I grew up on a farm with sheep and cattle. To herd cattle very far, you need a horse or else they run around you. To herd sheep, you need dogs that are trained to form a funnel into the destination (usually a sheep pen) and to bark. By staking out the boundaries and barking, the sheep go where you want them.
Thanks for your comment. As I indicated in my piece, Christian Nationalism only exists as a construct of the Left*. They made up the term, poured meaning into it, and with that meaning, criticized it. As far as the racial contructs of Tisby and others, again the dialog these people use descends from assumptions based in CRT's systemic view, often without the proponents realizing they are engaging in a frame that is a construct of CRT. The CRT frame inescapably cues up the arguments of all you mention. The only problem: Like Ptomely's cosmology, the CRT cosmology (and it's CT father) doesn't exist.
Nations have been around a long time. Race as we understand it is fewer than two centuries old-- really 19th century justification for the racial view of humanity to replace the Christian view of humanity. This view resulted in the racist activity at the end of the 19th and early 20th century. The Christian concepts of people groups (Nations, tribes, tongues) is the frame that we should be using. Physical attributes are irrelevant in this view. Cultures are central. This is why Paideia (culture transfer) is so important.
* Note: The longer the term is used, the more likely a group becomes defined by the term. So it may be that Christian nationalism becomes a real thing as people seek to be identified by the term-- "yea, I'm one of those!". This is how words have power to create. Before the term, you just had Christians who believed America had Christian roots and was a good nation. Or, you had progressive ideas of manifest destiny and the messianic role of "Americanism" in the world. Or, some combination of the two. Plus, a few other positions. Reality didn't fit the category.
This was a very interesting piece, but I am still unconvinced that Christian nationalism is not a problem or disassociated from white nationalism. Worse than that, Christian nationalism needs no defense and should find none among Christians who value scripture or a biblical view of human flourishing. I would be interested in how you would respond to other authors who write on the topic. These authors lay out why Christian nationalism is a problem, inherently linked to the American Christian tradition, and not consistent with biblical virtue or our mission and commitment as believers.
White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones - demonstrates with data his claims and then reflects upon them.
The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby describes how racism is consistently defended by “Christians” in American church history.
Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes du Mez is a little more controversial but specifically reflects on Christian Nationalism .
The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor by Kaitlyn Schiess describes what Christians should be interested in promoting today if they are committed to a biblical view for our world.
Thanks for your comment. As I indicated in my piece, Christian Nationalism only exists as a construct of the Left*. They made up the term, poured meaning into it, and with that meaning, criticized it. As far as the racial contructs of Tisby and others, again the dialog these people use descends from assumptions based in CRT's systemic view, often without the proponents realizing they are engaging in a frame that is a construct of CRT. The CRT frame inescapably cues up the arguments of all you mention. The only problem: Like Ptomely's cosmology, the CRT cosmology (and it's CT father) doesn't exist.
Nations have been around a long time. Race as we understand it is fewer than two centuries old-- really 19th century justification for the racial view of humanity to replace the Christian view of humanity. This view resulted in the racist activity at the end of the 19th and early 20th century. The Christian concepts of people groups (Nations, tribes, tongues) is the frame that we should be using. Physical attributes are irrelevant in this view. Cultures are central. This is why Paideia (culture transfer) is so important.
* Note: The longer the term is used, the more likely a group becomes defined by the term. So it may be that Christian nationalism becomes a real thing as people seek to be identified by the term-- "yea, I'm one of those!". This is how words have power to create. Before the term, you just had Christians who believed America had Christian roots and was a good nation. Or, you had progressive ideas of manifest destiny and the messianic role of "Americanism" in the world. Or, some combination of the two. Plus, a few other positions. Reality didn't fit the category.
This was a very interesting piece, but I am still unconvinced that Christian nationalism is not a problem or disassociated from white nationalism. Worse than that, Christian nationalism needs no defense and should find none among Christians who value scripture or a biblical view of human flourishing. I would be interested in how you would respond to other authors who write on the topic. These authors lay out why Christian nationalism is a problem, inherently linked to the American Christian tradition, and not consistent with biblical virtue or our mission and commitment as believers.
White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones - demonstrates with data his claims and then reflects upon them.
The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby describes how racism is consistently defended by “Christians” in American church history.
Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes du Mez is a little more controversial but specifically reflects on Christian Nationalism .
The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor by Kaitlyn Schiess describes what Christians should be interested in promoting today if they are committed to a biblical view for our world.