Is an American flag in a church sanctuary an example of Christian nationalism? What about faith-based advocacy? Helping voters get to the polls? Saying the Constitution is “divinely inspired”? In this conversation from 2024, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman answer some common questions they hear about Christian nationalism, and they talk about the questions we all should be asking ourselves when evaluating the political ideology.
This program originally aired March 21, 2024
What does the Bible have to teach us about Christian nationalism? How does that political ideology undermine the Christian faith and the nature of God? In this interview from 2019, author and scholar Walter Brueggemann talks with Amanda Tyler about the theological dangers of Christian nationalism. Don’t miss his thoughts on what the prophets have to teach us about our current times, the importance of the crucifixion and resurrection narrative in these conversations, and what the Bible says about oppression, hope, truth and power. This program originally aired August 21, 2019.
How does the myth of America being a “chosen” nation lead to the religious nationalism we see today? In a presentation first aired in 2023, Harvard Divinity School’s Dr. Catherine Brekus talks about how the myth is a complicated mixture of arrogance, exploitation, reform, racism and violence. She looks at the roots of this myth, how it has played out through our country’s history, and how the recent surge of white Christian nationalism reflects a deep uneasiness about the loss of Christian privilege in this country.
This program originally aired on June 1, 2023, in season 4 of Respecting Religion.
“In Minneapolis and across the country, the threats to the religious freedom of all people are not the people standing up for and participating in civic life but the people who wield state power in a manner that undermines it.”
