In some circles, Christian nationalism has become a vehicle for race obsession. It is often tied to rhetoric that seeks to reframe Christianity as a predominately European religion, rejecting its deeply Jewish roots, North African developments, and universal call to all nations. This version of “Christian” nationalism falls short of actually being Christian when it treats the faith not primarily as a transcendent truth but as a means for enacting an ethno-racial vision of national identity. Cultural cohesion is, of course, good and I believe America is formed by a Protestant consensus, but a racialized form of nationalism can also result in a grotesque distortion of the gospel, which always forms one new man out of formerly estranged people groups (Ephesians 2:14-16).
Worse still, a virulent strain of antisemitism has crept into some strains of Christian nationalism, as a growing number of figures in these circles promote conspiracy theories about Jewish influence and power. If you do not believe me, go to X and look at the army of “anons,” anonymous accounts that spew vitriol without accountability. In doing so, they not only abandon biblical Christianity but also alienate potential allies in the fight to preserve moral order.
Most bizarrely, certain voices in the Christian nationalist movement are attempting to fuse Christianity with Darwinism. Fixations on genetics and IQ are ever-present. Rather than seeing human dignity as rooted in the image of God, they argue that strength, racial purity, and ethnic dominance are the highest virtues. This is not Christianity; it is a counterfeit faith that replaces the Kingdom of God with a crude, pagan tribalism. One can register a strong critique of globalism and mass immigration (as I do) without falling into the trap of obsessing over ethnic homogeneity.
Andrew Walker | “It’s not too late to abandon ‘Christian nationalism'” | March 13, 2025
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