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.
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
Founded in 2022 by vocal evangelical Michael Wear, theCenter 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. Toquote 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.
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
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.
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
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.
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 AlliancedefinesChristian 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 apamphlet 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.
On February 16th, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are to be considered the same as children under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act according to the Supreme Court of Alabama, whereas according to them, the act applies: “to all unborn children without limitation. And that includes unborn children who are not located in utero at the time they are killed.”
This has sparked significant debate not only regarding the legal and ethical aspects of in vitro fertilization (IVF) but also the ties that it has to the current presence of Christian Nationalism within our government institutions. This is due to the nonsecular nature of the rhetoric used within the different aspects of the court proceedings regarding IVF. The current influence of Christian Nationalism throughout America crucially helps to understand the implications of the ruling on reproductive rights and how church and state seemed to be intersecting.
Below, our research team rounded up some of the most interesting statements about Christian Nationalism’s influence on the ruling.
Concerning the ruling, the court’s chief justice Tom Parker stated:
“Human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God,” he wrote in a concurring opinion that invoked the Book of Genesis and the prophet Jeremiah and quoted at length from the writings of 16th- and 17th-century theologians. “Even before birth,” he added, “all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”
Joshua Sharfstein of Johns Hopkins University went into detail describing the religious aspects of the ruling alongside providing us with an additional quote from Chief Justice Parker:
“But beyond that, the concurring decision of the Chief Justice (Parker) and of the main justice are really redolent of a theological kind of discussion. As I was reading these opinions, what really struck me is that the rhetoric sounds more like Scripture than it does the language of the law. Here’s an excerpt:
‘We believe that each human, being from the moment of conception, is made in theimage of God, created by Him to reflect His likeness. It is as if the People of Alabama took what was spoken of the prophet Jeremiah, and applied it to every unborn person in the state.’”
It is clear that the ruling is embedded with Christianity in mind. Religious studies scholar Matthew D.Taylor says that:
“At that point, there’s no negotiation. There’s no compromise, there’s no like, “Oh, well, let’s meet in the middle and say let’s have a 16 week ban.” They are abortion abolitionists. What we see in Tom Parker’s ruling is more or less that rationale, using theology and Bible references to back that up and then pointing to his own belief in the Seven Mountains and saying, “This is why I did it.”
Taylor here brings up an interesting fact regarding Tom Parker and his belief in the Seven Mountains. The Seven Mountains Mandate is described as:
“A theological approach that once seemed fringe within evangelicalism but is now gaining traction. Backed by a network of nondenominational, charismatic Christians known as the New Apostolic Reformation, this mandate calls on its adherents to establish what they believe to be God’s kingdom over the seven core areas of society, including the government.”
The Seven Mountains Mandate is the heart of Christian Nationalism, whereas individuals who practice Christianity believe in a religious mandate that dictates the functioning of the country as a whole; a uniform belief that must be accepted by all. Many individuals have vocalized their concern following this Alabama ruling and the inherent religiosity that is being presented in the rationale. Referencing Tom Parker’s rationale, University of North Florida professor Julie Ingersoll, who studies religion and culture, proclaimed that:
“He framed it entirely assuming that the state of Alabama is a theocracy, and that that is a legitimate way of evaluating laws and policies…it looks like he decided to just dismiss the history of first amendment religious freedom jurisprudence at the federal level, and assume that it just doesn’t apply to Alabama.”
All while Tom Parker enacts political rulings on behalf of religious beliefs, a recent study highlights the grave concern that Christian Nationalism is undoubtedly present within American society. Rulings like the Alabama IVF decision are not random, they are instead based in reason that supports some American beliefs that allude to Christian nationalism:
“Today, 30% of Americans support tenets of Christian nationalism, according to a study…from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). Researchers asked more than 22,000 Americans how much they agreed with statements such as: “The US government should declare America a Christian nation”; “Being Christian is an important part of being truly American”’; and “God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society.” Ultimately, about 10% of Americans qualify as “adherents” to Christian nationalism, and another 20% are “sympathizers”…. White evangelicals are particularly likely to support Christian nationalism: 66% hold Christian nationalist views.”
