We all need to consider the phenomenon and rise of Christian nationalism. If you have not heard this term, please note that it is NOT simple patriotism, although some Christian nationalists may call themselves patriots. There is nothing wrong with a Christian having a proper pride of country, that is NOT what this is about, just to be clear. Rather it is a conflation of the cross and the flag.
Back in September 2020 I posted about a book from 2005: The Myth of a Christian Nation, How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church by Greg Boyd. Boyd was writing about a problem that was then in a more rudimentary state, compared to now that is. Here is Boyd’s summary of the book’s thesis. It is too bad his concerns weren’t more heeded back in 2005!
“I believe a significant segment of American evangelicalism is guilty of nationalistic and political idolatry. To a frightful degree…evangelicals fuse the kingdom of God with a preferred version of the kingdom of the world (whether it’s our national interests, a particular form of government, a particular political program, and so on). Rather than focusing our understanding of God’s Kingdom on the person of Jesus – who, incidentally, never allowed himself to get pulled into the political disputes of his day – I believe many of us American evangelicals have allowed our understanding of the kingdom of God to be polluted with political ideals, agendas, and issues.” – page 11
I am attempting to better understand Christian nationalism myself, and here are articles or books you may find helpful:
♦ Christianity Today shared this piece from on January 7th: We Worship with the Magi, Not MAGA – Epiphany reminds us that faith is not a prop for political power. An excerpt:
“Yesterday’s atrocity was in large part brought to us by the white, evangelical church in America. An emaciated and malformed evangelical political theology got us where we are now….The conflation of the Christian faith and Trumpism did not suddenly spring up in a vacuum four years ago. It arose through decades of poor catechesis and spiritual formation. Through false teaching that the American flag and the cross of Christ do not conflict. Through evangelical leaders who counted losing their souls a small price to pay for grasping political power.”
Read that excerpt and the article carefully. Can we lump all evangelicals together? Of course not. 20% did not vote for Trump, and some of the 80% did so only hesitantly. And certainly what happened Jan. 6th involved some extremists, but as Warren says, and I agree, an emaciated and malformed evangelical theology contributed to where we are now. The following source takes us deeper…
♦ I ordered this important book, but don’t have it yet: Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States by Andrew L. 
Whitehead, Samuel L. Perry. A review is HERE. It is considered the first comprehensive empirical analysis of Christian nationalism in the United States.
As stated in the review, focusing on the category of “white evangelicals” misses a powerful cultural force behind many of today’s political issues. They argue that a belief system they call “Christian nationalism” is behind it. Evangelicalism and Christian nationalism are not one and the same. The review indicates that solely blaming white evangelicals is simplistic, and the book shows that the situation is more complex. Yet evangelicalism helped this movement grow.
♦ Here is an interesting article from The Washington Post: Seeking power in Jesus’ name: Trump sparks a rise of Patriot Churches. The above book is mentioned. I was able to access the article without hitting a paywall. An excerpt from the 
article:
“The Patriot Churches belong to what religion experts describe as a loosely organized Christian nationalist movement that has flourished under President Trump. In just four years, he has helped reshape the landscape of American Christianity by elevating Christians once considered fringe, including Messianic Jews, preachers of the prosperity gospel and self-styled prophets. At times, this made for some strange bedfellows, but the common thread among them is a sense of being under siege and a belief that America has been and should remain a Christian nation.”
I bolded that, as it provides a summary explanation of Christian nationalism. Finally, here is a last link to share:
♦ Respected historian, professor, author, and Christian John Fea (whose blog is powered by 
wordpress) had this post: What is Christian Nationalism? Fea’s blog is worth following for thoughtful commentary.
Fea states: “Christian nationalism is defined by a fear that America’s Christian identity is eroding, a belief that the pursuit of political power is the way to ‘win back’ America, and a nostalgia for a Christian nation that probably never existed in the first place.”
⇒ ⇒ I hope these sources may be informative and helpful. Too many Christians are caught up in Trumpism, controlled by fear, and focused on political power…even if they are not full blown Christian nationalists. The Scripture repeatedly tells us to not be afraid, and warns about the dangers of power and pride. We worship the crucified God, the God who humbled himself and became human. The precepts of Christianity and the precepts of politics are at odds with each other.
Several years ago I taught an adult Sunday school class on The Beatitudes, and I am thinking I will get my teaching notes out and have a blog series soon.
