https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/opinion/christian-nationalism.html
DAVID FRENCH
WhatIsChristianNationalism,Exactly?
By David French OpinionColumnist
Ifyou’realarmedbytheriseofChristiannationalism,thesingleworstthingyoucandoisdefineittoobroadly If youdefineittoobroadly,thenyou’retellingmillionsofordinarychurchgoingcitizensthattheimportationof theirreligiousvaluesintothepublicsquaresomehowplacestheminthesamecamporonthesamesideas actualChristiansupremacists,theilliberalauthoritarianswhowanttoremakeAmericaintheirown fundamentalistimage
Enterthenewfeature-lengthdocumentary“GodandCountry,”whichexaminestheroleofChristiannationalism inAmericanpolitics.EvenbeforeIknewthatRobReiner(thedirectorof“AFewGoodMen”)wasinvolvedin theproject,Iagreedtobeinterviewedbythefilmmakersfortwokeyreasons:First,Iwantedtomakesurethat IcouldofferasensibledefinitionofChristiannationalism,onethatdidn’tcastaspersionsonChristianssimply forbringingtheirvaluesintothepublicsquare.Andsecond,IwantedtooutlineexactlywhyactualChristian nationalismpresentsarealdangertoourConstitution.
TounderstandwhatChristiannationalismis,it’simportanttounderstandwhatitisnot.ItisnotChristian nationalismifaperson’spoliticalvaluesareshapedbytheindividual’sChristianfaith.Infact,manyofAmerica’s mostimportantsocialmovementshavebeeninfusedwithChristiantheologyandChristianactivism.Manyof ournation’sabolitioniststhunderedtheircondemnationsofslaveryfromNorthernpulpits.Thecivilrights movementwasn’texclusivelyChristianbyanymeans,butitwaspervasivelyChristian MartinLutherKing Jr.was,ofcourse,aBaptistminister.
AnyonemaydisagreewithChristianargumentsaroundcivilrights,immigration,abortion,religiouslibertyor anyotherpointofpoliticalconflict.Christiansdisagreewithoneanotheronthesetopicsallthetime,butitisno moreillegitimateordangerousforabelievertobringherworldviewintoapublicdebatethanitisforasecular persontobringhisownsecularmoralreasoningintopolitics.Infact,Ihavelearnedfromfaithsotherthanmy own,andourpublicsquarewouldbeimpoverishedwithoutaccesstothethoughtsandideasofAmericansof faith.
TheproblemwithChristiannationalismisn’twithChristianparticipationinpoliticsbutratherthebeliefthat thereshouldbeChristianprimacyinpoliticsandlaw.Itcanmanifestitselfthroughideology,identityand emotion.Andifitweretotakehold,itwouldbothupendourConstitutionandfractureoursociety.
ThesociologistsSamuelPerryandAndrewWhiteheaddefineChristiannationalismasa“culturalframework thatblursdistinctionsbetweenChristianidentityandAmericanidentity,viewingthetwoascloselyrelatedand seekingtoenhanceandpreservetheirunion.”TheauthorandpastorMatthewMcCulloughdefinesChristian nationalismas“anunderstandingofAmericanidentityandsignificanceheldbyChristianswhereinthenationis acentralactorintheworld-historicalpurposesoftheChristianGod.”Bothdefinitionsareexcellent,butwhat doesideologicalChristiannationalismlooklikeinpractice?
In2022,acoalitionofright-wingwritersandleaderspublishedadocumentcalled“NationalConservatism:A StatementofPrinciples.”ItssectiononGodandpublicreligionstates:“WhereaChristianmajorityexists,public lifeshouldberootedinChristianityanditsmoralvision,whichshouldbehonoredbythestateandother institutionsbothpublicandprivate.”That’sanextraordinary andominous ideologicalstatement,onethat wouldimmediatelyrelegatenon-Christianstosecond-classstatus.It’sutterlycontrarytotheFirstAmendment andwouldimposeaformofcompelleddeferencetoChristianityonbothreligiousminoritiesandthe nonreligious.
ButChristiannationalismisn’tjustrootedinideology;it’salsodeeplyrootedinidentity,thebeliefthat Christiansshouldrule.ThisistheheartoftheSevenMountainMandate,adominionistmovementemerging fromAmericanPentecostalismthatis,putbluntly,Christianidentitypoliticsonsteroids.PaulaWhite,Donald Trump’sclosestspiritualadviser,isanadherent,andsoisthechiefjusticeofAlabama,TomParker,whowrotea concurringopinioninthecourt’srecentI.V.F.decision.ThemovementholdsthatChristiansarecalledtorule sevenkeysocietalinstitutions:thefamily,thechurch,education,themedia,thearts,businessandthe government.
Onedoesn’thavetogoallthewayintoSevenMountaintheology,though,tofindexamplesofChristianidentity politics.TheuseofChristianityasanunofficialbutnecessaryqualificationforofficeisaroutinepartofpolitics inthemostchurchgoingpartsofAmerica.Moreover,oneofthecommonred-AmericaargumentsforTrumpis thathemightnotbedevouthimselfbuthe’llplacelotsofChristiansingovernment.
ButwhatisChristianidentitypoliticsbutanotherformofChristiansupremacy?HowdoesChristianidentity alonemakeanypersonabettercandidateforoffice?Afterall,manyoftheworstactorsinAmericanpoliticsare professedbelievers Scandalandcorruptionaresopervasiveinthechurchthatwhenapersonsays,“I’ma Christian,”ittellsmealmostnothingabouttheirwisdomorvirtue.
Finally,wecan’tforgettheintenseemotionofChristiannationalism.Mostbelieversdon’tfollowideologicaland theologicalargumentsparticularlyclosely.InthewordsofthehistorianThomasKidd,“ActualChristian nationalismismoreavisceralreactionthanarationallychosenstance.”Itistied,inotherwords,toavisceral sensethatthefateofthechurchiscloselytiedtotheoutcomeofanygivenpoliticalrace.
Thatfervorcanmakebelieversgullibleandpotentiallyevendangerous.Itsgood-versus-evildynamiccanmake Christiansbelievethattheirpoliticalopponentsarecapableofanything,includingstealinganelection.It artificiallyraisesthestakesofelectionstothepointwherealossbecomesanunthinkablecatastrophe,withthe fatesofbothchurchandstatehanginginthebalance.AswesawonJan.6,2021,thisbeliefinvitesviolentaction.
CommittedChristiannationalistsrepresentonly10percentofthepopulation,accordingtoa2023 PRRI/BrookingsChristianNationalismSurvey.Butevenmembersofaminoritythatsmallcangainoutsize powerwhentheyfoldthemselvesintothelargerChristianelectorate,castingthemselvesas“justlikeyou.”
That’swhywecannotconflateChristianactivismwithChristiannationalism.OnecanwelcomeChristian participationinthepublicsquarewhileresistingdomination,fromanyfaithorcreed.
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David French is anOpinion columnist, writing about law, culture, religion and armed conflict. He is a veteran ofOperation Iraqi Freedom and a former constitutional litigator. His most recent book is“Divided We Fall:Americaʼs SecessionThreat and How to RestoreOur Nation”You can follow him on Threads (@davidfrenchjag).
A version of this article appears in print on , SectionA, Page 19 of the NewYork edition with the headline: What IsChristian Nationalism, Exactly?