Not all groups agreed that the court’s decision was a bad thing, instead, they agreed with it as it illustrated their beliefs that religion should dictate governmental proceedings. Tony Perkins, the president of the conservative Family Research Council, agreed with the ruling on social media:
“Good to see this 7-2 decision by the Alabama Supreme Court to protect unborn life. In his concurring opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker gives a beautiful defense of life and the Alabama Constitution.”
The Alabama IVF decision has been polarizing to the American discourse as it discusses the proper and improper use of religiosity as it pertains to legislation, as well as the debate on when human life is defined. As opponents of Christian Nationalism, it can be deduced that:
“The Alabama Supreme Court has grossly overstepped its role by classifying frozen embryos, single-celled fertilized eggs, as children. Justices have crossed a critical boundary to assign personhood to something created in a lab that exists outside of a human body…the outcome of this case will certainly affect access to fertility treatment across the country as more and more state legislatures advance policies that are based on an ideological and unscientific definition of personhood.”
As our team works to build a comprehensive database of the groups and leaders combatting (White) Christian Nationalism, we have compiled a YouTube playlist of videos created by those involved in this effort. Many of the videos feature experts on Christian nationalism in the US and discuss how people are working to resist its influence nationally and in local communities.
Director Ruth Braunstein talked to UConn Today about the Meanings of Democracy Lab’s new project mapping the growing field of resistance to Christian Nationalism in the United States. Thanks to a new $300,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, Braunstein will scale up this work through a podcast and interactive web platform where users can explore various resistance efforts.
The spread of Christian Nationalism is a source of bipartisan concern in American politics today, as it undermines the country’s foundational commitment to religious pluralism. As the UConn Today article explains:
Though [Braunstein] notes the country has not always lived up to its pluralistic ideals, she believes these ideals call Americans to create “a democracy where people of all religious faiths and no religious faiths are welcome to live in the way they choose — and not just welcome, but also part of the group of people who get to create that society.”
Americans across the partisan divide and across religious communities believe in this vision, and they increasingly voicing concern about the influence of Christian Nationalism on US politics. Braunstein observes, “As Christian nationalism was gaining power and influence in American politics, it was also unleashing a wave of resistance.”
The project is the first of its kind to try to map this field of resistance, which:
include[s] the “usual suspects” — “liberal religious groups, legal defense groups” — who have been resisting Christian nationalism for decades, “but also include[s] some new actors, including many conservative white Christians who were concerned about what Christian nationalism meant for both American democracy and American Christianity.”
Grant funding for this project comes from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Religion and Theology Program, through an initiative seeking to “Advance Public Knowledge on Democracy, Race and Religion in America.”
The Henry Luce Foundation seeks to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., the Luce Foundation advances its mission by nurturing knowledge communities and institutions, fostering dialogue across divides, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development.
Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope was founded upon the idea of bringing different religious denominations together as one voice for justice. The organization includes Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and other religious communities who, as a collective, act towards civic engagement, criminal justice reform, and economic development, among other initiatives.
The We All Belong Campaign originated as part of MICAH’s goal to promote civic engagement and education as a way to push back against Christian nationalism. MICAH identifies Christian nationalism as a dangerous ideology that aims to sow division throughout the United States. Christian nationalism lumps Christian identity and American identity together, which distorts Christian values and marginalizes religious minorities and non-religious people. MICAH focuses on gathering around Martin Luther King Jr.’s Beloved Community, where everyone is loved and respected regardless of religious affiliation.
The Beloved Community believes in the power and necessity of pluralist democracy. This view is consistent with the principles of America’s founding, however, it is actively being undermined by Christian nationalism, which instead prioritizes only those who see Christianity as a favored elite and political class. Standing for democracy means separating church and state, which allows for a diverse acceptance of other religious traditions. Conflating Christianity with American identity erases the history and culture of other religious groups who also view themselves as Americans.
Yana Tartakovskiy is a junior studying healthcare management and insurance studies major, political science minor. Her interests include healthcare laws and public policies shaping women’s health.
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.