Christian nationalism history

The NPR program Throughline broadcast a very interesting historical summary of American Christian nationalism (CN). Christian nationalist beliefs are rooted in the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, and that its laws should reflect certain Christian values. And versions of these beliefs are widely held by Americans of different ages, races, and backgrounds. In 2022, a Pew Research poll reported that 45 percent of Americans believe the country should be a Christian nation. More than half of those people said the Bible should influence U.S. laws.

The main points are:

• The concept started with colonists coming to America for religious freedom. The idea of the shining city on a hill came from the bible, Book of Matthew, and the colonists echoed it in the American colonies. Colonist John Winthrop, English Puritan and the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, said: We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world. In other words, if you colonists fail, God will punish you. The colonists had an obligation to live up to the special covenant that as God's chosen people, they had a moral obligation to be a model for the rest of the world to marvel at, i.e., a Christian nation, not a secular one.

• In the mid 1900s CN was significantly anti-communist. With the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education supreme courts decisions on desegregating public schools, the political focus of the CN movement shifted to defending segregation. As opposition to desegregation because untenable, the elites latched onto the idea of opposition to abortion. That took hold and gained dominance. But until Barry Goldwater came on the scene in 1964, CN was generally on the fringes of politics and political power. Goldwater, a hard core libertarian, openly invited Christianity into power. Goldwater was a game changer for the CN movement. Throughline asserted that Goldwater gave a permission structure for extremism that still resounds today. If you want your country, you got to be a radical. If you're not a radical, you're not one of us: 

Now, my fellow Americans, the tide has been running against freedom. Our people have followed false prophets. We must, and we shall return to proven ways, not because they are old, but because they are true. Freedom under a government limited by the laws of nature and of nature's God. .... That extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. 

• After Goldwater, the CN movement became vocal in opposition to civil rights, feminism and opposition to the Vietnam war. The CN movement mobilized around issues like tax exemption for a private religious university, which the IRS had rolled back when the school refused to desegregate. CN elites opposed the Equal Rights Amendment, which would have prohibited gender-based discrimination in the United States. And when neither of those strategies proved universal enough to draw in the voters it needed, the Republican Party pivoted to abortion. One CN partisan criticized the left like this:

They think they're above things like the Pledge of Allegiance, they're above this patriotism, they're above things like God. It's an attack on God, on Christianity, and it's an attack on Western civilization. What the left has done is it's replaced Christianity with secular humanism.

• In 1980, Ronald Reagan gave the CN movement another boost. He appealed directly to CN elites at the 1980 GOP convention in Dallas, TX:

I know you can't endorse me. I want you to know that I endorse you. .... When the Israelites were about to enter the promised land, they were told that their government and laws must be models to other nations, showing to the world the wisdom and mercy of their God. To us, as to the ancient people of the promise, there is given an opportunity, a chance to make our laws and government not only a model to mankind but a testament to the wisdom and mercy of God.

That 1980 GOP convention was the same one where CN elite Paul Weyrich directly attacked free and fair elections with his goo goo government screed:

• Throughline comments: The separation of church and state and what the founding fathers meant by it is a flash point in the debate surrounding Christian nationalism today. Some Christian nationalists say they don't have a problem with separating the institutions of church and state, but that divorcing morality from the state is a bad idea, if it's even possible. Others claim the founders came up with the First Amendment as a way of protecting the church from political influence, not vice versa. Republican activist David Barton has been a leader in this line of thinking and has even claimed the U.S. Constitution contains direct quotes from the Bible. Those claims, for the record, have been debunked.

Note the moral arrogance of CN belief that morality has to come from the bible. Secular law often deals with matters of morality, e.g., illegality of child porn, prostitution, slavery and discrimination.

Exactly what are the biblical values that the CN wealth and power movement demands? That is impossible to know. It could mean laws demanding all speeches end with God Bless America. It usually means advocating for more prayer in public schools, and sometimes requiring schools to display the Ten Commandments. It almost always means opposing and restricting abortion, same-sex marriage and gender-affirming health care. And in my opinion, among a couple of other bad things, it means opposition to free and fair elections and thus democracy itself.

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Wonk alert: For the folks not yet at the TL/DR stage, here are two nuggets:

Nugget 1: One thing that baffles me is why Goldwater said to fear the Christians in politics while embracing them. 

“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.”

That makes no sense to me. Regardless, it is fair to say that the preachers finally got control of the GOP more or less. That was something that Goldwater enabled and empowered, but then claimed to fear. 

Nugget 2:

Q: Is Christian nationalism most influential in the western hemisphere for historical or other reasons?

A: Christian nationalism has indeed been particularly influential in the Western Hemisphere, especially in the United States, for both historical and cultural reasons. The roots of Christian nationalism in the Americas can be traced back to European colonization. In 1493, following Christopher Columbus's voyages, the Catholic Church established the Doctrine of Discovery, which claimed European Christian superiority over other cultures and religions. This doctrine provided religious justification for colonial conquest and laid the groundwork for Christian nationalist ideologies in the Americas.

Founding Mythology: Despite the First Amendment's prohibition on establishing an official religion, a narrative of the U.S. as a "Christian nation" has persisted since its founding. This mythology was promoted by some evangelical historians and pundits to sacralize the nation's origins.

20th Century Resurgence: Christian nationalism experienced a resurgence in the 1930s, driven by anti-New Deal business interests seeking to link American capitalism with Christianity. The Cold War era saw further reinforcement of religious language in national mottos and pledges.

Contemporary Influence: In recent years, Christian nationalism has gained significant political traction in the U.S. It played a role in Donald Trump's 2016 election victory and subsequent policies. According to a 2023 survey, over half of Republicans either identified as Christian nationalists or sympathized with Christian nationalist views.

Cultural factors: In the U.S., Christian nationalism often intersects with white identity politics and notions of racial hierarchy. Increasing political division has led some groups to embrace Christian nationalism as a reactionary ideology.

Q2: To what degree is Christian nationalist ideology anti-Semitic?

A2: Christian nationalists tend to believe in more antisemitic tropes, primarily due to their investment in the social dominance of Christians. Antisemitism among Christian nationalists appears to be part of a broader set of negative views toward all minorities. The desire for Christian social dominance can lead to negative attitudes toward non-Christian groups, including Jews.

Q3: Is American Christian nationalism generally unwilling to compromise in its politics?

A3: American Christian nationalism generally demonstrates an unwillingness to compromise in its political approach. Several key points support this:

1. Ideological rigidity: Christian nationalists often view their beliefs as divinely inspired and infallible, leaving little room for negotiation or compromise. They believe their interpretation of the Bible and God's law should supersede human laws when there's a conflict.

2. Cultural dominance: There's a strong belief among Christian nationalists that America was founded as a Christian nation and should remain so. This leaves little room for accommodating other religious or secular viewpoints in governance.

3. Authoritarian tendencies: Christian nationalism is often described as "authoritarian" and "boundary-enforcing", suggesting a preference for imposing their views rather than finding middle ground.

4. Rejection of democratic norms: Some scholars argue that Christian nationalism promotes anti-democratic sentiment.

7. Indoctrination against compromise: According to one source, Christian nationalists are "indoctrinated to never compromise, making them dreadful politicians."

While individual Christian nationalists may vary in their willingness to compromise, the overall ideology and political approach of the movement appear to be largely incompatible with political compromise. This stance is rooted in their religious convictions, cultural beliefs, and perception of existential threats to their vision of America.