Examples of Christian nationalism can range from derogatory and exclusionary comments to issues of life and death.
People who espouse Christian nationalism often use the idea of Christianity or Christian language to demand conformity and promote policies and behaviors that solidify their power or status against others.
Christian nationalism suggests that “real” Americans are Christians and that “true” Christians hold a particular set of political beliefs, and so it seeks to privilege a narrow subset of Americans by law and in societal practice.
A policy or proposal might align with religious beliefs, but that does not mean it’s necessarily an example of Christian nationalism. For example, robbery is both illegal and against the teachings of Christianity (and many other religions). However, if a policy or proposal is based solely on religious belief and seeks to privilege a particular set of beliefs or a certain type of Christianity in law, it’s a hallmark of Christian nationalism. One example is how some states propose public school curricula that include lessons from the Bible under the guise of promoting “religious literacy,” but these lessons tend to focus on Christianity and rely on Christian texts or Christian interpretations of Jewish texts rather than providing a fair, well-rounded view of religion. You can read more about that specific issue on our page dedicated to our North Texas coalition.
“Christian nation” mythology is often used to marginalize non-Christians in political activity, too. Citizenship is not predicated on religious belief – you do not have to belong to a particular religion or any religion at all to be a citizen of the United States. Plus, our country’s separation of the institutions of religion and government does not — and should not — silence religious voices in the public square. People approach voting and public policy from a variety of perspectives, including their religious beliefs and ethics. Often, there are religious viewpoints on multiple sides of a policy debate.
Christian nationalism in the hands of extremists can lead to acts of violence, such as the shootings at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego, California. At times, these violent acts are perpetuated by those who mix Christian theology with nationalist ideas of exclusion and superiority. Some of the white nationalists who marched through Charlottesville in 2017 wore cross necklaces while chanting “Jews will not replace us.”
For a conversation evaluating several situations — from flags in church sanctuaries to saying the Constitution is “divinely inspired” — listen to the podcast episode titled “But … is it Christian nationalism?” on the Respecting Religion podcast (episode 21 of season 5).