People were astonished by some of the things Jesus taught, such as the Beatitudes… “If we are not, it is because we have heard Jesus’s teachings so often that their edges have been worn smooth, dulling their glaring subversiveness. If we would recover their original impact, we too would be startled.” – Huston Smith
First post on the beatitudes HERE.
Excellent post.
Thanks Vincent. I appreciate you letting me know.
You’re very welcome Laura 🙏
I am so tired and fed up with this hatred against white Americans and Christians. The Lord tells us to love each other and love our neighbors. I love my country, my neighbors, & my family with all my heart, and I will love them all & stand up strong and pray for them and preach the truth no matter who sticks their finger in my face. Our country is being taken over by communism, and the people who are doing it worship satan. I stand against those traitors, standing firm in Jesus. It has nothing to do with me being white, and there’s nothing sinful or wrong with being a Patriot who loves your country. I love just like Jesus commanded me to love. Grace & peace to you.
Interesting you won’t allow my comment to post. Guess you don’t like free speech or truth either. Cowardly and dishonest.
Ryan, I wrote this post over the weekend and scheduled it to post this morning. I just got out of bed. I have not had coffee yet. I saw 2 comments on my post, and I immediately approved one comment as it was not one that needed a reply from me. I thought I should reply to your comment, so I was waiting until I was more awake to approve it and reply.
This is my personal blog, and me not allowing a comment does not mean I don’t like free speech. You are able to post on your own blog. Please feel free to do so.
I have doubts you read my post and the linked articles because of the conclusion you came to: “It has nothing to do with me being white, and there’s nothing sinful or wrong with being a Patriot who loves your country.”
I am a white evangelical. I love my country and I am glad to be an American. But that does not mean evangelical Christians are above reproach or the United States is a perfect place.
I do not feel hated as a white person or as an evangelical, although evangelicalism has some troubling problems that need to be addressed and we have a sad history of racism in our nation. We can’t overlook our own sin as Christians, and only focus on the sin “out there.”
I did read it. Furthermore, what does loving your country have to do with racism? I am not a racist. There are millions of non-white people who are Patriots & who support Trump. Tired of people calling us racist just for loving our country and speaking the truth. Don’t fall for the liberal “social justice” lies.
Hi Ryan,
I think part of the problem is that the various sides don’t actually listen to one another and are too quick to put a simple label on a complex problem. In fact, I think that’s probably the point you’re making when you say “it has nothing to do with me being white, and there’s nothing sinful or wrong with being a Patriot who loves your country. Because it does get tiring to hear someone make a blanket statement like “all white people are racist,” etc.
However, I think your sentence “our country is being taken over by communism, and the people who are doing it worship satan” is another example of the same problem. That’s obviously hyperbole, and it just isn’t helpful, especially when things are as polarized as they currently are. We should be trying to understand one another’s points of view and trying to find common ground, not labeling other ideas in the most unflattering way possible.
Laura,
Thanks for posting about this. I think it’s an extremely important issue, and I’m glad to see you weighing in on it. Happy New Year — I hope you’re well. 🙂
Nate, Laura is blocking my other comments on here. Like the one where I asked her, what does racism have to do with loving your country, and I told her I am not a racist. Also, what I said about communism and those people worshiping satan is not hyperbole. It’s truth. Hopefully you will see this comment, but like I said, she won’t allow my comments to post on her page.
I am not blocking comments, even though I certainly have the right to do so on my own blog. I will approve them now. I use a desktop computer and can not sit at my desk all day. I do have to leave my desk and do other things around my home or even leave the house. Thanks.
In addition, I also get comments coming in for other posts, and it takes time for me to go through them all.
Great, thanks for approving them. I appreciate you letting me be part of the conversation.
Hi Ryan,
Laura moderates her comments, and I’ve often thought about doing the same myself. But I’ve always found her to be fair, even when I’ve posted things she disagrees with.
Anyway, you don’t think your previous statement was hyperbolic? You literally believe that the US is becoming communist and that those driving those efforts literally worship Satan? I feel like that claim would require quite a bit of evidence.
I’ll go ahead and give my perspective too. It’s been my experience that most people are pretty decent and want good things. People on the left want equality, many of them want better living conditions, wages, health care, etc. None of those things are bad — and I’d argue that it’s what most people on the right want as well. There’s just a disagreement about the best way to get there.
When you label a whole movement as communist Satan worshippers, how can common ground be found? It’s just not an accurate description of the other position.
