Opinion: Christian Nationalism entails making an idol of the nation
One of the well-established theories in sociology of religion is that governments and religions are drawn to each other. Governments want legitimization from God through religions, and religions want protection and sponsorship from governments. In addition, religious people feel that if their religion is named as the religion of their nation, they gain power and confidence in their religion and its values. This latter motivation is close to what the “Christian Nationalists” want. In other words, if they can have America declare itself a Christian nation, that reinforces their religious influence. This is actually a heresy of faith in making an idol of the nation instead of depending on God’s given means of grace: the word, sacraments, fellowship, and prayer (see Acts 2:42).
When I was a boy in China under attack from Japan, the Japanese considered Christianity an “American religion” and consequently resisted it’s spread. My father explained to the authorities that he did not represent the American nation, but Jesus Christ. However, the identification of a nation with a religion is fairly common. In ordinary language, people speak of many nations as Muslim nations or Hindu nations or Buddhist nations. Christian nationalists want to add Christian nation to the list. In most of these cases, a majority of the population belong to one of these religions. In other words, much of the world sees that the religion of the majority indicates the religious identity of the nation. “Christian Nationalists” want the added personal identity of being a member of a Christian nation, not simply a Christian citizen of whatever nation. However, Christian teaching makes clear that the faith and love connecting us to God is very different from connection to any single nation.
The identification of a nation as belonging to a particular religion is a long-time human practice. Christianity creates a problem for this practice: the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, took specific steps not to associate himself with nation formation or nation building. When the people wanted to make him their king, he walked away (John 6:15). The mandate given to his disciples was to “make disciples of all ethne” or “peoples.” The translation of nations does not mean nation states in the modern sense, but peoples – ethne in Greek or goi in Hebrew.
Constantine legitimized the Christian church in 313 CE, but by the end of the century Christianity was made official so that Rome became recognized as a Christian empire. Later, Roman power moved to Constantinople, and it became the center of the Eastern Christian empire. As Christianity spread northward from the Mediterranean to the barbarian tribes of Europe, they adopted the Roman state church pattern, just as Rome had followed the worldwide pattern of nations united with religions.
I say all of the above to emphasize the uniqueness of the United States in separating organized religion from governmental power so that no one religion is favored or official. The actual wording in the Constitution is: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Christianity, in principle, is a universal religion equally open to people of all nations. When this is not the case or it becomes overly attached to one nation, the message of Christianity is then distorted. Christian nationalism does just that. The mystery of religious truth is that it cannot be imposed by force or become simply a custom and still continue to carry the core meaning of faith and love. Scientific truths can be demonstrated so clearly that it amounts to what we call “proof,” but religious truth is not subject to proof. Otherwise, it would destroy faith and love as the means of relating to God. Interestingly, religion can be studied scientifically in its human expressions of words, public worship, institutions, buildings, human feelings, activities, attitudes, and influences. Christian nationalism, a current political desire of some, is an ideology that can be studied to understand its ancient roots and effects on peoples. People are drawn to power, and that includes religious people. But the power of religion is in its ability to inspire and motivate, and that is what it can contribute to society. Christianity intrinsically cannot claim any territory or constitute itself as a nation comparable to other nations. At the same time, Christians have a responsibility and civic duty from God to advocate for just laws, policies, and activities in any nation where they live.
Rev. Dr. Robert L. Montgomery is a Presbyterian minister with a degree from Emory University in the Social Scientific Study of Religion.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Christian Nationalism is heresy; making an idol of the nation
