Am I a Christian Nationalist? Funnily enough, no one has ever asked me. I’ve had a whole bunch of people tell me what I believe, though.
If you ask Heidi Przybyla, an "expert" on Christian Nationalism, anyone who believes that rights come from God (instead of the government) is a Christian Nationalist, part of a dangerous “extremist element”.
If you ask the Christian Nationalists, they will point out that the left is eager to slander all Christians as dangerous radical extremists and insurrectionists -- so we might as well embrace the label to express solidarity with those who are persecuted.
If you ask the atheist I upset with my views on abortion, I'm not just a "Christian Nationalist", I'm a white Christian Nationalist.
But apparently I don't get any say in the matter. Once again, the world has already labeled me, and my own opinions and behavior are irrelevant. Rebel teen lyrics from my high school days come to mind: "You don't know me, and I'll never be what you want me to be!"
But what is Christian Nationalism? No one really seems to understand. Of course there are two thick books by Torba, Isker, and Wolfe; but nobody has time to read those. Christian Nationalism isn't defined with words, but pictures and feelings. Allow me to demonstrate:
The left will put up a picture of January 6th and use words like danger, fear, extremist, white, radical, violent. They'll draw the biggest possible circle they can: “it's those people!”
The right will put up a picture of the torn down satanic statue, and use words like heroic, resistance, principle, sacrifice, loyalty, family. They see the left drawing a large circle, and quickly stand right in the middle of it. “They'll hang you for this anyways, might as well be a part of it!”
It’s hard to fault that logic, best illustrated with an adaptation of a well known poem:
First they came for the Jan 6’ers,
but I didn’t speak up, because I was not a Jan 6’er.Then they came for the vaccine deniers,
but I didn’t speak up, because I was only vaccine hesitant.They they came for the abolitionists,
but I didn’t speak up, because I was only pro-life.Then they came for the Christian Nationalists,
but I didn’t speak up, because I was only a Christian.Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
The “experts” have already declared that anyone who believes rights come from God is a dangerous extremist. But that definition is so broad to include me, the vast majority of Christians, and the authors of the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”
Do you see? These feelings and pictures are more powerful than any 500 page book of political theory. In fact, you might be wondering right now if you’re a Christian Nationalist!
Well I’m not. I've seen this behavior before, and I know right where it leads. I'll tell you three stories: two personal, and one from history.
Story Time with Tim
In high school, I had no idea what feminism was — beyond it being an idea from the other side of the political spectrum. Back then, however, conversations across the aisle were much easier to initiate. Leaning over to the emo girl with the anime books, I inquired what feminism was.
"Do you believe that women are equal to men?" she asked.
I frowned. Clearly, women weren't equal to men, what an absurdity! But I couldn't say that I was against equality! Not in the year 2004!
I reasoned she must have been talking about rights and worth. After some thought, I said, "Of course men and women are equal!"
"Then congratulations, you're a feminist! Being a feminist just means that..."
I was surprised, and unsure what to think of my sudden adoption into the ranks of feminism. (What would my parents think!?) But I was a Christian, and a member of a scout-like group. Every group I had ever joined said "Here’s what you must believe to be a member." Feminism was the first group I encountered that reversed that order and said, "You're already a member, now here's what you believe."
You don't know me, and I'll never be who you want me to be.
I am not a Feminist. And yet, the group proved to be extremely difficult to criticize. The moment you showed the slightest hint of opposition, an antagonistic question was hurled at your face.
“Are you saying women don’t have equal rights to men?”
I watched as the country burned. Everyone was putting a raised fist on their profile pictures, and proclaiming in solidarity: "Black lives matter!" Feeling rather left out, and that maybe I should do something, I tried to ask my friends what BLM was about.
"Do you believe that police brutality is bad? That black lives matter? Then congratulations! You’re a member!"
I frowned. Clearly, black lives did matter. And no one should be subject to police brutality, regardless of their skin color. But such things couldn't be said out loud, not in the year 2020!
"Just because we say Black lives matter doesn't mean that other lives don't, it just means that..."
I'd already dealt with enough people trying to adopt me into their ranks, and then tell me what I needed to believe. People chanting their slogans were burning cities and rioting. I wanted nothing to do with them — but the BLM advocates seemed to be unconcerned that rioters were in their midst.
You don't know me, and I'll never be who you want me to be.
I am not a member of Black Lives Matter. And yet, the group proved to be extremely difficult to criticize. The moment you showed the slightest hint of opposition, an antagonistic question was hurled at your face.
"Are you saying black lives don't matter?"
It was almost as if they intentionally designed the slogan for their movement to be impervious to attack.
In the mid 1930's, the "German Christian" movement sprouted up alongside the (now infamous) National Socialist Party. But who were the "German Christians"? To explain, I'll read you an excerpt from "Twisted Cross":
The problem of labels crops up as soon as we ask, Who were the German Christians? In this book, the phrase German Christians refers only to adherents of the German Christian movement in the 1930s and 1940s, not to any German nationals who professed Christianity.