Pew’s latest numbers of the Democratic Party show that the majority of Democrats are not only religious, but Christian:
https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/party-affiliation/democrat-lean-dem/
I can also tell you that there are very few actual Satanists. Most of the people who claim to be are actually atheists who just use the label to be provocative. There’s plenty of information about that if you’re interested in looking further.
Anyway, I’m not looking to get into an argument or anything. I just wanted to point out that speaking in sweeping generalizations doesn’t usually help anyone. It’s not an accurate reflection of reality, first of all. And if you’re trying to persuade someone, you’re not going to be very successful if you don’t seem to be making any efforts to actually understand their position.
That is absolutely ridiculous, Nate. Do you seriously think it is okay for a Christian to be a Democrat? They kill babies, sir, and they agree with homosexuality. There is nothing good or decent about their wicked ideology and what they are doing to our country. Wake up. That is absolutely absurd, and yes there is plenty of evidence that the communists worship the evil one. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, is a self-proclaimed Satanist. He regularly tweets about pedophilia & satanic verses. Do your own research about the leftist NWO globalists and you will find out. If you think democrats are Christians or their ideology is Christian, then you are completely deceived. Joe Biden is a pedophile and so is his son. There was plenty of disgusting evidence on Hunter’s laptop. Why don’t you go find Joe Biden’s daughter’s testimony about what he did to her. You don’t know what you are talking about and it shows. Disgusting ignorance. I’m done talking with you and Laura.
I am so sorry Nate. I did not have to approve it, but at times a comment can just speak for itself and be an example.
I appreciated your thoughtful and diplomatic reply to Ryan.
Since Ryan has said he is done communicating with both of us, I will say that the tagline for Ryan’s blog says: “A Christian author helping people come to Jesus, helping people understand the Bible, ministering to a lost and hurting world…” but it seems this is not the case. Things like this are so disheartening to me. So many Christians have ruined their testimony and are making Jesus and Christianity look so bad. Evangelicals as a whole need to weep and mourn over how our tradition (which has done much good) has nonetheless also produced such bad fruit. It is a time for much introspection and humility for those of us who identify as evangelical. I still do identify as evangelical, but these are troubling times.
Hi Laura, you’re right that times are troubling right now. I appreciate your comment, and I agree that Ryan’s kind of speaks for itself. It really worries me that people actually believe statements like his.
I do want to briefly say something about his comments on abortion and homosexuality. On the former, it’s not that people want to kill babies or think that abortion is no big deal. They just think that the best way to stop abortion is not to make it illegal but to offer contraception, better education, and better health care alternatives to women. But their overall intent — to reduce or eliminate abortions — is the exact same intent as the pro-life movement. Both sides could get farther if they’d stop demonizing one another.
With homosexuality, plenty of people on the left see no problem with it (including me), but some do. They just also believe in civil liberties — that a person should be able to live the life they choose as long as they’re not hurting anyone else.
In my opinion, Christians should be very concerned about movements that try to force religious beliefs on people, because there’s no guarantee that the religious beliefs being forced will be in line with your own. We are not a Christian nation, as you know — we’re a nation made up primarily of Christians. And our freedom of religion is one of the most valuable things we possess in this country. It’s what’s allowed Christianity to flourish (and evolve) here.
Again, I appreciate your voice on these matters. Thanks for speaking up 🙂
Hi Nate, I actually thought of you recently from the “old blogging days.” So it was good to hear from you. Thanks for contributing to the discussion. It is a frustrating time in our society, and even those generally good at listening and being as diplomatic (as possible) are losing patience – that includes me.
Thank you for posting my comments, well done. We must be able to freely have public discourse of opposing ideas. That is what the communists want to stop. They hate the truth. God bless you.
I replied back, but not seeing my comments again. Oh well.
Hi Laura, considering things, which are happening around us, especially as it pertains to Christianity, in light of ongoing and recent events, is a prudent thing, not something to be automatically dismissed, so I commend you for providing this information for us to consider. I know you enlightened me and I thank you for that. Blessings!
Thanks Bruce! For myself, reading/learning/thinking (trying to understand) is how I deal with things in life. I am not a fan of the self-help genre, but I joke that the entire library or book store is self-help for me. haha. I am looking forward to reading the one book I mentioned in this post when it arrives. Likely, I will review it on the blog but that may be a couple months from now.
Excellent, I look forward to seeing your review Laura. I wasn’t even aware that there was such a thing as “Christian Nationalism” so I am grateful to you for the information and it definitely helps me understand a little better, some of the things that I see happening around me. God’s blessings to you and yours!
