Christian Nationalism vs. Christianity
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Christian Nationalism vs. Christianity
Christian nationalism and Christianity are related in contemporary political debate, but they are not synonymous. Christianity is a global religious tradition centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, while Christian nationalism generally refers to political ideas that connect Christianity with the identity, institutions, laws, or political destiny of a particular nation.
The sources discussing Christian nationalism do not present a single universally accepted definition. Scholars, journalists, pastors, denominational leaders, and advocates frequently disagree about what beliefs should qualify as Christian nationalism. Some use the term relatively narrowly for efforts to give Christianity formal political privilege or to define national belonging in explicitly Christian terms. Others use it more broadly for movements that combine Christian symbolism, national identity, political conservatism, or claims that a nation has a special relationship with God.
Defenders of Christian nationalism also disagree among themselves about its meaning. Some describe it as an effort to preserve a nation's Christian moral inheritance without establishing a theocracy. Critics argue that connecting Christianity too closely to national political power can subordinate religious faith to political objectives. Because of these competing definitions, distinguishing Christianity, patriotism, nationalism, and Christian nationalism is central to the debate.
Christianity and Christian Nationalism
Christianity is a religious faith encompassing many denominations, theological traditions, cultures, and political viewpoints. Christians live throughout the world and have historically participated in widely different political systems and movements.
Christian nationalism, by contrast, is primarily a political and cultural concept. It concerns questions such as whether a nation's laws should explicitly reflect Christian teachings, whether Christianity should receive a privileged position in public institutions, whether national identity should be connected to Christian identity, and whether a nation can meaningfully be described as Christian.
Several Christian writers in the source material argue that ordinary Christian participation in politics should not automatically be classified as Christian nationalism. Christians may vote according to religious convictions, advocate public policies, discuss moral questions, or express affection for their country without necessarily believing that Christianity should define national citizenship or receive governmental preference.
This distinction is important because the term "Christian nationalism" is sometimes applied to very different phenomena. The material includes arguments that the term can become analytically unhelpful when it is used to describe nearly every form of conservative Christian political activity.
Christianity, Patriotism, and National Identity
A recurring distinction in the sources is between patriotism and nationalism.
Patriotism generally refers to affection, loyalty, or concern for one's country. Christian writers from several traditions argue that Christians can legitimately appreciate their nation, participate in civic life, serve their communities, and support political institutions.
Nationalism involves stronger claims about the nation as a central source of collective identity and political loyalty. Christian nationalism adds a religious dimension by associating Christianity with national identity, political authority, or national purpose.
Some Christian commentators therefore distinguish Christian patriotism from Christian nationalism. In this view, Christians may love their country while maintaining that religious faith transcends national boundaries.
Other writers defend forms of Christian nationalism and argue that nations inevitably depend on cultural and moral traditions. From this perspective, acknowledging Christianity's historical influence on national institutions does not necessarily require religious coercion or rejection of religious pluralism.
The disagreement partly concerns how political communities should relate to inherited religious traditions and how much influence Christianity should have over public morality, law, education, and government.
Competing Definitions of Christian Nationalism
The source material demonstrates that Christian nationalism is not a single organized movement with one universally accepted doctrine.
Some researchers distinguish several varieties, including charismatic or Pentecostal forms, Reformed or Calvinist approaches, Catholic integralist traditions, and other movements advocating different relationships between Christianity and political authority.
Christian nationalist writers likewise disagree about the role of government, religious establishment, pluralism, constitutional law, national identity, and the meaning of a "Christian nation."
Critics generally focus on political arrangements that give Christianity privileged governmental status, merge religious and national identity, or portray political power as necessary for advancing Christianity.
Other commentators caution that definitions can become so broad that ordinary religious conservatism, patriotism, or Christian political participation is incorrectly classified as Christian nationalism.
As a result, debates frequently begin with disagreements over terminology before reaching deeper theological or political questions.
Churches and Denominational Responses
Christian churches have increasingly debated Christian nationalism internally.
The uploaded material includes discussions from Baptist, Presbyterian, Reformed, Methodist, Episcopal, evangelical, Catholic, and other Christian perspectives. Some denominations and church leaders have issued statements warning that Christian faith should not be subordinated to national identity or state authority.
