📘 Lexicon Entry: Christian Nationalism

A contemporary political movement that seeks to merge American national identity with Christian religious identity, asserting that America was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed by Christian principles

Christian Nationalism represents a contemporary movement that fuses American national identity with particular expressions of Christian faith, asserting that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and should return to explicitly Christian governance and cultural dominance. This movement goes beyond individual Christian participation in public life to advocate for institutional Christian supremacy, often through appeals to a mythologized understanding of American founding and history. Christian Nationalism provides the organizational and ideological framework for much of MAGA Christianism and Dominative Christianism, offering a political program for implementing theological mutations in public policy. Unlike authentic Christian engagement with public life that maintains critical distance from state power, Christian Nationalism seeks to capture and wield government authority for explicitly religious purposes, often justifying this agenda through Providential Identitarianism that claims divine election for American Christians.

Contemporary Movement

nationalism, Christian identity, political theology, religious freedom, church-state relations, culture wars, political movement, American exceptionalism

Geevarghese-Uffman, Craig. “Christian Nationalism.” *Political Theology Lexicon*. https://www.commonlifepolitics.com/p/lexicon. Accessed [date].

Fusion of American national identity with Christian religious identity

Advocacy for institutional Christian dominance in government and culture

Mythologized understanding of American founding as explicitly Christian

Opposition to religious pluralism and secular governance

Use of political power to enforce particular Christian cultural values

Rich Lowry

Adrian Vermeule

Patrick Deneen

Sohrab Ahmari

Gladden Pappin

Edmund Waldstein

Paula White

Stephen Wolfe

Doug Wilson

Andrew Torba

Dutch Sheets

Mike Johnson

Decentralized network of churches, political organizations, and media platforms

Congressional Prayer Caucus and similar legislative groups

Christian nationalist media ecosystem including podcasts and online platforms

Local school board and municipal political campaigns

Megachurch pastors and evangelical political organizations

Dominion theology emphasizing Christian responsibility to govern society

Selective interpretation of Romans 13 regarding governmental authority

Covenant theology applied to American national identity

Apocalyptic frameworks casting cultural change as spiritual warfare

Roots in colonial Puritan theocracy and manifest destiny ideology

Modern emergence through 1970s-80s Religious Right mobilization

Accelerated through culture war politics and white evangelical political engagement

Radicalized through Trump presidency and January 6th Capitol assault

Strong alignment with Republican Party and conservative political agenda

Opposition to Democratic Party characterized as opposition to Christianity

Support for authoritarian political tactics justified through religious language

International connections with other nationalist and populist movements

Significant presence in white evangelical churches and organizations

Influence in homeschooling networks and Christian education institutions

Strong representation in rural and suburban conservative communities

Growing presence in military and law enforcement communities

Prominent voices on conservative talk radio and podcasting

Social media platforms and alternative technology ecosystem

Christian broadcasting networks and evangelical media organizations

Integration with broader conservative and right-wing media apparatus

Increasing radicalization and explicit authoritarianism

Growing influence within Republican Party and conservative institutions

International networking with global nationalist and populist movements

Potential for violence and democratic subversion

Sociological studies of white evangelical political mobilization

Research on nationalism and religion in American political culture

Analysis of authoritarian movements and democratic backsliding

Related Primary Concepts: MAGA Christianism, Dominative Christianism, Providential Identitarianism

Key Mutations: Binary Apocalypticism, Tribal Epistemology, Practical Atheism

Contemporary Movements: Identity Synthesis, Platform Capitalism

Theological Alternatives: Prophetic Patriotism, Counter-Imperial

Historical Context: Civil Religion, Covenant Theology

May 22, 2025

*This entry is part of the Political Theology Lexicon, accessible exclusively to subscribers. View the complete lexicon to explore related concepts and the full theoretical framework.*