Amanda Tyler is executive director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty), lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign, and co-host of the Respecting Religion podcast. Follow her on Twitter @AmandaTylerBJC.
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How To Be a Christian in Public
Lisa Vulovich / iStock
IF WE ARE to end Christian nationalism, we must first develop a better idea of the threat we are facing.
Christian nationalism in the United States is a political ideology and cultural framework that seeks to fuse American and Christian identities. It suggests that “real” Americans are Christians, and that “true” Christians hold a particular set of political beliefs. It seeks to create a society in which only this narrow subset of Americans is privileged by law and in societal practice.
Christian nationalism is a gross distortion of the Christian faith that I and so many others hold dear. It employs the language, symbols, and imagery of Christianity, and it might even appear to the casual observer to be authentic Christianity.
The Distorted Gospel of the Charlottesville Rally Keeps Spreading
A sign reading "Hate Has No Home Here" hangs by the statue of Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee, ahead of the one year anniversary of 2017 "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Va. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
The tiki-torch-wielding marchers who shouted, “Jews will not replace us!” were an extreme manifestation of white Christian nationalism, a political ideology that implies one must be a Christian to be a “true” American and that the growing presences of non-whites and non-Christians are a threat to “traditional” values. People who espouse this ideology believe “real” Americans are Christians who have a specific policy perspective; they feel the need to “take back” their country from those who they believe threaten it.
The Job of U.S. Christians in an Election Year
Photo by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash
In the midst of a tumultuous election season, Christians in the United States are discerning faithful ways to engage with politics. Christian discernment involves understanding ourselves, our relationship to God, our connection to our neighbors, and our most deeply held values.
Trump is Dismantling True Religious Freedom
Donald Trump speaks during the "Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom" event at U.N. headquarters in New York City, Sept. 23, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Today, Congress took another step toward addressing its constitutional duty to provide oversight of the executive branch. The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship are holding a joint hearing on oversight of the “Muslim” travel ban.