020

Andrew L. Whitehead, "American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church", 2023