These responses often emphasize Christian teachings concerning love of neighbor, service, religious liberty, reconciliation, and the international nature of Christianity.
Other Christian theologians and commentators question whether categorical rejection of nationalism is warranted. Some argue that Christianity can legitimately influence national culture, public morality, law, and political institutions.
Church debates therefore involve both theology and political philosophy. Questions include whether governments should remain religiously neutral, whether Christian moral traditions should shape law, and whether describing a country as Christian refers to its population, history, culture, laws, or formal political institutions.
Church and State
Church-state relations form another major theme.
Some sources emphasize constitutional traditions of religious liberty and institutional separation between religious organizations and government. From this perspective, protecting Christianity does not require giving Christian institutions or citizens superior legal status.
Supporters of stronger Christian political influence argue that complete religious neutrality may be impossible because laws inevitably reflect moral assumptions. They therefore ask whether Christian ideas can legitimately inform public policy without establishing an official church.
The debate encompasses questions about religious freedom, public education, government symbolism, legislation, political rhetoric, and the role of religious organizations in civic life.
These issues are distinct from whether individual Christians should participate politically. Most perspectives represented in the source material accept some form of Christian civic participation while disagreeing substantially about the proper relationship between religion and governmental authority.
Academic Research and Public Opinion
Academic researchers have increasingly studied Christian nationalism as a social and political phenomenon.
Survey research shows that Americans attach different meanings to phrases such as "Christian nation" and "Christian nationalism." Some respondents associate a Christian nation with Christian moral values or historical traditions, while others understand it as governmental promotion of Christianity or formal religious preference.
Research also examines relationships between Christian-nationalist beliefs and attitudes toward democracy, political institutions, religious minorities, national identity, race, political violence, and perceptions of social groups.
These studies use different definitions, measurement scales, populations, and research methods. Findings therefore need to be interpreted in relation to the specific questions researchers asked rather than assuming that every person described as a Christian nationalist holds identical beliefs.
The research is also increasingly international. Scholars have examined forms of Christian or religious nationalism in Africa, Europe, and other regions, indicating that the relationship between religion and nationalism is not exclusively an American phenomenon.
Christianity, Race, and Nationalism
Some research and historical commentary examines relationships between Christian nationalism and racial identity.
Historical studies discuss instances in which Christian rhetoric became connected with racial hierarchy, segregation, or ideas about national belonging. Other research examines whether contemporary Christian-nationalist attitudes function differently among white, Black, Latino, and other Christian populations.
The source material also discusses Black Christian nationalism and other historically distinct movements, demonstrating that the phrase has been applied to political traditions with different racial histories and political objectives.
These differences make it important not to assume that every historical or contemporary form of Christian nationalism represents the same ideology.
Christian Nationalism and Democracy
The relationship between Christian nationalism and democratic government is another major subject of research and debate.
Critics argue that political systems granting preferential status to one religious tradition can create tensions with equal citizenship, religious pluralism, and church-state separation.
Some researchers investigate associations between Christian-nationalist attitudes and views concerning democratic institutions, political violence, authoritarian alternatives, religious minorities, and equal application of law.
Supporters of Christian nationalism dispute claims that the ideology necessarily requires authoritarian government. Some describe their goals as restoring cultural traditions, strengthening families and communities, encouraging Christian moral principles, or recognizing Christianity's historical influence rather than eliminating democratic institutions.
These disagreements illustrate why discussions of Christian nationalism often depend heavily on which particular political proposals or theological beliefs are under consideration.
Theological Criticism
Many Christian critics of Christian nationalism frame their objections in explicitly theological rather than secular terms.
They argue that Christianity is universal rather than national and that Christian allegiance ultimately belongs to God rather than any earthly government. From this perspective, identifying a particular nation's political success with divine purposes risks transforming patriotism or political ideology into a form of religious devotion.
Critics also emphasize New Testament teachings concerning love of neighbor, service, humility, reconciliation, and membership in a community extending across national boundaries.
Some describe Christian nationalism as dangerous when Christianity becomes an instrument for obtaining political power rather than a faith shaping the conduct of believers.
These theological critiques differ from arguments that religion should disappear from public life. Many critics represented in the source material explicitly defend Christian political participation while opposing the fusion of Christianity with national identity or governmental privilege.
Christian Defenses of Nationalism
The source material also contains arguments defending versions of Christian nationalism or questioning criticisms of it.
