I was asked to do a Zoom adult ed forum at a fascinating church in Durham, NC last week. I’ve been with them virtually before, talking about books and the reading life, but this time I was asked to speak for an hour offering a big picture view of the dangers of Christian Nationalism. Or White Christian Nationalism, as it often is described. I’ve read more than fifteen books on the topic and skimmed another dozen and felt like I could give my take on the idolatry of nationalist ideology, the ways well-intended people can go very, very wrong and the danger of that when a far-right extremist vision that is prone to violent language gets wrapped in evangelical zeal and Pentecostal power.

We know from the photographic evidence how much Jesus stuff was amidst — and even more at the periphery — the rioters as they attacked the police and ransacked our beautiful Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

From the prayers of Paula White and Cindy Jacobs to the shofars that were often used to the teeming religious tee-shirts and Bible-quoting tweets, we know that people of Christian faith were very deeply involved in riots and the effort to stop the certification of the election. From odd evangelicals like Eric Metaxas and Michael Lindell the Pillow Guy to the even more bizarre, like Pennsylvania Gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano who visited the cultic Rod of Iron Ministry — known as the “gun church” (which literally uses AR-15’s in its liturgy) to the infamously, nutty, January 6th QAnon shaman (who respectively removed his bull-horned helmet to offer a prayer once he had overtaken the police and taken the Senate floor), the twenty-first century movement of self-proclaimed apostles and prophets make the conversations about faith and public life exceptional fraught. Who are these people?

This kind of mayhem and the right-wing patriotic spirituality that blesses it is something different than the civil religion noted by the likes of Robert Bellah years ago or even what became known as the Christian right (Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority in 1979), bellicose as it often was.

This latest iteration of God and Country patriotic faith is weirder and at times sounding more extreme than even Falwell shilling for Botha’s apartheid regime or Ollie North lying about his deadly involvement in the contra slaughter of peasants in Nicaragua. As ugly as Falwell defaming Christian leaders like Alan Boesak or Desmond Tutu was or as awful as the religious support for American-financed death squads in Central America was, or as grossly anti-ecological the rapture-ready James Watt was and as lamentable as the complexities (and deadliness) of our God-bless-America campaigns of Shock and Awe in Iraq were, this recent manifestation of passionate, prophesying faith making an idol out of MAGA ideals is really something yet again. New Christian Nationalism is not just traditional and patriotic Christians working for conservative policies. It really is a strange worship of theocratic tendencies and orthodox Christians simply must contend with it.

Whether one goes back to the fifteenth century papal bull of Pope Nicholas V (“The Doctrine of Discovery”) or ponders the ways the pilgrims and puritans saw themselves as ancient Israel, mimicking her conquests of land and people or how the Founders drew on some Christian influences giving the impression (to some) that America was therefore a Christian nation, or even the ways in which faith was used for evil —think of chattel slavery or of the KKK, say, or how many Christians (fundamentalists, mainline, and Catholic) protested against the civil rights movement (see Randall Balmer’s short Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right (Eerdmans; $16.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $13.59) for one look at the ugliness of fundamentalism in those years) —  knowing even a little about all this history, it is clear that the current Pentecostal / Seven Mountains Mandate stuff has a big back story and their large movement promoting a confluence of some sorts of faith with mostly bad politics didn’t happen out of nowhere.

There are dots to be connected, I think, from the Glorious Revolution in 1688 which removed the Catholic monarchy in England, offering Protestants their own special privileges and rights, to the American Revolution — some of those revolutionaries saw themselves as the heirs of those previous British Protestants fighting for their rights — on up to the religiously motivated anti-communist zealots like Carl McIntyre and Phyllis Schlafly and the current idolatry within some strains of American exceptionalism.

These built on each other, adding anger and resentment at each stage (blame Rush Limbaugh and the vitriol of the birther movements for some that) to now, when we have religious leaders praying for a strongman “Christian prince” who can do whatever it takes to reinsert a certain sort of Christian culture through domination of the political sphere. Journalist and religion scholar Matthew Taylor notes that one of the most cited verses on right-wing social media on January 6th was “The violent take it by force” — surely a mis-appropriation of Jesus’s meaning when he learned that Herod killed his cousin John the Baptist. In any case, Matthew 11:12 was used, and often mis-quoted, saying “The violent take it back by force.”

