Christian Nationalism, Christ and Culture
Growing up Catholic in New York, I remember the annual holiday services at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, where politicians and local officials would gather for Mass. Saint Patrick’s became a familiar backdrop for major religious ceremonies, often filled with recognizable faces. Yet beyond those special occasions, I witnessed little political engagement or presence within the life of the church. When I transitioned into Protestantism, the experience was different indeed. In the inner city, churches often were the central hubs of political activity. Every major justice movement, from voting rights to the March on Washington to the MeToo movement, came through the church. During election season, candidates would flock to pulpits on Sunday mornings, intermingling faith speak within campaign speeches to woo potential voters in the congregations. They discussed social and economic issues, using the sacred space to court votes.
When one’s political beliefs invade the sacred space, that’s when the tension begins for me. The rise and emboldening of the Christian Nationalist movement over the past few years are among the prime examples of how politics and faith have painfully intersected. I believe faith should shape how we see justice and human dignity, but when it’s co-opted by political agendas, its moral power is diluted, and we hear more of what thus saith man and the people vs. what thus saith the Lord. My hesitation comes in watching pulpits turn into platforms. Churches should be shaping the spiritual formation of the community and not becoming auxiliary campaign offices. I believe faith must inform politics, but it must never be held prisoner by it.
I understand the rise of Christian nationalism as a distortion of the gospel that is seeking power under the guise of piety. As Russell Moore argues in Losing Our Religion, many evangelicals in Western democracies have exchanged moral conviction for political convenience, confusing cultural dominance with faithfulness. Christian nationalisms and civil religions are a kind of Great Commission in reverse, in which the nations seek to make disciples of themselves, using the authority of Jesus to baptize their national identity in the name of blood and of the soil and of the political order.[1] This fusion of Christianity and nationalism is rooted in fear. A fear of losing dominance, influence, identity, and status in a diverse and ever-changing world. Yet, as Moore warns, when the church begins to mirror the political sphere around it, its prophetic voice becomes muted and laryngitis sets in during critical times; empires should be emphatically challenged.
Wright and Bird, in Jesus and the Powers, remind us that Jesus’ lordship would confront worldly power, not endorse it. Christians can do the same. It can be right for Christians to retort to state authorities. We must obey God, not human beings, and not be afraid of refusing the king’s orders. [2] Faithful public witness to me is humility, while also speaking truth to power with no fear of consequence. Esther is a good example as she risked it all for the sake of truth-telling and service, saying, If I perish, I perish. (Esther 4:16, NRSV)
I believe we discern when Jesus is being used rather than followed by asking a simple question: Does this or any movement reflect the character of Christ? Does it reflect a love for all of God’s people, more particularly the least, the immigrant, and the stranger? I know that every person who mixes faith and socio-political matters is not a nationalist, but the bigger question is, are they Kingdom? I just shared on Sunday with a group of people Jesus’ admonition to his disciples, not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21, NRSV)
The Progressive Christianity movement encounters a danger zone when it prioritizes being culturally relevant over being biblically rooted. Also being biblically rooted and culturally relevant. It is possible to pursue justice and equality and be rooted in idolatry, particularly when our pursuits are clearly detached from the lordship of Christ.
I believe in loving the things that Jesus loves while having a holy discontent for the things that are not. However, when sin, repentance and grace and love are selectively denied, this is a recipe for disaster and detachment, and a heart check should be in order as to whether we are acting in grace or self-righteousness. For the Christian message is that all human beings reflect the image of God: God loved the world so much that he sent his son to save it, and the cross proves the true power is found in weakness, greatness is attained in service, revenge only begets greater evil, and all victims will be vindicated at God’s judgment seat. [3]
Social media has become a dominant force in shaping others’ opinions on politics and the church. Recently, I watched another pastor go viral for how he conducted an offering for his building fund campaign. There are social media snipers in the clouds, but I believe the church must be vigilant and proactive. We must be intentional in our witness in informing others that social media is not the gospel. Moore warns that when our moral imagination is shaped more by tribal loyalty than by the cross, we exchange truth for affirmation. The counter to this should be conviction and spiritual formation as empathy and engagement must be revived if we are ever going to stem the overwhelming tide of clickbait and misinformation. While Christian Nationalism and other mainstream religious political organizations can be viewed as taking a wrong turn for the worse, Moore suggests, their roots are tied to formation. Christian nationalism, blood-and-soil identity politics, and every other self-defining cultural or political category is really rooted in something God created and declared to be good—the longing for membership. [4]
Outside the church, it means modeling compassion, justice, and truth in public life. I will challenge both comfort and conformity, reminding others that Christ’s kingdom is not won through fear or power but through grace and sacrifice. Authentic leadership begins where the gospel reshapes our imagination—teaching us to seek God’s reign, not cultural approval. In my own context, I will lead others by providing a safe space for spiritual formation and by engaging in acts of service.
Many issues require attention, but approach and authenticity must be among the necessary staples for success. This can occur by speaking truth to power while simultaneously being a voice to the voiceless. Politics existed in Jesus’ day and will never go away. Add this to the wicked problem list. However, I am crazy enough to believe that Love still wins, and when God’s unconditional love is honestly and authentically displayed by his church, heaven will become more crowded.