Some proponents argue that Christianity historically shaped Western political institutions and continues to provide moral principles useful to national life. They contend that Christian doctrine can restrain rather than encourage extreme nationalism by placing moral limits on political authority.
Others argue that nations require shared cultural identities and that Christian traditions can contribute to social solidarity, family life, public morality, and civic responsibility.
Defenders also object to definitions of Christian nationalism that they believe classify ordinary Christian conservatism or patriotism as extremist.
Consequently, proponents frequently distinguish their preferred version of Christian nationalism from racial nationalism, authoritarianism, theocracy, or coercive religious establishment.
Christianity Beyond National Boundaries
One of the clearest differences between Christianity and nationalism is their geographic scope.
Christianity developed long before modern nation-states and today includes believers from thousands of ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and national communities. Christian denominations operate internationally, and Christian theological traditions generally describe the church as extending beyond political borders.
This creates an enduring tension whenever Christianity becomes closely identified with one nation.
Christian critics of nationalism frequently argue that Christians may possess legitimate national loyalties while maintaining a deeper religious solidarity with Christians and other human beings beyond their own country's borders.
The central theological question is therefore not simply whether Christians may value their nation, but how national loyalty should relate to broader religious commitments.
Conclusion
Christianity and Christian nationalism should not be treated as interchangeable concepts.
Christianity is a diverse global religion centered on Jesus Christ and encompassing many theological and political traditions. Christian nationalism is a contested political concept describing various attempts to connect Christianity with national identity, political authority, cultural inheritance, or governmental institutions.
The boundary between Christian political participation and Christian nationalism remains disputed. Some definitions emphasize formal religious privilege or political dominance, while others include broader cultural beliefs about Christianity's relationship to national identity.
Christian critics argue that nationalism can distort Christianity when national power, political identity, or national destiny becomes inseparable from religious faith. Defenders respond that Christianity can legitimately influence national culture and public institutions without requiring theocracy or religious persecution.
Understanding the debate therefore requires attention to definitions, theological differences, specific political proposals, historical context, and empirical research rather than assuming that either Christianity or Christian nationalism represents a single political viewpoint.
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Definitions, Theology, and Christian Identity
| Russell Moore | Christianity Today | September 9, 2026 What Wendell Berry Can Teach Us About Christian Nationalism — Moore uses Wendell Berry's writing to explore love of place, community, and country while arguing that Christianity must not become a means to nationalist political ends.
| Russell Moore | Christianity Today | June 15, 2026 What Do You Do When Christian Nationalism Comes to Church? — Moore discusses how congregations can address nationalist political commitments while attempting to preserve Christian unity and discipleship.
| Chris Butler | Christianity Today | May 5, 2026 Not Everything Is Christian Nationalism — Butler warns against using the label for every conservative Christian political position while also criticizing forms of politics that discriminate on religious grounds.
| Russell Moore | Christianity Today | May 2026 America Needs a Better Gospel Than Christian Nationalism — Moore argues that biblical language should not be repurposed to portray the United States as a covenant nation or to make Christianity serve national power.
| R. R. Reno | First Things | March 5, 2026 The Case for Christian Nationalism — Reno offers a defense of Christian nationalism, arguing that Christian doctrine can restrain nationalist excesses and provide moral direction for national political life.
| George Yancey | Christianity Today | January 22, 2026 It's Not “Christian Nationalism.” It's Conservative Identity Politics. — Yancey questions whether Christian nationalism adequately explains conservative Christian political behavior and argues that conservative identity politics may sometimes be a better framework.
| Greg Carey | Word&Way | September 10, 2025 Correcting Common Misconceptions About Christian Nationalism — Carey examines ambiguities in the label and argues that Christian nationalism includes several theological and political movements rather than one uniform ideology.
| Peter J. Leithart | First Things | April 12, 2024 On the “Nation” of Christian Nationalism — Leithart argues that debates should distinguish the historical idea of a Christian nation from modern nationalism and asks what could legitimately make a nation Christian.
| Brad East | Christianity Today | March 13, 2024 How (Not) to Talk About “Christian Nationalism” — East argues that the term can be applied too broadly to ordinary Christian political engagement yet can also be too weak to describe serious distortions of Christian teaching.
