Month: April 2024

News Weekly Round-Up, April 22nd – 26th

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MoD News Roundup April 22 – April 26 2024

The Weekly Roundup is a student-led initiative of the Meanings of Democracy Lab highlighting the latest news about Christian Nationalism and resistance to it.

CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM IN THE NEWS

  • TheHumanist: New documentary, “Bad Faith” shows foundations and dangers of Christian Nationalism
  • Post: More on Trump’s threat to American Democracy
  • MSN: Documents reveal inner workings of Claremont Institute, a Christian nationalist and MAGA supporting org
  • TuftsDaily: Trump on selling bibles and the influence he has on Christian Nationalists.
  • BismarckTribune: the dangers of CN, what it is, and who opposes it
  • Christian Post: New Poll on Southern Baptist Church Goers and Their Opinions on Christian Nationalism
  • WXII12: Nonprofit Organization Faith Forward Warn about the Influence of Christian Nationalism on Upcoming Election
  • Midland Daily News: Rev. Canon Dr. Lauren R. Stanley Calls Out Trump for Perverting God Through Christian Nationalism

Check out last week’s round-up!

News Weekly Round-Up, April 15th – 19th

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News Weekly Round-Up, April 15th – 19th, 2024.

The Weekly Roundup is a student-led initiative of the Meanings of Democracy Lab highlighting the latest news about Christian Nationalism and resistance to it.

CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM IN THE NEWS
  • SaltLakeCityTribune: Pat Bagley Christian Nationalism Cartoon
  • ChristianPost: Scholar with Family Research Council (FRC) criticizes New Haven Declaration
  • TheHumanist: National Day of Reason is on May 4th, continues America’s original efforts towards a secular democracy
  • The Conversation: Comparison to Reagan’s religious references in office to Trump’s Christian Nationalism Strategies
  • Julie Roys: Southern Baptists are pulling away from the idea of a Christian Nation
  • Baptist News: More reporting on the results from a new Lifeway Research survey on faith and politics relating to Southern Baptists and Christian Nationalism
  • ReligionUnplugged: Education on CN is dire; learning how CN fuels things like churches and the January 6th riot. 
  • AnaBaptistWorld: At Yale, Christian pastors sign a declaration opposing religious nationalism ahead of the 2024 election. 
  • EBar: A gay Baptist minister helps in the fight against CN that seeks to exclude LGBTQ people.
  • AmericansUnited: Summit for Religious Freedom calls out CN as a threat

Check out last week’s round-up!

    Profiles in Resistance: Center for Christianity and Public Life

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    Founded in 2022 by vocal evangelical Michael Wear, the Center for Christianity and Public Life believes that the fate of American democracy rests on the character of Christianity within the country. Wear, now CEO and President, established the organization following his work as a faith adviser to President Barack Obama. The CCPL advocates that Christian resources should be funneled into supporting and bolstering the public good. One of their most prevalent beliefs is that Christians should be helping build healthy civic pluralism within the 21st century. To quote Wear, “We believe that Christianity—its ideas, its institutions, its people—can and must contribute to building a healthier politics and nation for everyone.”

    The CCPL is motivated to resolve the cynicism and volatility in modern public life and politics through a combination of public imagination and Christian civic formation. Wear previously led Public Square Strategies, a consulting firm aimed at helping religious and political organizations along with businesses when it comes to handling the modern American religious and political environment. Now, his work focuses more on supporting individual Christians and community leaders rather than companies and groups. The CCPL does not mention Christian Nationalism by name but has continually promoted a pluralistic vision of the United States that opposes Christian Nationalism and its reach.

    The organization has three major programs: its annual “For the Good of the Public” Summit, the Public Life Fellowship, and the Young Professionals Network. “For the Good of the Public” aims to bring community leaders together to discuss issues and Christian resources that can contribute to the public good. The Public Life Fellowship Program is an intensive nine-month program offered to a diverse group of Christians regarding the role they can play in faith and public service. The Young Professionals Network, formally known as The Community of Young Christians in Politics (CYCP), is similarly comprised of a diverse group of Christians, however, it specifically focuses on professionals 35 and under to discuss challenges within their faith and career.

    Adrish Das is a sophomore Political Science major and Sociology minor at the University of Connecticut.

    For more information about the organizations and individuals resisting Christian Nationalism in the United States today, check out our Pluralist Resistance to Christian Nationalism project page.

    News Weekly Round-up April 8th-12th

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    News Weekly Round-Up, April 8th – 12th, 2024.

    The Weekly Roundup is a student-led initiative of the Meanings of Democracy Lab highlighting the latest news about Christian Nationalism and resistance to it.

    CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM IN THE NEWS

    • SaltLakeTribune: Trump endorses “God Bless the USA Bible,” a book that combines the King James Version w/ US Constitution and Declaration of Independence
    • JulieRoys: Yale Christian Pastor signs Declaration opposing religious nationalism
    • BaptistNews: Being able to identify the warning signs of Christian Nationalism, as opposed to White evangelicalism
    • NBC24: Michael Flynn, former Trump insider, is using harmful Christian Nationalist rhetoric to describe American politics
    • ChristianPost: Interview with Jonathan Falwell weighs in on “good” vs “bad” Christian Nationalism
    • ChristianPost: A group of self-described ‘religious leaders’ denounces ‘religious nationalism’ by signing a declaration at the Yale Divinity School’s Center for Public Theology and Policy
    • ReligionUnplugged: Religious and political leaders across the spectrum warn against Christian Nationalism and its involvement in politics and Trumpism
    • TheNation: Faith leaders sign “New Haven Declaration” which is a call to reject Christian Nationalism
    • FaV: Expressing the serious ramifications of a Christian nationalist state and the statistics that say we are leaning that way

      The Pluralist Resistance Twitter List

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      Looking to keep up with the latest news on Christian Nationalism? There is so much incredible work being done in the ecosystem of reporting and resistance efforts, our Twitter list is an amazing place to start! It brings together the insights of experts, authors, community leaders, organizations, and more to help you stay informed. Follow us on social media @USDemocracyLab and search our hashtag #PluralistResistance.

      Looking to go deeper? Check out our Pluralist Resistance Syllabus. And if you’re looking for other content, be sure to check out our YouTube playlist!

      NOTE: This is a working list, and we invite you to submit suggestions for additions to Dr. Ruth Braunstein at ruth.braunstein@uconn.edu.

      News Weekly Round-up April 1st-5th

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      News Weekly Round-Up, April 1st – 5th, 2024.

      The Weekly Roundup is a student-led initiative of the Meanings of Democracy Lab highlighting the latest news about Christian Nationalism and resistance to it.

      CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM IN THE NEWS

      • MotherJones: Steve and Tracy Slepcevic, far-right extremists tied to Christian Nationalists and QAnoners, hosted a fundraiser for independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

      • BostonGlobe: Trump launches his campaign targeted at Christian Nationalists to “Make America Pray Again”

      • Variety: “The followers of Christian Nationalism want a theocracy. Stephen Ujlaki and Christopher Jacob Jones’s chilling film suggests that another Trump presidency could help them get it.”
      • CNN: Politics of religion – Trump “flirting” with Christian Nationalism and Biden criticized for being a “cafeteria Catholic”
      • Beacon: New book by Robert P. Jones exposes disturbing links to Christian Nationalism and White Supremacy
      • WashingtonTimes: ‘Christ is King’ slogan is being hijacked by the alt-right
      • Truthout: The Poor People’s campaign is working to give poverty a seat in politics, with an emphasis on religion in their work and fighting Christian nationalism
      • MSNBC: Morning Joe interview with Jim Wallis to discuss new book on rejecting Christian Nationalism
      • MSNBC: Trump criticized for getting too wrapped into a Christian Nationalist shtick

        Profiles in Resistance: Interfaith Alliance

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        Interfaith Alliance was founded in 1994 to provide an alternative voice to the Religious Right for people of all faiths. The organization aims to uphold the importance of freedom of religion by affirming the Constitution’s protection against any religious group imposing their beliefs on others. It leads several initiatives targeting extremism and threats to religion and democracy, including their initiative Challenging Christian Nationalism.

        Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, leads the “Christian Nationalism is on the Ballot in 2022” briefing

        Interfaith Alliance’s campaign against Christian Nationalism was introduced following the January 6th Insurrection. They recognize the danger this rising ideology poses to the general public, and specifically, other Christians. The organization criticizes Christian Nationalism for using Christian symbols and language in service of a political and cultural goal. Interfaith Alliance defines Christian Nationalism as “a cultural framework that conflates American identity with an exclusive form of religious identity… seek[ing] a fusion of religious and civil life – to the detriment of both… [with] anti-democratic notions of white supremacy, nativism, patriarchy, and authoritarianism.”

        In September 2022, the president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, Rev. Paul Raushenbush, led a policy briefing and discussion in Congress. Raushenbush has been present regularly on many panels, forums, and other media outlets to share the contents of a pamphlet resource offering a brief introduction to Christian Nationalism and educating the public on the importance of combatting it to protect democracy.

        Emma Harvison is a Senior at the University of Connecticut studying Human Rights and Political Science with minors in Spanish and Latin American Studies. She is thankful to be part of the Pluralist Resistance Team with the Meaning of Democracy Lab as she continues to study human rights to learn to be a strong advocate for others.

        For more information about the organizations and individuals resisting Christian Nationalism in the United States today, check out our Pluralist Resistance to Christian Nationalism project page.