[1] Russell Moore, Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, (New York: Sentinel, 2023), 120.
[2] N.T. Wright and Michael Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2022), 112.
[3] Bird and Wright, 28.
[4] Moore, 137.
About the Author
Daren Jaime
12 responses to “Christian Nationalism, Christ and Culture”
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Hey Daren,
I appreciated what you shared about the discomfort you feel when politicians use sacred spaces to gain votes and how churches can so easily start to feel like campaign outposts. I feel that same unease. When faith and politics get too tangled, it seems we risk losing sight of what the church is meant to be—a place of worship, not a platform for power. As a church leader, how do you navigate such a polarized climate and the pull to bring politics into sacred spaces? On a practical level, are there any boundaries or guidelines in your church that help keep the focus on worship and spiritual growth rather than political influence?
Hi Elysse, Navigating a polarized climate requires a great deal of restraint, as there is a temptation to just get in the fray. As a pastor, I am committed to protecting both the pew and the pulpit., The pulpit must remain prophetic and not political, not a political space for truth, not a space for campaigning. I remind my congregation that the church’s role is to shape conscience and facilitate awareness, but not to endorse candidates. We maintain clear boundaries: no political speeches, endorsements, or campaign materials are allowed in the sanctuary. However, we do host forums and welcome hosting organizations desiring to educate the community on socio-economic issues, civic responsibility, and justice through a biblical lens. I believe the church can still remain a sacred space where faith informs engagement without being hijacked by it. In doing so, we preserve the church as a place of worship, witness, and moral clarity.
Hi Daren! Thank you for your powerful conclusion: “I am crazy enough to believe that Love still wins, and when God’s unconditional love is honestly and authentically displayed by his church, heaven will become more crowded.” May it be so Lord Jesus!
Thank you for this Kari!
Hi Daren,
I have mental images of the church being a location of political ‘good’ for humanity. When and how, if ever, can the church still organize for ‘good’ causes that have become political?
Hey Julie, I think I covered a lot of your answer in Elysse’s response, but I’ll add more. Advocacy becomes faithful when rooted in justice, mercy, and loving our neighbor. When the cause serves the Kingdom, not the candidate, we are in order. The church can remain prophetic without being partisan.
Hi Daren, I was just reading through Esther today and thought how courageous she was to approach the king. Seeing it in your post was a serendipity. Anyway, Scripture is pretty clear that she could do it by being in communion with and relying on God to help her. Do you have places within your ministry that you have been nudged to speak truth to power in a way that required leaning on God?
Hi Diane. Yes, unfortunately, I have had to be a voice in a few areas in my tenure here. Poverty, gentrification, and the lack of opportunity are among the social challenges that warrant my advocacy and speaking truth to power. In several instances, there have been positive outcomes, and in others, not so successful. However, the greatest way I get to speak is weekly. I remind my congregation many times that truth always prevails, and Jesus still reigns.
Hello, Doctor –
Thank you for the thoughts, as I enjoy a rainy Saturday morning coffee. Your blog was a good read. A few points that stood out to me:
* I’m curious what was behind your transition from Catholicism to Protestantism. There may be a deeper story for another time, but still, I would be interested if you care to share.
* I said “yes,” aloud to your point, “Churches should be shaping the spiritual formation of the community and not becoming auxiliary campaign offices. I believe faith must inform politics, but it must never be held prisoner by it.”
* Your point, “This fusion of Christianity and nationalism is rooted in fear. A fear of losing dominance, influence, identity, and status in a diverse and ever-changing world,” is well taken. I have said for a while that as the racial and ethnic demographics approach the point of the minority becoming the majority (some predict as soon as 2030), the cultural tension will rise like a pot boiling over. I call it “the brown scare,” a term that was commonly used in the Chicano movement.
* “Social media snipers in the clouds,” – a new phrase to me. A good visual in making your point.
*”Christian nationalism, blood-and-soil identity politics, and every other self-defining cultural or political category is really rooted in something God created and declared to be good—the longing for membership,” – this holds true for so many things, especially for children who turn to neighborhood street gangs when they lack a base of support.
*”I am crazy enough to believe that Love still wins, and when God’s unconditional love is honestly and authentically displayed by his church, heaven will become more crowded.” You are among like-minded friends in this program!
Hi Doctor Eckert, Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your affirmation. It is true that many people innocently and then intentionally connect to detrimental, disruptive, and dysfunctional causes in a longing for membership. This is one of the reasons why gangs can gain traction in so many communities.
The fear factor is real, and to your point, much of the deportations you see are simply population-driven. It is also referred to as the “Brown-ing of America.”
Yes, I can tell you about the transition from Catholicism to Protestantism later, as it was a spiritual awakening for me!
Hello, Daren, thank you for your post that affirms the Christians, especially Christian leadership’s position with regards to politics. I am in total agreement to that statemen, “…faith must inform politics, but it must never be held prisoner by it.” I believe that one of the issues we’ve seen in some churches. Thank you.
Noel, Thank You. Yes, faith must guide politics, not the other way around. Churches that can maintain that balance in this climate are doing uphill work as the pulpit has fallen over in too many spaces for solely political entrenchment.