📘 Lexicon Entry: Christianism

A political-theological framework that transforms Christianity into an ideological movement focused on nationalist and identity-based political agendas.

The deployment of Christian symbols and identity for political purposes while functionally departing from core Christian commitments.

A political-theological framework that transforms Christianity from a theological tradition centered on Christ’s example into an ideological movement that systematically deploys religious symbols, language, and identity markers to advance nationalist, populist, and identity-based political agendas while functionally departing from core Christian commitments.

Primary Concept

Christianism, religion and politics, Christian nationalism, political theology, religious identity, ideological religion

Cite as: Uffman, Craig. "Christianism." Theological Lexicon, Common Life Politics, Updated May 18, 2025, https://tana.pub/G-uDC8z77ZNs/christianism.

May 18, 2025

Creates a comprehensive cultural-political identity through religious language; maintains Christian verbal affirmations while operating by different principles; deploys religious symbolism for political mobilization; fuses religious identity with national, racial, and political identities; compartmentalizes moral standards based on political alignment.

The term emerged in early 21st century discussions to distinguish the theological tradition from its political instrumentalization, with parallels in Constantinianism. It was popularized by Andrew Sullivan in a 2006 Time magazine article “My Problem with Christianism,” and has historical roots in 19th century religious discourse. It follows linguistic patterns similar to “Islamism,” signifying the transformation of religion into ideology.

Manifests in political rallies featuring religious symbolism; media platforms that blend religious and political messaging; voting patterns described in religious terms; policy positions presented as religious mandates; religious institutions aligned with specific political movements; and alternative information ecosystems that reinforce religious-political identity fusion.

Analyzed through political theology (Kahn: sacralization of nation-state through sacrifice), practical atheism (Hauerwas: maintaining formal affirmations while operating by non-Christian principles), relational distortion (Campbell: contractual rather than participatory frameworks), cultural Christianity (Bretherton: co-option, commodification, and competition), and binary politics (Schmitt: friend/enemy distinctions as primary mode of political engagement).

Christianity functions as a theological framework centered on Christ’s example, with faith and practice integrated, and primary allegiance to God’s kingdom above all human institutions.

Christianity becomes primarily a cultural-political identity marker, with verbal affirmation of Christ while operating by different principles, and fusion of religious identity with national, racial, and political identities.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father” (Matt. 7:21); Jesus’s rejection of political messiahship; “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

Involves practical atheism (maintaining Christian language while operating by different principles), binary apocalypticism (dividing the world into absolute moral categories), and primitive biblicism (selective scriptural application).

Deploys religious identity, language, and symbols for political mobilization and legitimation of specific policy agendas. Connected to religious nationalism, the Christian Right movement, and religious populism.

Features identity fusion across religious, racial, national, and political lines; boundary maintenance through insider/outsider distinctions; and moral compartmentalization that applies different standards to allies versus opponents.

MAGA Christianism, Dominative Christianism, Providential Identitarianism, Christian Nationalism