Christian Nationalism: The Evangelical Pursuit of Power

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I really thought Christian nationalism would wane after the defeat and failed coup attempt by former President Donald Trump and his minions. I was gravely mistaken.

As America becomes less white, less Christian, and more sexually diverse, a growing contingent of conservative politicians (Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Doug Mastriano, Ron DeSantis) are waging an ideological war on democracy. Goose-stepping right behind them is evangelical henchmen Sean Feucht, Al Mohler, Doug Wilson, and Greg Locke. This highly volatile and influential minority represents “the most disproportionate power that the Christian Right has had in my lifetime,” writes Robert Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute. It has gotten so bad Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger recently took to Twitter to denounce the “Christian Taliban,” referencing an expanding cabal of white conservative political and religious leaders who believe it is the role of the church to direct and control the nation.

Though the Constitution strictly forbids it, a Pew survey conducted in March 2021 found that 21 percent of Christians believe the federal government should declare the U.S. a “Christian nation,” and a quarter of them believe that the federal government should stop enforcing the separation of church and state. In the words of Christo-fascist Congressperson Boebert, “The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church…And I am tired of this separation of church and state junk.” How eloquent of her.

Tracing its roots all the way back to America’s founding, Yale historian Willie James Jennings believes Christian nationalism is the odd mix of evangelical fundamentalism, white supremacy, and colonization. According to Amanda Tyler with the Baptist Joint Committee, “The 'Christian' in Christian nationalism is more about identity than religion and carries with it assumptions about nativism, white supremacy, authoritarianism, patriarchy, and militarism.”

Christian nationalism, or the belief that America should be a Christian nation ruled by Christian men who establish Christian institutions, is a growing threat to American democracy not only because it is a threat to religious liberty, but primarily because many of its proponents are willing to resort to violence and authoritarianism to fulfill their final solution. Make no mistake, the end goal of all this culture warring has always been a theocracy.

This temptation to control culture, to bend the world to your religious will isn’t new, nor did it originate with the Trump church. Jesus faced the same temptation to bring about God’s kingdom through evil means. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus was driven into the wilderness where he was tempted with the three things modern Christians can’t get enough of–prosperity, power, and prestige. But the greatest of these is power.

Knowing Christ’s calling, Satan offered Jesus an easier, less painful path to kingship. “All this I will give you, if you bow down and worship me.” Instead of saving the nations through sacrifice and service, Satan is willing to deliver them to Jesus by force. But Jesus understands good ends can never be accomplished through evil means. The Way of God is always through invitation, never by way of forced conversion. “From his first testing in the desert to the last one in the garden, Jesus’ unceasing temptation was the plea of the crowds and of his disciples to strike out on the path of righteous kingship” by bringing His kingdom to fruition through power and coercion, writes theologian John Howard Yoder. Yet He never became a violent revolutionary. Whenever the disciples wanted to use force to bring about God’s good ends, Jesus rebuked them.

This is why so many of us in the deconstruction community are rebuking conservative evangelicals today. Forcing your fundamentalism on the world is Antichrist, no matter how pure your intentions. Unfortunately, this evangelical drive to control culture isn’t going away anytime soon. With a bent Supreme Court and Donald Trump waiting in the wings, their war on pluralism is just getting started. As former evangelicals, how do we help de-radicalize our friends and family who are so susceptible to the Satanic drive for power? How do we unmake Christian nationalists resorting to terrorism in Jesus’ name?

Democracy isn’t the only item at stake, the very nature and character of the church is being redefined and corrupted by this demonic quest for power.

Gary Alan Taylor
The Sophia Society