As was famously once said, “Houston, we have a problem.”

Or, as Jeremiah suggested more than once, “Don’t say there is peace, peace where there is no peace.”

Things are not okay.

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I started my little presentation on Christian Nationalism by noting that, in my view, we ought not disparage brothers and sisters for trying to relate faith and public life. That we need a Biblically-informed, theological robust, intentionally Christian approach to politics is an axiom for me, so it isn’t that the New Apostolic Reformation or the latest Pentecostal leaders of Christian Nationalism are wrong to bring faith to their citizenship or the issues of the day. Rather, it is that they are doing it in such a wrong-headed way. I have a whole list of books about faith and politics HERE (arranged by their depth and level of sophistication) and commend that as the bigger question of how to do politics more faithfully once we understand how Christian Nationalism gets it wrong.

Of that big list, I will just list three, quickly, here, to frame this discussion of (White) Christian Nationalism; one is very easy to read, one I might call just a bit more in-depth, and the third maybe more challenging and thorough (but not scholarly or academic as such.)

How to Be a Patriotic Christian: Love of Country as Love of Neighbor Richard J. Mouw (IVP) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

Balanced, delightful, humble, How to Be a Patriotic Christian is a fabulous read by one who has explored civic faithfulness for decades. If the Christian Nationalists make an idol out of their dis-ordered love of country and their particular take on what Christian politics should be, this is a lovely, reasonable call to love things like your own nation and place well, in the right (limited and provisional) way. I think Rich Mouw is a must-read about nearly anything and this is an inspiring little work that really ought not to be missed.

The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor Kaitlyn Schiess (IVP) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

This young writer has a real gift and it becomes evident in this brilliantly powerful exploration of the false idols in our Christian communities as it invites us to ask how we are formed to think as we do about politics and citizenship. What most influences your political opinions? She shows how we in the church should be more intentional about have our civic convictions shaped by the first things of our faith, nurturing a gospel-centered, Kingdom vision of political service. It’s so rich and thought and righteous. By the way, her historical overview of how the Bible has been used and misused in American political history is also quite excellent. See her The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go From Here Brazos Press; $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99.)

Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters Miranda Zapor Cruz (IVP Academic) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

I love this book — a very comprehensive overview of various models and options for Christian political engagement. She shows the strengths and weaknesses of various ways to integrate faith and politics and how Christian citizens should (or shouldn’t) support current regimes and policies. There’s so much to learn from so many interesting angles and styles. She is generous and insightful about them all. The final two chapters explore two models that are not faithful: “Invading the Country to Establish the Kingdom” is how she describes the Dominionist approach and “Eroding the Distinction Between Kingdom and Country” shows the problem with the Christian Nationalist approach. This is one of the best recent books on true Kingdom citizenship and political life. Congrats, Dr. Cruz.

WHITE CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM

Here Are Your Gods: Faithful Discipleship in Idolatrous Times Christopher J. H. Wright (IVP) $23.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.19

I’ll start with this one even though it is not about contemporary American politics or Christian nationalism as such. It is more general, a study of themes of idolatry in the Old Testament and what it means to be faithful amidst political idolatry. It’s a good start by an excellent, world-renowned Biblical, missional scholar for any conversations about these turbulent times.

 

 

Strange Worship: Six Steps for Challenging Christian Nationalism Drew J. Strait (Cascade) $24.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.20

I list this one up front, here, because, as the title suggests, white nationalism is idolatry, leading to very strange worship. Although, as the subtitle shows, this has good ideas for congregations wanting to work towards beloved community. So good. with lots of first-steps and more radical ones. Well worth reading. The author is a Mennonite Bible prof and a nonviolent activist.

 

 

American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church Andrew L. Whitehead (Brazos Press) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

Whitehead co-authored a seminal book on this stuff published by Oxford University Press but this one is more accessible, more crisply written, and overtly evangelical. Whitehead is fabulous as he offers a wise, Godly critique of the idolatry that pervades Christian nationalism. Kristin Kobes Du Mex calls American Idolatry “an essential primer.” Good stuff on moving forward, too. I want to say it is very highly recommended.

