The Word in Focus with Dr Larry Taylor

Thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5-7

Part 5

The poor, the bereaved, the disenfranchised, the nobodies – it is these people who will become salt and light. Salt – preventing the spread of decay and corruption. Salt – healing wounds. Salt – making life flavorful. 

Light – dispelling darkness, replacing lies with truth, confronting conspiracy theories with facts. Light – guiding, illuminating, healing.

We influence society and culture by practicing self-sacrificial, other-oriented, cruciform love, not through political, military, paramilitary, or coercive power. Christian nationalism is contrary to the Kingdom way.

Christian nationalism misunderstands the Kingdom of God, has a mistaken theology, and leads people to innocently join a dangerous movement.

What is Christian nationalism? Simply put, Christian nationalism commingles church and state. It is an ideology that puts an empire (in this case, the United States) at the center of God’s plan for the world. It reinterprets the historic orthodox understanding of scripture and winds up supporting things contrary to Jesus’ teachings.

Christian nationalism is the amalgamation, the merger, the homogenization of Church and the nation-state. The Church becomes the chaplain of the empire. Christian nationalism uses Christianized language to support the state, and to support and excuse political corruption while ignoring the Sermon on the Mount.

Historian David Scott: “Christian nationalism identifies the nation with God’s will and action in the world; conflates national and Christian identity; and identifies service of the nation with service of God.”

Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, defines Christian Nationalism as “a political ideology and cultural framework that merges American and Christian identities.”

Christian nationalism is civil religion. It baptizes the state and its leaders as divinely appointed. Christian nationalism imagines a special divine blessing on “our” people and “our” nation.

As professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez indicates, American Christian nationalism adheres to “the belief that America is God’s chosen nation and must be defended as such.” 

The state, whether the United States or the Roman empire, is not the Kingdom of God. The stated goal of contemporary American Christian nationalism is to take over and control seven areas of influence (the “seven mountain mandate”) in society; viz., family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business, and government. Family is defined as one woman submitted to one man and their children. Religion means Christian fundamentalism. In their view, the media, the entertainment industry, business, and government at all levels should be run by fundamentalist Christians. Christian nationalism is another name for Dominion theology.

Nationalism bleeds into fascism, which is a far-right ultranationalist, authoritarian political ideology that (according to Merriam-Webster) “exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition.”

Nationalism frequently becomes jingoistic. Jingoism implies an aggressive, warlike, often belligerent foreign and domestic policy. Christian nationalism is militaristic; it strongly supports military might and power, proudly champions wars, and favors militarized policing, capital punishment, and punitive incarceration. Historically, Christian nationalism has always resulted in violence. Some Christian nationalists are avid gun-rights advocates and are upfront with the fact that they are prepared for and looking forward to an armed revolution.

Christian nationalism tends to be strongly anti-abortion, but not pro-life. Pro-birth is not the same as pro-life. Not a few “pro-life” people are pro-war, pro-capital punishment, pro-militarized policing. Some even advocate the death penalty for physicians performing abortions. Christian nationalists tend to do little to alleviate the underlying causes of abortions – poverty, mental health care, treatment for addictions, providing newly born babies with adoptive homes, or giving support to mothers who need it. 

Christian nationalism is patriarchal, encourages machoism, promotes submission to male heads of households and leaders, and the domestication of women.

Christian nationalism is based on fear. The influence of “white” Americans is waning, a fact used by fear-mongering politicians to increase their power and influence. In coming decades, Christians by any definition will no longer be a majority in the United States. Racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia are intertwined with Christian nationalism. 

Everywhere Christian nationalism has gained a foothold, it has destroyed democracy, oppressed minorities, and promoted violence. It is Christian in name only.

Nationalism is not simply patriotism, even though the two are often conflated. Nationalism idolizes the nation, promotes it as superior to all others, and ignores its weaknesses, failures, and historic sins. Nationalism ignores and rewrites history. 

Christian nationalism elevates secular documents (such as the Constitution and Bill of Rights) and secular holidays (e.g., Independence Day, Memorial Day) to the level of the sacred. Christian nationalist pastors lead congregations in pledging allegiance to the flag. Churches have flags behind the altar. The Star-Spangled Banner and The Battle Hymn of the Republic are sung as if they were Christian hymns.

Of all people, followers of Jesus should be honest about themselves and the nation in which they live. Christian nationalism promotes the myth of a glorious patriarchal past and imagines a group of “others” (e.g., Jews, African Americans, liberals, elites, atheists, Democrats, socialists, Communists, immigrants, Mexicans, Muslims, LGBTQ+, etc.) who threaten that great legacy.

Christian nationalism is anti-intellectual. Universities and scientific research institutions are branded as hotbeds of communism, feminism, and atheism. Experts are dismissed as elitists. Similarly, Christian nationalism is anti-science, which leads to opposing public health measures, denying human-caused climate change, and doing little or nothing to stop pollution and mass extinction. 

Christian nationalism is idolatrous. Its gods are Mars (militarism, political violence like the January 6, 2021 insurrection), Caesar (political power, the Imperial Cult, the idolization of the strongman leader), and Mammon (the love of money because money brings power).

The Bible does not teach that followers of Jesus should take over areas of influence in society, push their views on others, or mandate morality. Scripture does not teach that the church should be the chaplain of the empire. In fact, it teaches the opposite. 

God calls us to love, serve, and care for, not take over and control. We are to wash feet, not run the empires of the world.  

Christian nationalism is diametrically contrary to the teachings of the New Testament and the implications of those teachings for social justice, war, violence, guns, immigration, healthcare, and environmental stewardship.

Following Jesus includes the understanding that we are pilgrims and ambassadors, citizens of the Kingdom of God. The kingdoms of this world are driven by greed, power, and ambition. We have only one Lord – Jesus. To him alone we pledge allegiance. Hopefully, we are humble enough to be teachable, speak truth (not conspiracy or propaganda), and know there is no “us” versus “them.” 

Every person has unsurpassable worth, each created in the image and likeness of God. Obedience to God means we serve and care for the environment and the animal kingdom, promote justice and peace, welcome people of all ethnicities, genders, and beliefs, and care for those Jesus described as “the least” of his siblings.We are to be known by our love. God’s criterium for success is how well we love. 

As followers of Jesus, we stand against injustice, against fascism, against “Christian” nationalism, and on the side of the poor, oppressed, marginalized and disenfranchised. We try to live by the Sermon on the Mount, and to follow the Lamb of God – not a donkey or an elephant. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We pledge allegiance to no other.