The proposed paper seeks to answer whether Christian Nationalism (CN), as described by Stephen Wolfe, threatens to diminish the witness of the evangelical Gospel around the world. This paper will first offer a working definition based on a survey of writings from Christian nationalists, then, use Wolfe’s contention that Christians must politically assert themselves to take the public institutions as a window through which to view religious nationalism more broadly. As test cases, the paper will survey CN in the United States, Brazil, Ghana, Germany, and Russia, and then compare it to Islamic Nationalism in Iran and Hindu Nationalism in India. The paper will then analyze religious nationalism in light of the Baptist Faith and Message in an effort to formulate a theological solution from a Baptist vantage point.
Religious nationalism around the world and throughout history has always vilified those who threaten an ideal of heritage and culture. Strangely enough, Hindu, Iranian, and Christian nationalists all view themselves under attack, striving to combat national decay to preserve their sacred culture, and rallying to take “their country” back (R. Zia-Ebrahimi, C. Jaffrelot, and A. Whitehead). In juxtaposition, however, India and Iran provide examples of the minority experience, whereby Christians suffer under the political fervor of majority nationalist extremists. As Christian Nationalism is reflected back on itself through non-Christian counterparts, this will serve as a potent warning to those who claim the crucified Christ as Lord.
Moving forward, Drew Strait argues that CN must be confronted pastorally, since CN is anchored in a belief in the Bible as the literal word of God “preaching the whole life of Jesus,” especially His ethical teachings, is an effective tool for disorienting the CN worldview. Moreover, Adam Wyatt, following the example of the Apostle Paul, affirms that Christians need not abandon their love of country, but they must learn that they are dual citizens with loyalties to the kingdom of God that supersede loyalty to their earthly country. The answer for the present age is not Christian nationalism but Christian altruism, by which the Gospel is not hindered or perverted by provincial prejudice, but bolstered by a global evangelicalism that stands “as a witness to all the nations” (Mt 24:14) regardless of national heritage.