 

American Christian Nationalism: Neither American Nor Christian Michael W. Austin (Eerdmans) $17.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.39

Austin is a widely read and respected ethics prof who has written wonderful books on everything from humility to the American conversations about guns to a faithful response to the chaos from QAnon. Here he shows “how nationalism is contrary to American values and Christian virtues” and offers a better form of civic engagement. This one is short and matter-of-fact. Joel Looper of Baylor notes that “he avoids any hint of a polemic tone” so this one is perhaps a good starting resource for those who wonder what the fuss is about. It is almost too polite.

Another Gospel: Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of Evangelical Identity Joel Looper (Eerdmans) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

I appreciate this as he offers fellow evangelicals (and others) what the back cover calls “a theological rationale for resisting Christian nationalism.” I am glad that he brings home a central truth that the sort of religion and worldview of the Christian nationalists is, frankly, what the Apostle Paul would say is “another gospel.” How have we so lost our way as to not see this? For those who care about the clarity of the message of the gospel, this book should break your heart. I hope some folks buy several and study it with others, especially for those who many not care much about the social and political issues in our country these days. Looper (who teaches at Baylor) University has written well on Bonhoeffer and brings insight about how the MAGA ideology has a secularizing influence on the church message and is eroding the claims of the gospel.

How to End Christian Nationalism Amanda Tyler (Broadleaf Books) $27.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $22.39

In a way this is the essential guidebook for anyone alarmed by the force of Christian nationalism and who wonders how to resist it. Jemar Tisby says it is “a potent tool for taking action” and William Barber (co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign) says “Amanda Tyler is a powerful sister.” Kristin Du Mex says it is “clear, concise, and compelling”… the perfect book for anyone confused about Christian nationalism and wondering what they can do about it.”

We met Amanda Tyler earlier this year and it was an honor to meet her and a real encouragement to hear her insight, based on lots of experience. She is a lawyer, a Texas Baptist, and a super-smart organizer against this high-powered stuff. She’s the real deal. Congressperson Jamie Raskin notes that How to End… is a “labor of love for Tyler’s country and her faith and it is a gift to America in dangerous times.”

American Heresy: The Roots and Reach of White Christian Nationalism John Fanestil (Fortress Press) $24.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.20

I found this indispensable to get at the colonial origins of white Christian nationalism. Randall Balmer notes that the author “expertly demonstrates in American Heresy, the idea that the United States occupies a special plane in the divine economy extends back to the contain era and the nations founders.” I was reminded here that the Founders “drew on English Protestant notions of divine protection and providence.” This leads, he shows, to “violence, nostalgia, racism, propaganda, conspiratorial thinking and nationalism.” It’s complicated, of course, but this is an excellent contribution. This is one piece of the big backstory, but it is an essential piece, since one of the prominent tenets of all Christian nationalisms is that America was founded as a Christian country with God’s special blessings. Don’t miss this.

For what it is worth, as an aside, we recommend even in the best of times (and now, especially) the very fine and award-winning historical work by our friend Dr. John Fea called Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? (WJK; $40.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $32.00.)

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in Age of Extremism Tim Alberta (Harper) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

Although not an academic study of the roots of Christian nationalism precisely, this study of conservative evangelicals and their foibles on the way towards right-wing nationalist fervor is a remarkable, important book. And a compelling, captivating read. This may be my favorite one on the list. Alberta is the son of a Gordon-Conwell-graduated pastor in the mid-West who, famously, was savaged at his fathers funeral for a critique of Trump he had written in 2019 (American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump.) That his spiritual siblings in his home church could be so aggressive against him in front of his father’s casket shocked him into doing another book, written with his own faith more centered, exploring how the evangelical movement got caught into political and cultural warrioring in ways that seem so distance from the earnest faith in Jesus he learned in his childhood.

This is a major work of investigative, up to date journalism, a page-turning report that the New York Times called “brave and absorbing.” Tim Alberta is honest, insightful, and a gripping storyteller. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory  is a must-read, now in paperback.

Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism  Brian Taylor & Beau Underwood (Chalice Press) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

Okay, while we are trying to discern the theological and philosophical roots of this drift into nationalism, we can’t just point the finger at the fundamentalist Christian right and the extremist Pentecostals. These authors make a case that mainline Protestants with their patriotic hymns and civil religion haven’t helped discern a Jesus-oriented, Kingdom sort of political ethic, either, and are more complicit in ways that we maybe haven’t considered. There is some deep historical research (and what Randall Balmer called “trenchant analysis here — a jeremiad that must be heard.

Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism — and What Comes Next Bradley Onishi (Broadleaf Books) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

I couldn’t put down this lively read, considered “a riveting history of the white Christian nationalism that led to the January 6 insurrection.” The prestigious Kirkus Review gave it a coveted “starred review” saying it is “a clear-eyed, compelling study of the road to January 6 and the possible future of the politics-versus-religion battle in the U.S.” It is rigorous and sincere, an insider’s story of what is “fueling the extremism from the religious right.”  His section “what does white have to do with nationalism” is very helpful.

Maybe pair it with the even more intense and extensive The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War by the riveting and artful Jeff Sharlet (Norton; $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19.)

The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide Pamela Cooper-White (Fortress Press) $24.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.20

I have written about this before and think it is a very valuable piece for any of us wanting to stay in relationship with those who are deeply enmeshed in this extremist worldview (or even understand it.) Cornel West — who delightfully has good friends on the political right that are very different from himself — says it is “brilliant and courageous”and “the best treatment we have of the complex psychological dynamics of the dangerous Christian nationalist movement in America.”

West continues, “Without losing sight of the humanity of even the most racist and sexist of our fellow citizens, Pamela Cooper-White has given us a powerful and needed text on just how close we are to losing our democratic experiment.”

Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith April Ajoy (Worthy) $28.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $22.40

I think the book listed above is solid and caring but it is written by a scholar who is, as a Lutheran, pretty much an outsider to the movement. Ajoy was an insider, for sure. She was raised in the evangelical subculture, a conservative foot-soldier in the Lord’s army, a youth for Christ who bought into all the cultural ethos and political issues until she didn’t. This is wise and insightful and written with a lot of spunk and not a little snark. The sparkly cover is a hoot, the prose is lively, the book a great read.

Jemar Tisby says “Star-Spangled Jesus is the Rosetta Stone for understanding white Christian nationalism.”  Shane Claiborne says it is written with “defiant joy.” Yup.

Money, Lies and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy Katherine Stewart (Bloomsbury) $29.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $23.99

Katherine Stewart wrote the excellent 2019 expose The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism. The Washington Post called it “gripping… required reading for anyone who wants to map the continuing erosion of our already fragile wall between church and state.” It was a seminal volume to help us (in the words of Rev. William Barber) to “challenge the false moral narrative of religious nationalism.”

This more recent one is some of the best journalistic reporting I’ve seen on the topic, a deep dive into what she calls the Funders, Thinkers, Sergeants, Infantry, and Key Players that make up the inner workings roiling American cultured politics. Who knew some of this? Reporting often from first hand accounts on location, this is — even for one who knows a bit about this extremism and ugliness — shocking.

Join this vivid writer as she exposes the extremist churches, conspiracy mongers, backroom strategy gatherings, and others attacking democracy at its foundations.  Wow. Just wow.

Christian American and the Kingdom of God: White Christian Nationalism from the Puritans through January 6, 2021 Richard T. Hughes & Christian Littlefield (University of Illinois Press) $24.95 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.96

Hughes has been a hero of ours in many ways, writing very good books about the myths that drive the American worldview.(He also has a fine little book on the task of the Christian scholar.) He used to teach near us at Messiah College and is an Emeritus professor at Pepperdine where Littlefield also teaches. Both are strong advocates for understanding the ways which the Biblical Kingdom of God should shape our discipleship in following Jesus and how this has been perverted to mis-shape the citizenship of many Christian people. It is complex and nuanced and is an ideal text for those studying religion, politics, or current events. This is an expanded edition of an acclaimed earlier version. Rave reviews on the back from John Fea and David Gushee. Including the notes it is 388 pages.

The Religion of American Greatness: What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism Paul D. Miller (IVP Academic) $29.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $23.99

For some readers, this book by a conservative Christian political theorist and solid scholar (and former White House staffer under both Bush and Obama) will be an excellent choice. He offers what Amy Black (of Wheaton) calls “a refreshingly different approach” which is exceptionally charitable in interpreting those whose views he is concerned about.

Endorsements for this rigorous title are from the likes of Samuel Perry, John Inazu, Peter Wehner, Karen Swallow Prior, and it has a good forward by David French. As it says on the back, “Christian nationalism is at odds with the genius of the American experiment and could prove devastating to both church and state. Christians must relearn how to love our country without idolizing it and seek a healthier Christian political witness.”