| Christianity Today | Christianity Today | September 2023 The Problem with Anti-Anti-Christian Nationalism — Examines the distinction between peaceful, mainstream expressions of Christian nationalism and more radical versions while arguing that the underlying ideology deserves careful definition.
| Patrick Schreiner | The Gospel Coalition | April 27, 2023 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Christian Nationalism — Schreiner divides competing versions of Christian nationalism into categories and evaluates them from a Baptist and evangelical theological perspective.
| Paul D. Miller | Christianity Today | March 2023 People Are Still Confused About Christian Nationalism — Miller proposes distinguishing Christian political participation from efforts to secure Christian cultural or political predominance.
| Paul D. Miller | Christianity Today | December 20, 2022 A Tale of Two Books, One Podcast, and the Contest over Christian Nationalism — Miller contrasts his critique of Christian nationalism with Stephen Wolfe's defense, highlighting fundamentally different understandings of nation, culture, political authority, and Christianity.
| Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks | October 31, 2022 “Christian Nationalism” Misrepresents Jesus, So We Should Reject It — Leeman distinguishes Christian influence on government from identifying a government or nation itself as Christian.
| Russell Moore | Christianity Today | September 29, 2022 Christian Nationalism Cannot Save the World — Moore argues that Christianity becomes distorted when Christian language and symbols are used primarily to reinforce national, ethnic, or political identity.
| Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood | Word&Way | September 15, 2022 Christian Nationalism 101 — An overview of definitions, history, symbols, political rhetoric, and disputes surrounding the concept.
| Robert K. Vischer | Word&Way / Religion News Service | February 13, 2021 Getting Serious (& Precise) About Christian Nationalism — Vischer argues that Christian nationalism should not be confused with every effort by Christians to bring religious convictions into civic life.
| Paul D. Miller | Christianity Today | February 3, 2021 What Is Christian Nationalism? — Miller distinguishes Christianity, patriotism, nationalism, and Christian nationalism, arguing that Christianity centers on Jesus Christ while Christian nationalism is a political ideology concerning national identity and government.
| Christianity Today Staff and Paul D. Miller | Christianity Today | January 2021 Christian Nationalism Is Worse Than You Think — A discussion of how Christian nationalism differs from Christian faith, particularly where national identity, political power, and claims of divine favor become intertwined.
| Thomas S. Kidd | The Gospel Coalition | December 18, 2020 Christian Nationalism vs. Christian Patriotism — Kidd distinguishes ordinary affection for one's country from religious claims that identify the nation's political fortunes with God's purposes.
Churches, Denominations, and Christian Responses
| Adam Kuehner | Reformed Presbyterian Witness | September/October 2026 What Is Christian Nationalism? — Surveys several forms of Christian nationalism from within the Reformed tradition and asks how Christians should understand nationalism biblically.
| Matthew J. Tuininga | The Banner | September 14, 2026 Should Christians be Nationalists? — Tuininga distinguishes patriotism from nationalism and considers national loyalty in light of Christian allegiance to the kingdom of God.
| Megan Fowler | Christianity Today | July 30, 2026 The Summer of Taking Christian Nationalism Seriously — Reports how several Protestant denominations are studying whether and how Christian nationalism conflicts with their theology and ecclesiology.
| Diana Chandler | Baptist Press | July 2, 2026 “Christian nationalism” on stage as U.S. marks 250, but what does term mean? — Baptist leaders debate whether the term means ordinary love of Jesus and country or a more controversial fusion of Christianity and national power.
| Presbyterian Church in Canada | Presbyterian Church in Canada | July 2026 Christian Nationalism — Denominational resources describing Christian nationalism and explaining why church leaders are considering whether it conflicts with Christian teaching.
| Reformed Church in America | Reformed Church in America | June 12, 2026 General Synod statement on Christian nationalism — The RCA General Synod adopted a statement declaring Christian nationalism contrary to its understanding of the gospel and distinguishing church authority from state authority.
| Scott A. Leadingham | Freedom Forum | May 21, 2026 What Is Christian Nationalism? The Complete Guide — Explains Christian nationalism through the lenses of church-state separation, religious liberty, the First Amendment, and competing interpretations of America's religious heritage.
| Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service | May 7, 2026 A timely talk on Christian nationalism — Miranda Zapor Cruz distinguishes Christian nationalism from patriotism, evangelism, ordinary Christian political participation, and political conservatism.
| Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service | March 26, 2026 Presbyterians turn out in droves to learn more about Christian nationalism — Reports Presbyterian discussions of national identity becoming coequal with Christian faith and the resulting theological questions.
| Lisa Loraine Baker | Christianity.com | March 5, 2026 What Is the Meaning of Christian Nationalism? — Introduces the movement for a Christian audience and considers whether attempts to create a government dominated by Christians are consistent with biblical Christianity.
| Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service | February 17, 2026 Remaining faithful in the face of Christian nationalism — Examines religious nationalism comparatively and discusses how Christians can remain faithful without equating national identity with Christian identity.
| Mid-America Reformed Seminary | Mid-America Reformed Seminary | 2026 Christian Nationalism — Examines Christian nationalism through Reformed political theology, including two-kingdom, neo-Calvinist, reconstructionist, and theonomic approaches.
| Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service | April 4, 2025 Uncovering the how and why of Christian nationalism — Reports Amanda Tyler's argument that Christians have a particular responsibility to distinguish Christian faith from nationalist political identity.
| United Methodist Church | UMC.org | 2025 Consider this: Authoritarianism and Christian nationalism — A Methodist resource contrasts nationalism based on dominance with Christian teachings on grace, inclusion, service, and love of neighbor.
| Baptist World Alliance | Baptist World Alliance | July 2024 Religious Nationalism — A Baptist resolution criticizes religious nationalism where the gospel becomes subordinated to political power while affirming Christian civic engagement based on service and neighbor-love.
| Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman | BJC | 2024 But … is it Christian nationalism? — Tyler and Hollman work through examples to distinguish Christian nationalism from religious expression, political participation, patriotism, and religious-liberty advocacy.
| John Stonestreet and Timothy D. Padgett | Christianity.com / BreakPoint | May 19, 2023 What Is Christian Nationalism Exactly? — Discusses the difficulty of defining the term and challenges both supporters and critics to specify precisely which beliefs they are debating.
| Office of Government Relations | The Episcopal Church | 2022 EPPN Series on Deradicalization: Introduction — Episcopal resources discuss distinctions among Christian nationalism, white-power ideology, political violence, and Christian teachings concerning compassion and reconciliation.
| Christians Against Christian Nationalism | BJC | n.d. What is Christian nationalism? — Defines Christian nationalism as an ideology merging Christian and American identities and explicitly distinguishes it from Christianity itself.
| Ryan Dunn | United Methodist Church | n.d. What is Christian nationalism? — A United Methodist explanation contrasts following Jesus with attempts to identify service to the nation with service to God.
Journalism, Debate, and Competing Christian Perspectives
| Matthew Kaemingk, Shadi Hamid and William Wolfe | Comment Magazine | August 31, 2026 What Do Christian Nationalists Actually Want? — An extended conversation with a self-described Christian nationalist explores the movement's goals, theology, view of government, and relationship to religious pluralism.
| Rachel Monroe | The New Yorker | March 15, 2026 The New Faces of Christian Nationalism — Reports on contemporary churches and political networks where worship, prophecy, political activism, and nationalist ideas increasingly overlap.
| William Horne | TIME | October 17, 2024 The Christian Nationalism at the Heart of Jim Crow America — Historical commentary examines ways Christian rhetoric and claims about national identity were used during the segregation era.
| Josh Hawley | First Things | September 4, 2024 The Christian Nationalism We Need — Hawley defends a version of Christian nationalism framed around Christian moral heritage, family, labor, national solidarity, and patriotism.
| Laura Barrón-López and Sam Lane | PBS NewsHour | February 1, 2024 What is Christian nationalism and why it raises concerns about threats to democracy — An interview with Brad Onishi explores the relationship between religious identity, nationalism, democracy, and contemporary evangelical politics.
| Josh Daws | American Reformer | October 4, 2023 Christian Nationalism: A Primer for the Layman — Presents the movement sympathetically while emphasizing internal disagreements over definitions, political goals, theology, and the meaning of a Christian nation.
| Bob Smietana | The Washington Post | May 19, 2023 What is Christian nationalism anyway? — Surveys competing definitions and stresses that Christian nationalism is not synonymous with evangelical Christianity or Christians voting according to religious convictions.
