{"id":52988,"date":"2023-06-16T18:14:57","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T18:14:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wagingnonviolence.org\/forusa\/?p=52988"},"modified":"2023-06-26T19:01:44","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T19:01:44","slug":"resisting-christian-nationalism-ominous-new-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wagingnonviolence.org\/forusa\/2023\/06\/resisting-christian-nationalism-ominous-new-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"Resisting Christian nationalism\u2019s ominous next stage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When people say, \u201cI don\u2019t understand how an Evangelical Christian could vote for Donald Trump,\u201d I ask, \u201cWhat have you done to understand them?\u201d The usual response is something like, \u201cNothing, you can\u2019t talk to those people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three recently published books provide some perspectives on understanding the so-called Christian Nationalist movement<\/a> and the people who identify with it. Using the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection as a catalyst, each author explores the history, cultural context and possible future of the white-dominant Christian Nationalist movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper-White is an Episcopal priest and pastoral psychotherapist. In \u201cThe Psychology of Christian Nationalism,\u201d she seeks \u201cto understand who comprises the Christian nationalist movement and what they believe.\u201d Her goal is to offer recommendations for how to \u201ctriage\u201d when a meaningful conversation with Christian nationalist-leaning people is possible and when the situation is such that meaningful dialogue is not possible.<\/p>\n\n\n

Previous Coverage<\/h6>
  • \"\"<\/a> Christianity will fail if we don\u2019t stop Christian nationalism<\/a><\/li><\/section>\n\n\n\n

    Using current sociological studies, Cooper-White provides a definition of Christian nationalism and statistics on how pervasive acceptance of those beliefs are. For example, 80 percent of self-described Evangelicals surveyed share some agreement with Christian nationalist viewpoints. The statistical content is clearly written so that a layperson can grasp it easily. \u201cThe Psychology of Christian Nationalism\u201d could be useful for a congregational or community study group, especially in locations actively engaging with Christian nationalist activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u00adDr. Bradley Onishi was a youth minister in an Evangelical megachurch until 2004, and is now a scholar of religion, college professor, and host of the \u201cStraight White American Jesus\u201d podcast. After the events of Jan. 6, he started wondering whether he \u201cwould have been there\u201d had he stayed in that community. In the ominously titled book \u201cPreparing for War,\u201d he is aware that former friends and church members were present that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Acknowledging that the roots of white Christian nationalism can be traced to the 19th century and earlier, both of these authors focus on the cultural and political upheavals of the 1960s as the catalyst for its growth. For Onishi, the nomination of Barry Goldwater as the Republican presidential candidate in 1964 was the starting point of a thread that continued to Ronald Reagan and ultimately to Donald Trump. That, in turn, brought the so-called Christian nationalist movement to the fore, resulting in the actions of Jan. 6. With that analysis, he concludes that Jan. 6 was not the \u201clast gasp\u201d of the movement, but an ominous new stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cPreparing for War\u201d ultimately functions as a prophetic voice in the tradition of the Hebrew scriptures. After naming the individual and systemic forces that have brought us to our current dark situation, Onishi first asks, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t we see this coming?\u201d In that same tradition, he affirms that we are not without hope and provides several examples of movements working to build an alternative narrative. The hopeful outcome is not guaranteed without vigilant attention to the very real threat that white Christian nationalism poses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201c<\/strong>The 7 Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism\u201d is a historical\/theological\/sociological exploration of the broader context and foundation of the movement. The Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward, an Episcopal priest recognized as a pioneer in the fields of feminist liberation theology and the theology of sexuality, is \u201cwriting to white Protestant Christians,\u201d specifically \u201cthose who are moderate to progressive in their politics and spiritualities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The \u201cseven deadly sins\u201d referenced in the title are identified as: the lust for omnipotence, entitlement, white supremacy, misogyny, capitalist spirituality, domination of the Earth and its creatures and finally, violence. Each topic is explored in a separate chapter but the interrelationship of all is made clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By themselves, these chapters are a \u201cheavy lift,\u201d but the reader is not left without resources. In the concluding section, \u201cQuestions and Call,\u201d Heyward writes, \u201cThe rest of this book is intended to help Christians think about what we can do. How can we strengthen the moral resistance to this authoritarian movement in our midst before it\u2019s too late?\u201d Part of the answer is a set of calls parallel to the chapters on the seven sins (e.g., entitlement\/embodying humility). Each call provides analysis and reflection to help readers move toward the author\u2019s intention to \u201cstrengthen the moral resistance.\u201d Each call includes discussion questions for individual or group study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Heyward is aware that readers might feel overwhelmed, or at least have questions, about whether it is feasible to \u201cundercut and eventually disarm and defeat\u201d Christian nationalism. To that end, the author offers this counsel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n