Am I a Christian nationalist?
Watch out for surveys that make reasonable Christians sound extremist
Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro protesting his election defeat on January 8, 2023. Source: Associated Press.
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” —Matthew 22:21
One of the most popular ways to attack a Christian these days is to call that person a “Christian nationalist.” Articles published in Politico and The Guardian have discussed in ominous ways the impact of Christian nationalism is driving Trump administration policies, but the phenomenon extends far beyond the United States. Similar concerns have been regarding former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters. A Pew Research Center survey found that the two countries in which “religious nationalism” is most popular are Kenya (32 percent of the population) and the Philippines (21 percent). The Wikipedia article on Christian nationalism claims evidence of such movements in 13 countries.
I have been writing on Christian views of government for a long time. My 1992 book is cited in the Wikipedia article on dominion theology. (No one was using the term “Christian nationalist” back then.) I have no interest in defending those who argue that civil government should favor or give special privileges to Christians.
However, I am also concerned that some people are intentionally or unintentionally using the concept of “Christian nationalism” to demonize the vast majority of Christians who have no intention to take over government and just want the same right to participate in the public square as anyone else.
Here’s an example. Last year, one survey claimed that 64 percent of white U.S. evangelicals are committed to or sympathetic to Christian nationalism. That number seemed awfully high to me, so I took a close look at the survey’s five questions. In my opinion, four of the five did not clearly distinguish “Christian nationalists” from other Christians.
One question asked respondents for their opinion of the statement, “U.S. laws should be based on Christian values.” According to the survey, agreeing with this statement indicates a tendency toward Christian nationalism. I would strongly agree with this statement, but for very different reasons: I think U.S. law should reflect Christian values such as love for neighbor, equal justice for all, welcoming refugees and immigrants, and concern for the poor.
Another statement presented to survey respondents was “Being Christian is an important part of being truly American.” I would not have expressed agreement with this statement, because I think people other than Christians can be “truly American.” But I do believe that my Christian faith helps me be a good American citizen. Millions of other Americans who are not Christian nationalists do too and, accordingly, might have agreed with this statement.
The last statement on the survey, “God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society,” should more clearly separate Christian nationalists from other Christians. And guess what? The percentage of respondents choosing “strongly agree” dropped significantly, to 6% (compared to 10–15% on the other four questions). Even among those whom the survey classified as hard-core Christian nationalism adherents, only 50% strongly agreed with this statement, compared to 77–84% on the other questions.
I consider Christian nationalism a form of idolatry, because it elevates one’s nation to a position that should be reserved for God. I encourage you to read Thomas K. Johnson’s article, written shortly after the 2021 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, in which he argues that good theology is the best antidote to Christian extremism.
But deploying a flawed methodology that brands two-thirds of white evangelicals as Christian nationalists only adds to polarization and hostility. It also does a severe disservice to millions of Christians who serve their communities humbly and faithfully, and whose most deeply held views are easily distinguishable from those of supremacists and insurrectionists.