Christian Nationalism is an oxymoron. Thank you for sharing this important overview, Laura!
I’d like to reblog this tomorrow, if I may.
Sure. It may not win you more followers (haha) but I feel it is something we need to speak out about, as diplomatically as possible, but with real concern.
I actually just finished reading the one book I mention: Taking America Back for God by Whitehead and Perry. I plan to review it but it will be a couple weeks, as I want to finish the beatitude series first. Their analysis is enlightening, and makes some important distinctions.
Thanks, Laura! I look forward to reading you review on Taking America Back for God.
Reblogged this on Mitch Teemley and commented:
My Featured Blogger this week is Laura of Enough Light. Laura is a Dallas Theological Seminary graduate and preacher/teacher who lives with her husband Bob and several beloved non-human family members. As a passionate supporter of authentic Christianity, she’s not afraid to throw down the gauntlet when the church wanders too far afield. So, although this post may rattle some, she feels the topic is simply too important to ignore. And so do I.
Thanks for sharing. Have had some similar conversations lately, and really appreciate the thoughtful analysis and the resources!
You are welcome Phillip. Thanks for your comment. I just finished reading the Taking America Back for God book and will review it on the blog after my beatitude series finishes.
Jesus wasn’t subversive. LOL! This is his kingdom–we’re subverting and undermining HIM!
Thanks for leaving a comment Hetty. I can overthink things and miss an obvious point, but I am not sure I understand what you are meaning in relation to the links and summaries I shared in the post? If I understand right, you see the quest for power by Christian nationalists as subverting and undermining the principles of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. I agree!
Very insightful and necessary post, Mitch. Thank you for your courage to say things that need to be said. I have grown more and more concerned for the church in America and what has looked more and more like the worship of Trump as the savior of America, with Jesus taking only a supporting role.
This post is wonderful, Laura. I follow your blog, so I don’t know how I missed it. I’m so glad Mitch reposted it.
Throughout this political nightmare, I cling to what Christ told Pontius Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world.” Amen!
Thanks Linda for the encouraging comment. I miss posts too, and I am not always sure how. Sometimes I wonder if wordpress has quirks. As you see, I got your other comment. No problem! And I understand.
I found your post thanks to the blogger Mitch Teemley who shared it on his site.
Thank you for putting into words (and links) thoughts I’ve been struggling with for the past four years.
Thank you for a well researched and helpful post. God Bless.
You are welcome David, and thanks for the encouraging comment.
This is good information. Thank you for providing perspective. I look forward to reading your future series on this important and impactful topic.
You are welcome! I do plan to review the book that analyzes Christian nationalism after the beatitude series.
Thank you, Laura, for this informative post about Christian nationalism. The rise of this dangerous distortion of the true gospel of Christ needs to be revealed, so more Christians can recognize and repudiate it.
I agree! You are welcome and thanks for your comment Kathy.
Christian Nationalism remains a oxymoron – to be a Christian we have to be Christlike, he said to his disciples that his kingdom wasn’t a human government and its authority comes from God.
Obey the political leaders but support God’s Kingdom as the only hope for Humanity. The Apostles and Christians died rather than associate themselves with Nationalistic practices.
Laura, thank you for sharing your heart with all of us. It is troubling; all of this venom being spewed from every direction. I don’t see Jesus in any of it. Yes, I believe in ‘fighting’ for what we believe in, standing for our values and the Kingdom of God.
What upsets me most is the attitude of “the ends justify the means.” Wrong is wrong, no matter which political party it is. If the behavior isn’t justifiable for one, it isn’t for another. Simply because 2 or 3 key issues line up with a certain set of beliefs, doesn’t make other abhorrent issues okay. We can’t gloss over what is convenient for us to do so. It hurts our witness as true followers of Christ! God is a jealous God and He will never be okay with idol worship, which is what I fear many fell into, even innocently. It troubled my heart, as it clearly has yours too.
We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Our professions of faith should match our actions. If we keep our eyes on JESUS and allow HIM to direct our hearts, our minds and our steps through Holy Spirit, we will see souls won for Christ. THAT is His heart. I pray the Church stands for what she believes but does so with love, holy conviction and with the Spirit of the Living God behind her.
Thank you again for sharing your heart. God bless you and yours! ♥️
You are welcome Holly and I appreciate your encouraging comment. “It hurts our witness as true followers of Christ!” – I think this is what upsets me the most about all this.