| Gillian Richards Augros | The Heritage Foundation | May 9, 2023 The Dog Whistle of “Christian Nationalism” — Argues that the label is often defined too broadly and can unfairly associate ordinary conservative Christian political positions with extremism.
| Bill McKibben | The New Yorker | April 18, 2023 A Christian's Thoughts on the Problem of Christian Nationalism — McKibben argues that opposition to Christian nationalism can come from within Christianity rather than from rejection of Christianity.
| Ben R. Crenshaw | American Reformer | March 28, 2023 Debating “Christian Nationalism” — Crenshaw defends the coherence of the term and describes a Christian nation as one whose institutions, laws, and public morality are consciously grounded in Christianity.
| Kelefa Sanneh | The New Yorker | March 2023 How Christian Is Christian Nationalism? — Examines whether the “Christian” component of Christian nationalism reflects orthodox religious belief, cultural identity, political identity, or combinations of all three.
| Bob Smietana | The Washington Post | January 6, 2023 Who are the Christian nationalists? A taxonomy for the post-Jan. 6 world — Identifies several distinct networks commonly placed under the Christian nationalist label rather than treating the movement as a single organization.
| Jack Jenkins | The Washington Post | December 29, 2022 Faith leaders ask why Jan. 6 report left out Christian nationalism — Reports debate among Christian leaders and scholars over religious symbolism, prophecy, and nationalist ideas associated with January 6.
| Bob Smietana and Emily McFarlan Miller | The Washington Post | December 23, 2022 How Christian nationalism seeped into home schooling — Examines how Christian-nationalist historical narratives and competing Christian understandings of church, government, and education appear in homeschool curricula.
| David Remnick and Russell Moore | The New Yorker | November 7, 2022 The Theologian Russell Moore on Christian Nationalism — Moore describes Christian nationalism as a danger to Christianity when the gospel becomes an instrument for political objectives.
| Bradford Littlejohn | Mere Orthodoxy | October 4, 2022 The Search for a Christian Nation: Christian Nationalism and the American Founding — Examines historical claims about America's Christian founding and warns against using simplified history to settle present theological debates.
| Miles Smith | Mere Orthodoxy | July 18, 2022 The Uselessness of “Christian Nationalism” — Smith argues that inconsistent modern usage has made the term too imprecise to illuminate historic Christian political theology.
| FRONTLINE Staff | PBS FRONTLINE | 2022 Michael Flynn: From Government Insider to Holy Warrior — Investigates religious-political networks surrounding Michael Flynn and explains researchers' distinction between Christian orthodoxy and Christian-nationalist identity.
| Bradford Littlejohn | American Reformer | August 4, 2021 The Good of Nationalism, Part I: Why Christians Should be Nationalists — Littlejohn defends nationalism as a political framework while explicitly separating his argument from some forms of American Christian nationalism.
| Washington Post Staff and David French | The Washington Post | February 5, 2021 A Q&A with evangelical writer David French on Christian nationalism — French distinguishes explicit political theology from looser emotional beliefs about America having a special divine role.
Surveys and Academic Research
| Naomi Haynes | Religion | June 11, 2026 Claiming what is theirs by right: the elective affinity between the prosperity Gospel and Christian nationalism — Examines theological connections between prosperity teaching and Christian-nationalist ideas about territory, authority, blessing, and political entitlement.
| Chip Rotolo and Gregory A. Smith | Pew Research Center | May 14, 2026 How Americans Feel About Religion's Influence in Government and Public Life — National survey data distinguish views about Christian nationalism, official religion, Christian moral influence, church-state separation, and religion's role in public life.
| Danny Webster | Premier Christianity | January 29, 2026 What's wrong with Christian nationalism? — Examines the emerging British debate and proposes criteria separating normal Christian social influence from political theology seeking preferential status for Christianity.
| Craig L. Nessan | Dialog | 2026 Theological Struggle Against Authoritarianism: Calls for Confessing Church — Compares theological resistance to authoritarianism in Nazi Germany with contemporary Christian responses to Christian nationalism in the United States.
| Researchers | Defence and Peace Economics | 2026 Christian nationalism, apocalypticism, outgroup hate, and support for violent extremism — Studies relationships among nationalist religious identity, apocalyptic beliefs, hostility toward perceived outgroups, and support for political violence.
