Understanding Christian Nationalism

Discussion about Christian nationalism is a hot topic in the church today, including Episcopal churches, but many of us have little actual experience or understanding of it. Sharing some understanding of Christian nationalism was the intent of a recent Braver Angels gathering at St. Matthew’s in St. Paul.

As Bishop Loya said in a recent communication, “God longs to enlist us in God’s project of disrupting human enmity with empathy, delight, and love.” It is difficult to feel empathy unless we try first to understand the other.  This seeking to understand is a core principle of Braver Angels.  As the Bishop goes on to say, “My values, my commitments, what I’m advocating for aren’t made any less valuable because I take a posture of curiosity and compassion toward the one who differs from me.”

The Braver Angels chapter at St. Matthew’s in St. Paul undertook to delve a little deeper and try to share enough information so the subject was better understood and placed in a historical context.  We have four members who have studied and/or experienced Christian nationalism and they collaborated in sharing what they know at a recent chapter meeting.

For those of us with little knowledge or experience it was an excellent introduction to the subject. We heard from the Rev. Grant Abbott, who gave an overview of the history of conservative Christian thought in the U.S., Harry Boyte who discussed alternate ways to approach and discuss Christian nationalism, especially from a nonviolent perspective, Cindy Howard, who, as a medical missionary in the Southern Baptist Church, saw the takeover of that church by the Moral Majority, and Warren Poole who questioned the efficacy of using labels to describe this or other groups. Our moderator, Marie-Louise Strom, then led us through Braver Angels exercises that focused on what we learned and what steps we could take next.

For me, the panel brought Christian nationalism into a larger historical context. Radical fringe groups have always been a part of American society. It reminded me of how St. Matthew’s had a member decades ago who was a member of the John Birch Society. The last thing we want to do is to ignore these groups and pretend they are not there. We are called to be aware of our world and to respond as the Body of Christ.

Our panel is available to re-create this event for your congregation. Please contact Dan White at danielawhite1124@gmail.com to discuss.

Dan White is a member of Braver Angels and of St. Matthew's in St. Paul.