Webinar Recap: Responding to Christian Nationalism
“Responding to Christian Nationalism” was a webinar sponsored by on January 20 featuring Jerry Gale, a member of Hennepin Avenue UMC in Minneapolis, MN. Using clips from one of the resources of Christians Against Christian Nationalism, Jerry explained how vital it is to Christianity and civil society for Christians to root out Christian Nationalism. He defined it, in part, as “A cultural framework that idealizes and advocates a fusion of Christianity* with American civic life.” *Christianity in this context means “people like us” (white, US born, culturally Christian.)
People have used Christianity to support their thirst for power, wealth, and to justify dominating others. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V’s Doctrine of Discovery gave license for Christians to take land and belongings from non-Christians and enslave them. Closer to home, the Anglicans deemed baptism was a spiritual experience, not a civil matter. In Christian Nationalist thought, “Christ” is adapted to anyone’s whim and the true values the man Jesus embodied are set aside and suppressed.
Today, one survey shows 50% of Christians who attend worship once a week are adherents or sympathizers to Christian Nationalist ideals, yet 18% in those categories attend worship seldom or never. Christian Nationalists do not always practice Christianity, so scripture is unlikely to influence their point of view.
Biblical texts that could sway Christians include the Sermon on the Mount, the “Good Samaritan” parable, Matthew 5:43-46 (love your enemies), and Matthew 25:34-40 (if you offer food, drink, clothing for the least of these, you do it for me.)
Gale listed ways congregations and individuals might respond. He has launched a Minnesota chapter of Christians Against Christian Nationalism in Minnesota. Some congregations declare themselves Matthew 25 congregations . Others read, study, and educate themselves. It is vital to ground ourselves in the teachings of Jesus, see the common humanity of all, build bridges across differences, and spend time with people who are different from us.
He also suggested we attend candidates’ forums for local elections and ask questions to identify whether school board or city council candidates are Christian Nationalists. The third-in-line for Presidency of the US, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, is a full-blown Christian Nationalist.
The program included a list of Christian Nationalist organizations, some organizations that counter Christian Nationalist influence, and a list of pertinent books and other resources. Small group discussion help webinar participants from across the country share ideas and make connections.
If you missed the event, but still want to watch it, you can request permission to view the recording by emailing to wmjm@wmjm.org. Limited viewing will be available for a short time. For more information on Christian Nationalism, contact Jerry Gale jerrygalenm@gmail.com.