| Brooklyn Walker, Paul A. Djupe, Brian R. Calfano, Andrew R. Lewis and Anand E. Sokhey | Perspectives on Politics | October 14, 2025 Religion Is Sometimes Raced: Christian Nationalism as In-Group Protection — Tests whether Christian nationalism functions differently among white, Black, and Latino Christians rather than assuming its effects are uniform.
| John Ishiyama | Politics and Religion / Cambridge University Press | September 15, 2025 Christian nationalism and attitudes about democracy in Africa — Uses Afrobarometer data to study relationships among Christian-nationalist attitudes, democracy, authoritarian alternatives, tolerance, and religious identity.
| Nilay Saiya | Politics and Religion | May 13, 2025 The varieties of American Christian nationalism — Distinguishes charismatic dominionism, Calvinist nationalism, and Catholic integralism, demonstrating that Christian nationalism contains significantly different theological traditions.
| Pew Research Center | Pew Research Center | January 28, 2025 Religious Nationalism Around the World — Places American Christian nationalism within a broader global comparison of religious identity, political leadership, national belonging, scripture, and law.
| Researchers in Politics, Religion & Ideology | Politics, Religion & Ideology | 2025 Christian nationalism and organized white supremacy — Historical research examines how Christian-nationalist narratives appeared in British-Israelism and Christian Identity movements during the twentieth century.
| Samuel L. Perry | Politics and Religion | October 2, 2024 Which political entities are “Friendly” to religion? — Investigates how Christian-nationalist beliefs influence perceptions of whether governments, parties, and other institutions are friendly or hostile toward religion.
| Jonathan Tran | The Christian Century | June 12, 2024 What does “Christian nationalism” even mean? — Tran questions whether scholars, journalists, and churches sometimes use the term to describe too many different phenomena to maintain analytical precision.
| Chip Rotolo, Gregory A. Smith and Jonathan Evans | Pew Research Center | March 15, 2024 Christianity's place in politics, and “Christian nationalism” — Measures public attitudes toward church-state separation, biblical influence on law, government promotion of Christian values, and official establishment.
| Siphiwe Dube | International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church | November 24, 2023 Christian nationalism in post-apartheid South Africa — Examines the transition from older white Christian nationalism to newer Pentecostal and charismatic expressions in South Africa.
| Nilay Saiya | The Review of Faith & International Affairs | May 12, 2023 Christian Nationalism's Threat to Global Democracy — Treats Christian nationalism as an international phenomenon and analyzes tensions between religious political privilege and pluralist democratic institutions.
| Paul A. Djupe et al. | Politics and Religion | 2023 The ingroup love and outgroup hate of Christian Nationalism — Uses experimental methods to explore how Christian-nationalist attitudes affect perceptions of religious groups and equal application of law.
| Pew Research Center | Pew Research Center | October 27, 2022 Views of the U.S. as a “Christian nation” and opinions about “Christian nationalism” — Shows that Americans attach widely different meanings to “Christian nation,” ranging from Christian values to formal religious governance.
| Pew Research Center | Pew Research Center | October 27, 2022 In their own words: How Americans describe “Christian nationalism” — Presents respondents' own definitions, ranging from religious morality and patriotism to theocracy, exclusion, and Christian political dominance.
| Pew Research Center | Pew Research Center | October 27, 2022 45% of Americans Say U.S. Should Be a “Christian Nation” — Finds substantial disagreement about what respondents mean by a Christian nation, underscoring why the concept should not automatically be equated with one political program.
| Miles T. Armaly, David T. Buckley and Adam M. Enders | Political Behavior | January 4, 2022 Christian Nationalism and Political Violence — Empirically investigates associations among Christian nationalism, perceived victimhood, racial identity, conspiracy beliefs, and support for the January 6 Capitol attack.
