Tag Archives: faith

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Christian Nationalism vs Patriotism

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What’s the difference between Christian Nationalism and Patriotism?

If you have ever been to Branson, Missouri, and enjoyed any of the musical shows or performances, there is a very good chance that at some point every veteran in the building will be asked to stand.  The emcee will share a word of thanks to the veterans for their service and then a patriotic song will be sung.  If you attend more than one show during a visit, this repetitive act of patriotism begins to feel forced and performative.  When this type of performance is done in a church worship setting, it crosses the line into Christian Nationalism.  

Patriotism is a love for one’s country, seeing what is good and bad, and calling for change within one’s nation.  Christian nationalism is the idea that claims the United States is a Christian nation and seeks to merge Christian and American identities. Patriotism is a sentiment of gratitude and pride. Nationalism asserts that our country was founded by Christian men with the intention that all laws and citizens practice this religion.  Often leaving those outside the preferred religious view to be excluded or demoted to second-class citizen status.  Patriotism focuses on love of country, while Christian nationalism seeks to impose a particular religious and national identity, believing the nation’s purpose is tied to God’s plan. 

Flag pins, like these, sold by Oriental Trading, are a great example of mixing our faith symbols with a patriotic one.  We are a nation that welcomes Christians and all religions, but we are not a Christian Nation to the exclusion of all religions.  My experience in Christian Nationalism reflects a very particular interpretation of Christianity, history and Biblical interpretation.  Generally, it is a narrow understanding of grace, forgiveness and who is considered righteous.   It may give prescribed roles to men and women.  It may decry anyone who is transgender, gay or lesbian as undesirable.  Brian Kaylor said,  in his recent appearance on the podcast of the Good God Podcast:  “Because what Christian nationalism is doing is it’s arguing that to be considered a real American, to be truly American, you have to be a Christian.” 

One of the tentpoles of our Constitution is the First Amendment, which holds that we are a nation with freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the government to address our grievances. The ongoing power of the First Amendment is our collective right to petition for change and to assemble to express our hope for a better future.  

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Pressure Points

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The church I serve is a member of the Good Faith Network in Johnson County, Kansas, which uses the DART model to organize social change in our community. Our community has identified three pressing needs for change and revolution: affordable housing, mental health access, and homelessness. The thirty faith communities that are a part of our Network have been working for three years to bring about change in a county that likes to believe it does not have problems. The work that has been accomplished is quite remarkable.

Through the Good Faith Network’s efforts, the county owns and is ready to operate a year-round homeless shelter. Our efforts have also led to the development of a Crisis Stabilization Center for those who voluntarily admit themselves for psychiatric assessment, which will open later this year. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity we have launched the Pathway Housing Development, right down the street from Aldersgate United Methodist Church.

On Tuesday evening, over 1500 people attended the Nehemiah Action Event, the culmination of a year’s work to pressure county officials to change their actions in our three identified areas of impact. Amazingly, most of the public officials who were invited to this event agreed to follow through on the action items the Network brought up for attention. One of the officials was not willing to commit to the requests of the Network leaders. There were some uncomfortable moments when the public officials said that he could not promise to deliver on the timeline for the changes the Network was requesting. I felt the tension of those moments, and I wanted to yell, “It’s okay; we know you are doing your best.” (I’m a recovering people pleaser.) But our presenter held steady and leaned into the tension with hopes of an agreement. There was no change in the official’s stance, but there were promises to continue working for solutions to our community problems.

Pressure points are uncomfortable. Historically, I have not liked to feel the tension of a board meeting or tense conversation. However, my life experience has taught me that change can happen at pressure points. What the Good Faith Network has accomplished in only three years is nothing short of miraculous. So, even when I feel uncomfortable, I am going to lean into the tension and hope for the positive changes that the community needs and deserves.