Miller spent a decade in public service as director for Afghanistan and Pakistan on the National Security Council staff, as an intelligence analyst for the CIA, and was a military intelligence officer in the US Army. He is now a professor at Georgetown and has also written on just war theories (see his Just War and Ordered Liberty.)

Defending Democracy for Its Christian Enemies David P. Gushee (Eerdmans) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

Dave Gushee is an important author, a former evangelical with deep experiences within classic, conservative Protestantism; he’s well-versed in and and thought hard (for years) about different views of faith and politics. He now teaches at Mercer University in Mississippi and is a prolific writer on theological ethics, following Jesus, and many social issues. This is an amazingly succinct and yet wide-ranging survey of how authoritarianism is creeping all over the world. He asks “if American democracy is in danger, how do we protect it from reactionary Christianity?”

“David Gushee has written that rare book that combines reader-friendliness, moral clarity and political detail… Read it and then give it to everyone you know.” — Marcia Pally, author, White Evangelicals and Right-Wing Populism: How Did We Get Here?

The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy Matthew D. Taylor (Broadleaf Books) $32.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $25.60

This book was a real page-turner for me, even though it, frankly, was less a jeremiad against Christian nationalism and, rather, a careful, detailed, even empathic study of the nuances and networks (and key players) in what is called the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR.) He connects the dots with these Pentecostal leaders who — if you don’t travel in those circles at all — you may not have heard of, but have millions of followers all over the world. Those of us who know a bit about charismatic renewal and the “third wave” of the Spirit and the language apostles and prophets of this new manifestation will be fascinated how the Latter Rain revival is described as so influential. And, believe me, despite wondering when and how it will happen, man, do the dots get connected. Cindy Jacobs was at the Capitol on January 6th. So was Ché Ahn. Paula White’s White House office was used for a regular prayer call for the President and that Rolodex and Zoom call lists were used to bring the tongue-speaking prophets to the protests on January 5th and 6th 2021. This is the best study of the political implications of NAR and is a vital, reasonable, wise, look at this growing part of the worldwide body of Christ.

There are fabulously interesting chapters on Paula White, Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Ché Ahn, the whole Seven Mountains Mandate thing, and how worship is seen as a weapon against demonic powers which hold regions, cities, and institutions captive. This is really urgent and I can’t say enough about this broad-ranging survey of charismatic and Pentecostal movement in the US and how so many networks — from John Wimber and Peter Wagner to the Toronto Blessing and the Kansas City Prophets — turned into a huge force helping Trump spread his conspiracy theories about stolen elections.  Don’t miss it. Wow.

Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor Caleb E Campbell (IVP) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

This little volume is like no other and it has been our biggest selling title in this whole genre of books about faith, politics, Christian nationalism and the dangers of the extremist right. Whether you have loved ones giving the wink to neo-Nazis or approving Trump’s weirdly eccentric antics — did you see his tweet the other day with a grotesque picture of himself with QAnon symbols in his hand? — whether they are hard-core Nationalist or just MAGA-ish, this is the book will help you navigate your relationships and bear witness to the true gospel of Jesus.

Here’s the short version of what I’ve said in several longer reviews: Disarming Leviathan takes the conventional strategies of missionaries entering a foreign land and applies those to doing healthy, contextualized ministry with those who have drifted into nearly cult-like loyalty to dangerously corrupt ideologies. We must carefully learn the symbols and myths, the stories and values, the language and logic behind what is essentially (to use Joel Looper’s phrase, above) a false gospel. We have to have heart-to-heart, deep conversations with Christian nationalists the way we might with others who have gotten way off the path of conventional Christian teaching or who have not be truly converted to His Kingdom. We must, in relevant and winsome ways, invite people to become followers of Jesus.

Campbell is a megachurch pastor in Phoenix and has learned the hard way that civil conversation (as virtuous as that always is) is not adequate when talking with those who need not just reasonable chats and civil listening, but gospel-centered, evangelistic conversations. Can you truly minister to those God loves as a missionary to Christian nationalists?

“What I love about Caleb Campbell’s approach is that he recognizes Christian nationalists as neighbors who need discipleship in the way of Jesus.” — Carmen Joy Imes, Bearing God’s Name, Being God’s Image and Becoming God’s Family

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