Gospel, Patriotism, Criticism, and Responses
| Steven Waldman | The Christian Century / Religion News Service | June 16, 2026 Whose Christian nationalism? — Uses early American denominational diversity and church-state history to question claims that the founding established one contemporary version of Christianity as America's public religion.
| Baptist News Global / Christian Today | Baptist News Global | June 10, 2026 Churches must disciple well and listen well in response to rise of Christian nationalism — Argues that churches need both stronger theological education and serious engagement with congregants attracted to nationalist ideas.
| Cynthia R. Wallace | The Christian Century | March 10, 2026 Practicing compassionate patriotism — Reviews approaches that distinguish love of country from nationalism and frame Christian citizenship around compassion, repentance, democracy, and love of neighbor.
| Amar D. Peterman | Sojourners | December 5, 2025 Christian Nationalism's Power Rests On a Simple Proposition: No Questions — Examines uses of scripture, military imagery, political authority, and religious rhetoric that the author associates with Christian nationalism.
| Mac Loftin | The Christian Century | August 28, 2025 The blasphemy of national Christianity — Loftin argues that Christian identity becomes distorted when ethnic or national belonging takes precedence over Christian solidarity across national boundaries.
| Christina Littlefield | Patheos | updated June 2, 2025 Why Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel — A church historian argues that ideas of national chosenness and exceptionalism can conflict with Christian teachings when political identity becomes sacred.
| Josiah R. Daniels | Sojourners | May 6, 2025 What We Are Getting Wrong About Christian Nationalism — Challenges progressive Christians and journalists to examine whether dismissing supporters as simply “fake Christians” overlooks historical and theological complexities.
| America Magazine | America Magazine | April 17, 2025 The antidote to Christian nationalism — Discusses political idolatry, Christian public witness, and alternatives to framing Christianity primarily through control of government and national culture.
| Katherine Kelaidis | Sojourners | April 2025 Are “Exvangelicals” Making It Harder to Defeat Christian Nationalism? — Argues that focusing almost exclusively on evangelicalism can obscure Christian-nationalist currents within Catholic and Orthodox communities.
| Mitchell Atencio | Sojourners | January 14, 2025 Black Christian Nationalism and the Search for Utopia — Explores the historical concept of Black Christian nationalism and complicates assumptions that Christian nationalism has always had one racial or political form.
| Sierra Lyons | Sojourners | November 25, 2024 After the Election, How Are Organizers Resisting Christian Nationalism? — Reports how Christian and interfaith organizations respond to nationalist political movements through coalition building, religious-liberty advocacy, and civic organizing.
| Jeff Brumley | Baptist News Global | October 11, 2024 BNG webinar delves into how to end Christian nationalism — Reports Amanda Tyler's Christian and religious-liberty-based arguments for confronting nationalist ideology without abandoning religious participation in public life.
| William J. Barber II, Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, James Spencer, Amar D. Peterman et al. | Sojourners | September/October 2024 How Christians Can Counter Christian Nationalism — Multiple Christian writers discuss theological, pastoral, educational, and civic responses while emphasizing that opposing nationalism does not require excluding religious voices from politics.
| Adam Russell Taylor | Sojourners | September/October 2024 Demonizing Christian Nationalists Won't End It — Taylor argues that Christian responses should oppose harmful nationalist ideas without treating people attracted to them simply as enemies.
| To The Contrary | PBS | September 6, 2024 How Project 2025 Impacts the Separation of Church and State — Discusses claims about Christian nationalism, church-state separation, and religious freedom while explicitly distinguishing the political ideology from Christianity as a faith.
| Ronald S. Cava | Baptist News Global | July 2, 2024 Christian nationalism: A Baptist evaluation and response — Evaluates nationalism through Baptist theology, stressing that Jesus and God's kingdom should not become instruments of any political party or earthly political system.
| Mitchell Atencio | Sojourners | June 17, 2024 Are You Accidentally a Christian Nationalist? — Examines how familiar church practices, patriotic rituals, historical narratives, and civic symbols can blur distinctions between Christian and national identity.
| Kathleen Bonnette | America Magazine | May 9, 2024 Americans are worried about Christian nationalism. The church should take that as a wake-up call. — A Catholic perspective argues that concern about Christian nationalism should prompt reflection on how Christianity is represented in public life.
| Thomas P. Rausch | America Magazine | January 5, 2024 Trump, the “religious right” and white Christian nationalism — Reviews historical and theological currents connecting American Christianity, racial identity, religious politics, and nationalist narratives.
| Dale Chamberlain | Crosswalk | January 17, 2023 3 Dangers of Christian Nationalism — Chamberlain contrasts pursuit of political power with New Testament themes of Christians as citizens of a kingdom that transcends earthly nations.
