A state-of-the-art training forum for faith communities, leaders, and individuals
The 2022 National Confronting Christian Nationalism Tour is designed to help faith communities, leaders, and individuals respond in faithful ways to the current threat of Christian Nationalism in the United States.
This forum will help participants:
- Develop an understanding of Christian Nationalism and faithful responses to it
- Explore research-based characteristics of American Christian Nationalism
- Incorporate responses to Christian nationalism into our faith communities
- Learn ways to personally engage and talk with those who adhere to Christian nationalism
- Consider Bible passages that remind us how to interact with others lovingly, even when we do not agree
Tour Dates
Coming Soon
Host a Forum
Presenters and Content Providers
some live, some video recorded
About
Not A Partisan Political Issue but A Crucial National and Faith Issue
The rejection of Christian Nationalism ought not to be a partisan political issue, but it is on the rise and has become a calling-card among candidates across the United States.
On January 6 we saw the flags claiming Trump’s name, calling for violence, and raising the name of Jesus. We saw images of a police officer being beaten with an American flag and another being crushed in a doorway. We witnessed the cross and the gallow being erected. We saw and heard the prayer the insurrectionists prayed from the Senate desk in Jesus’ name. Many of us recognized the content, structure, and style of that prayer as matching our own churches and faith.
But we reject this prayer being used to justify the violent act and attempted overthrow of the Government.
And recent examples are evident in Doug Mastriano, who is running as the Republican gubernatorial nominee in Pennsylvania, justified his own participation in the Jan. 6 riots in religious terms and promised that “above all” he would “bring God back” to Pennsylvania.
The Republican nominee to be Maryland’s attorney general, Michael Peroutka stated that leaders should “take a biblical worldview and apply it to civil law and government,” and has said laws supporting gay marriage are null because they violate God’s law.
Recent Developments
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado raised the idea of mandatory “biblical citizenship training,” and has said “the church is supposed to direct the government” and that she’s “tired of this separation of church and state junk.” And Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green is selling t-shirts that say “Proud Christian Nationalist.”
A Faithful Way Forward
As Christian faith leaders we recognize that many forms of Christian faith have been susceptible to the heresy of Christian nationalism because of a long history of faith leaders accommodating white supremacy. We choose to speak out now because we do not want to be quiet accomplices in this on-going sin. And we also want to celebrate the long tradition of prophetic Christian witness in this nation that has challenged white supremacy and violent Christian nationalism.
Though the KKK in the South claimed the symbol of a Christain cross, prophetic Black Christians formed and discipled children in Birmingham, Alabama who led a nonviolent witness in the face of dogs and firehoses.
Though an appeal to “biblical values” has been used to demonize immigrants, undocumented Christians in America today have led a movement that insists upon the dignity and full humanity of all undocumented people.
There is a powerful Christian witness for the common good in our past and in our present. White evangelicals in America can grow in faithfulness by following this cloud of witnesses, including the many white freedom-fighters who risked their lives standing up for love in the face of violence and hatred.
We urge all pastors, ministers, and priests to boldly make it clear that a commitment to Jesus Christ is incompatible with calls to violence, support of white Christian nationalism, conspiracy theories, and all religious and racial prejudice.
A Call to Leaders
We urge faith leaders to engage pastorally with those who support or sympathize with Christian Nationalism ideology to make it clear that our churches are not neutral about these matters: we are on the side of democracy, equality for all people, anti-racism, and the common good of all people.
Instead of seeing the United States as God’s chosen nation, we thank God for the church around the world that calls people of all races, tongues, and nations to the knowledge and love of God. Instead of seeing any particular political leader or party as divinely appointed, we believe in the prophetic and pastoral ministry of the church to all political leaders and parties. Instead of power through violence, we believe in and seek to imitate the powerful, servant love practiced by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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