The group's organizers deliberately chose that name to produce confusion, to force anyone else who claimed both Germanness and Christianity to qualify that identity or risk association with their cause. Members of the group thus used their name to enforce the contention that they represented the only authentic fusion of German ethnicity and Christian faith. (Bergen, 1996, p. 7)1
Ah.
I've been sitting on this book for about four years now, with the intention of finishing my final article on the relationship between the Church and state. You'll forgive me, things are moving faster than I can think and write. But perhaps you may consider this article a prelude.
The German Christians came to prominence because they drew the biggest circles they possibly could. Like Feminism, Black Lives Matter, and Christian Nationalism, their entrance criteria was minimal: “Are you German? Are you a Christian? Congratulations! You’re a member of the German Christian party! Now here’s what you believe…”
Large movements are difficult to start, and often die in infancy. “Fake it until you make it." Make yourself seem large, make the issue seem single sided, and wait for a crisis to hit. Then you will be unstoppable.
But as history shows, the German Christians sided with the National Socialists, the Third Reich, Hitler, and enabled the Holocaust. All the momentum they built up caused an unstoppable slow motion train wreck.
Sadly, we’re terrible at learning lessons from history. If you think I’m trying to say, “beware of charismatic leaders who blur the lines of church and state” — no. I’m saying beware of the pre-signed membership cards from movements that seem too good to be true.
Resist the urge to paint neat little battle lines down political groups. The lesson from all these stories is that well meaning people with the best intentions suddenly found themselves as pawns in an evil game. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who opposed the German Church, understood that the battle wasn’t so simple.
Antagonism was intense, division was bitter, but as Dietrich Bonhoeffer pointed out in 1934, the factions in the church struggle did not correspond neatly to political categories. “Dreamers and the naive like Niemöller still believe they are the true National Socialists,” Bonhoeffer wrote, “and maybe it is kindly Providence that preserves them in this illusion.” In his view, however, “the lines of battle are drawn in an altogether different place.” (Bergen, 1996, p. 14)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12
Draw Lines, not Circles
Christian Nationalism is excellent at drawing large circles, but it seems entirely incapable of drawing a straight line: "Do not cross." Much like Black Lives Matter, Christian Nationalism doesn't seem to be concerned about who they let into their ranks. In fact, they even made a slogan about it: "No Enemies to the Right" (or NETTR).
If you’re on “the right” (whatever that happens to mean), then you will get no opposition from the Christian Nationalists. In fact, you might even get a blind eye, a carte blanche to do and say whatever you wish. Of course, Wolfe (one of the authors of Christian Nationalism’s 500 page book) is quick to explain what that actually means…
I’m tired of being told what something “actually” means, or “really” means, or “just” means. I’m perfectly capable of looking at something with my own eyes, and seeing where it leads. But fortunately, you don’t have to take my word for it. Let’s look at NETTR in practice.
Andrew Torba, who wrote the other book on Christian Nationalism, is a notorious anti-semite. He has since deleted this tweet — but to the best of my knowledge, has offered no sort of retraction.
Many in Christian Twitter/X circles have criticized Torba’s anti-semitism. In one instance (also now deleted), Stephen Wolfe stepped in to try and put an end to the fight.
Yes, I’ve seen these diversionary tactics again and again. During 2020, whenever I spoke a word against violent riots, the BLM advocates would circle around me. “Why are you concerned with the riots, but not about police brutality?” It’s an extremely hostile tactic that attempts to control conversation by threatening to associate you with “the enemy” based on what you haven’t said.
It’s the height of irony: Christian Nationalism simultaneously opposes cancel culture, while weaponizing it against those it would attempt to draw into it’s ranks. For such an inclusive movement that eagerly adopts everyone, it seems to have a hair trigger for anyone who exhibits wrongthink.
“No Enemies to the Right” has shown itself to merely be the sixth rule from Animal Farm: “No animal shall kill any other animal (without cause).”
So… am I a Christian Nationalist?
No. I’m just a Christian. My association with Christ needs no other qualifier.
And yet, men that I have profound respect for (and have even cited in many of my articles) align with or sympathize with Christian Nationalism. I cheer on men like Dusty Deevers in his efforts to abolish abortion. John MacArthur has commended the Navy vet who tore down the satanic statue in Iowa. Doug Wilson has written an excellent article in response to Torba and Isker. And Voddie Baucham has a solid point — we will all have some sort of nationalism, the only question is what kind?
What kind, indeed.
But as far as I can tell, the Christian Nationalists are waiting for their crisis — and they may get one. (Remember, it's an election year.) The left, the right, and even the Progressive Christians are all starting to make public postures on the coming political battle, and making sure they have their IFF transponders on the right setting for when conflict breaks out.
To which, I’ll quote Bonhoeffer again.
He would continue to work with all his strength in the church struggle, Bonhoeffer pledged, but it was clear to him such opposition was “only a temporary phase on the way to a completely different kind of resistance.”
Equally clear, he continued, was that “only a very few of the men of this preliminary skirmish will be involved in that second battle.” (Bergen, 1996, p. 14)
Bergen, D. L. (1996). Twisted cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich. Univ of North Carolina Press.