The Gospel and Christian Nationalism
The Gospel and Christian Nationalism
Tune in to the livestream of this dialogue on Wednesday, August 31 at 12 pm ET.
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If you’ve followed recent political discourse, then you’ve likely heard the term “white Christian Nationalism.”
Typically, national coverage of the topic comes from a political perspective. We talk about how white Christian Nationalism is an urgent threat to democracy today. There is no clearer example of this than the January 6th Insurrection and the ways white Christian Nationalism showed up there.
What needs more attention is a theological assessment of white Christian Nationalism and an understanding of how it threatens not only democracy but the witness of the church in the United States today.
Theologically speaking, white Christian Nationalism is idolatry. As an ideology it repeats the error of Sinai when the people of Israel crafted a god in their preferred image (Exodus 32).
The people of Israel wanted a deity they could see. White Christian Nationalists want a power they can grasp. In each instance, they crafted an idol for themselves.
Tomorrow I have the privilege of engaging in a dialogue about the idolatry of white Christian Nationalism with the West Louisville Forum hosted by Simmons College of Kentucky, a faith-based, historically Black college (HBCU).
If you are in the Louisville area, you are welcome to join in person. You can also tune in via livestream at the Simmons College YouTube page.
Watch the video below for a preview and framing of the topic. See you there!
Kristen Kobes Du Mez hits the nail on the head on page 301 in her book Jesus and John Wayne:
"The vast majority of books on evangelical masculinity have been written by white men primarily for white men; to a significant degree, the markets for literature on black and white Christian manhood remain distinct. With few exceptions, black men, Middle Eastern men, and Hispanic men are not called to a wild, militant masculinity. Their aggression, by contrast, is seen as dangerous, a threat to the stability of home and nation."