{"id":42343,"date":"2025-10-20T16:02:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T23:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=42343"},"modified":"2025-10-20T16:02:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T23:02:59","slug":"dont-drape-the-cross-with-our-flag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/dont-drape-the-cross-with-our-flag\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Drape the Cross with our Flag!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Current Understandings<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I returned to the United States after living in Kenya for five years, I was asked what I believed was Christianity\u2019s biggest threat here in the U.S. My answer then, as it remains now, is Christian nationalism. For years, I have argued that Christian nationalism is the greatest obstacle to the true spread of the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus. As I\u2019ve discerned this threat, I\u2019ve become increasingly vocal against it, which is why I\u2019ve chosen to write and speak about the political trends shaping our day.<\/p>\n

Speaking out has come at a cost\u2014both in strained relationships and in personal financial support. That said, I have done a great deal of reading in this area over the last few years and feel comfortable engaging this topic.<\/p>\n

I was raised in a Republican home where my parents listened daily to people like James Dobson, John MacArthur, and Rush Limbaugh. We were part of the Moral Majority and demanded Bill Clinton\u2019s impeachment when he had a moral failure. A U.S. flag adorned our church stage alongside the EFCA flag. (Why a church denomination needs a flag is a question I\u2019ll set aside for now.) To be a Christian in my community meant voting pro-life\u2014and that was really the only topic that mattered when it came to our vote.<\/p>\n

Christian Nationalism and Evangelical Complicity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s easier to describe what something is not than to say what it is. Christian nationalism is not<\/em> when Christians speak out against cultural trends or vote according to their moral convictions. It\u2019s also difficult to define precisely\u2014yet we often know it when we see it.<\/p>\n

For instance, evangelical leader Russell Moore writes, \u201cThe gallows and the slogan \u2018Jesus saves\u2019 coexisted in the same place on Jan 6.\u201d[1]<\/a> The blatant contradiction here makes it clear that this was Christian nationalism. It\u2019s also important to note that Christian nationalism is not uniquely an American problem. As journalist Tim Alberta highlights, it\u2019s a global issue, \u201cBy the time Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin had perfected a propaganda that casts nationalist aggression in terms of cultural defense, geopolitical conquest in terms of religious obligation.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at a few definitions before I offer my own. Moore defines Christian nationalism as \u201ca prosperity gospel for nation-states, a liberation theology for white people.\u201d[3]<\/a> Investigative reporter Katherine Stewart writes, \u201cThe desired end state of Christian nationalism today is neither to win a majority nor to secure a seat at the table in a pluralistic democracy but to entrench minority rule under the fa\u00e7ade of democracy.\u201d[4]<\/a> National security expert Elizabeth Neumann adds, \u201cWhen fully embraced, nationalism believes that the government should have jurisdiction over culture.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

My definition:<\/strong> Christian nationalism is the attempt to force Christianity onto a population through political means\u2014wrapping the cross of Christ with the flag of the nation. In doing so, we forget that our true identity is in the kingdom of God, and we begin responding in fear to those who are not like us.<\/p>\n

Instead, I believe Christians should live out their faith publicly, alongside others in their community. N.T. Wright and Michael Bird call this confident pluralism: \u201cConfident Pluralism has a very simple premise, namely, that people have the right to be different\u2014to think differently, to live differently, to worship differently\u2014without fear of reprisal.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

Progressive Christianity, Leadership, and Our Imperative<\/strong><\/p>\n

One downside of liberation theology is its tendency to focus solely on liberation movements or social justice causes while neglecting the salvific work of the gospel regarding sin. Conversely, one of its strengths is the hope it offers amid struggle.<\/p>\n

Tragically, churches like the one I grew up in often see progressive churches supporting justice causes and decide to avoid justice issues altogether. For instance, this past weekend I attended a local \u201cNo Kings\u201d march in my city. I held up a sign that read, Evangelical Christian for welcoming our immigrant neighbors.<\/em> Many people wanted to take pictures of it and expressed appreciation for what it said. Yet, among the 4,000 people in attendance, I didn\u2019t recognize a single face. This is odd because in my small city, I can rarely go to the grocery store without seeing someone I know, so this felt isolating.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Still, even in that isolation, I knew I was in the right place\u2014a space in the middle ground, aligned with neither the left nor the right. I believe this is the space that needs leadership. Russell Moore warns, \u201cIf you don\u2019t speak into issues, then they become normalized.\u201d[7]<\/a> A pushback against the nationalist movement is exactly what is needed right now, and it requires us to lean into this in-between space.<\/p>\n

Authors like Russell Moore, Jim Wallis, and Elizabeth Neumann give me hope and remind me that I am not alone. Neumann writes, \u201cThis book aims to encourage the faithful remnant. You are not alone. And we can walk this path toward peace together.\u201d[8]<\/a> Moore similarly notes that this nuanced approach is not one for the masses but for a remnant.[9]<\/a><\/p>\n

I believe leaders need to remind people that a one-sided approach will never work. We are called to be ambassadors of God\u2019s kingdom, and that calling requires us to enter spaces that are nuanced and challenging. Jesus did not seize the military and dominate Rome, yet He was not afraid to engage politically.<\/p>\n

Wright highlights the political landscape that the King of Kings entered into, \u201cJesus grew up in the immediate aftermath of the failed Galilean rebellions where the physical signs and traumatic memories of Roman imperial violence, including crucifixions, were everywhere.\u201d[10]<\/a> Wright further warns that Christian nationalism \u201cleads to a superficial Christianity rather than to sincere faith and deep discipleship.\u201d[11]<\/a><\/p>\n

This is the imperative: Christians are to live as ambassadors (a political title) of the kingdom of God (a political and spatial realm). Our morals and values should absolutely shape who we are and how we engage the world. Yet we cannot demand that all of humanity share those same values and morals.<\/p>\n

We must recognize that we live in a pluralistic society and find our space\u2014and our voice\u2014within it. This means calling out the nationalistic attitudes present in both political parties and guarding the cross from being draped with any national flag. The kingdom of God is not concerned with preserving one little nation to the exclusion of others.<\/p>\n

_____________________________________________________<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Russell Moore, Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America<\/em> (Sentinel, 2023). Audio. Chapter 3.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Tim Alberta, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism<\/em> (Harper, 2023), 233.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Moore, Losing Our Religion<\/em>. Chapter 3.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Katherine Stewart, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy<\/em> (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025), 19.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Elizabeth Neumann, Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace<\/em> (Worthy, 2024), 47.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies<\/em> (Zondervan, 2024), 171.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Moore, Losing Our Religion<\/em>. Chapter 2.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Neumann, Kingdom of Rage<\/em>, 7.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Moore, Losing Our Religion<\/em>. Chapter 5.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Wright and Bird, Jesus and the Powers<\/em>, 19.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> Wright and Bird, Jesus and the Powers<\/em>, 132.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Current Understandings When I returned to the United States after living in Kenya for five years, I was asked what I believed was Christianity\u2019s biggest threat here in the U.S. My answer then, as it remains now, is Christian nationalism. For years, I have argued that Christian nationalism is the greatest obstacle to the true […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":205,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3325,3308,2967],"class_list":["post-42343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-russellmoore","tag-wright-and-bird","tag-dlgp03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42343"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42345,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42343\/revisions\/42345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}