“Christian Nationalism”

From time to time the Christian church is subjected to aberrations of theology and practice which in time prove themselves to be a heresy of the church, but often these heresies can last for a generation or more and trouble the people of God, leading them to waste an inordinate amount of time debating something which is nothing but vain words.  However, misguided and poorly educated individuals who have poorly studied church history, heresies of the church and with a modicum of education begin to elaborate wild theories of speculative truth, founded on nothing more than a misinterpretation of history and their own political and personal biases.  Such is the movement toward Christian nationalism in our day!

I will attempt in this short treatise to show the foundation of theological error which supports this idea of Christian nationalism and by the end of this article demolish the foundations on which it stands.  Hopefully, I can do so in this endeavor to call back the people of God in Christ to a more clear and truthful way to show forth the mercies of our Lord Jesus Christ to the surrounding world, which is made of many diverse persons, not all of whom espouse the Christian faith in Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer, the only sure foundation, and the Rock of our salvation for us all.

Let us begin with this scripture from the Acts of the Apostles:

               When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” So he sent to Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

                And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way [of Christ].  For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsman.  He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.  Moreover, you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.  So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

                Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.  And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him.  Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater.  Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.  And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward.  And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people.  But when they found out he was a Jew, all with one voice cried for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

                And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians if temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?  Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly.  For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.  Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsman have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.  Let them bring charges against one another.  But if you have an inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly.  For we are in danger of being called into question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give account for this disorderly gathering.  And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

                And when the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.  Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece and stayed there three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.  (Acts of the Apostles 19:21-20:3).

                There are parallels in this passage of scripture in the way Paul, while attempting to preach the genuine gospel of Christ, which was well received by many across the Roman world, often found himself in conflict with the cultural norms, such as the worship In Ephesus of the goddess Diana, and the monetary enterprises which supported the artisans of silver who made statues for sale of the goddess Diana.  If Paul could prove that the goddess Diana is only a goddess made by human imagination and represented by silver statues made by human hands, then he has placed the ax at the foundation of this Roman civil society, which is being disrupted by the truth of the gospel and brings to nothing the presumption on which are based the Roman civil world.  We know, from the study of history, that much of the Roman world converted to Christianity by the time of Constantinople (Emperor of Rome 330AD).  We also know from the study of history that much of Western civilization values and civil/political structure has its roots in the Roman-Hellenistic civilizations which proceeded this time.

                I invoke this story to show the contrast between civil religion, which is an accepted truth of the way things are, because this is what that civilization is taught in that society, and the disruption which can occur when the truth of the gospel as Paul preached, “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:1-2), which in Paul’s own words sums up the message of the gospel, the good news which he preached across the whole Roman empire.   Paul kept his message simple, focused on the core of what the Christian faith proclaims, so as (1) not to confuse his hearers, and (2) not to mix with any political party or influence.  In other words, Paul did not compromise the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to accomplish any so-called reformation of the Roman society.  The message of “Jesus Christ and him crucified” alone is enough to do that.  It has been the experience and the witness of the Christian church from the beginning that the conviction of the Holy Spirit of Christ is enough to change men, women, and children’s lives.  God does not need laws or even the endorsement of an Emperor to change the human heart towards God.  If fact, there are historians who speak of the distortion and the diminishment of the gospel when it is embraced too closely by civil authorities.  What is God’s own work of the Holy Spirit in the human conscience becomes embellished by layers of culturalization much like the silver artisans and Demetrius wanted the Ephesians to embrace Diana as their goddess so they could sell more silver statues of her likeness.  The admixture of Christ’s gospel and laws, patriotism, civil religion of any stripe, no matter how well intentioned is idolatry!  Making a golden calf in God’s image or that of Baal, is still a golden calf, an idolatrous worship of the Living God!  The only representation that God has or ever needed is Jesus Christ, God who became man and as a human being fully represents the divine nature of God to the world.   As the holy scripture says, “Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved!” (Acts 4:12)

                It is common knowledge that in many Protestant churches of many forms and types, in the sanctuary on either side of the pulpit and the Lord’s table, and baptismal font, are the American and the Christian flags.  This has been debated among churches as to whether appropriate or not, but it is felt that a Christian person living in the Unites States of America, whether citizen or non-citizen can still express loyalty to one’s nation without compromising their Christian faith in Christ, since Jesus Christ is Lord and there is no other!  My ultimate loyalty is to Jesus Christ, my only King, whom I worship and serve.  I am still allowed to express my civic duty to my country, pay taxes to the state and seek to live in peace with it, since it provides order for the American society, as the Roman civil authorities did in the time of Paul.  The companions of Paul did not blaspheme Diana the goddess of Ephesus, but tolerated the religion of civil society, while at the same time worshiping the Lord Jesus, who being Lord of all will eventually bring to collapse all idolatrous impulses by “the word of this mouth, a sharp two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12) It is not necessary for Christians to take up the sword of men in order to share the gospel!  In fact, the exact opposite is true.  As we witness in the Middle Ages and the crusades of the church to “rescue Jerusalem from the Moslems,” this is a misguided and foolish adventure and only served to kill an inordinate number of reasonable, good human beings.  Fighting over real estate does not bring forth the kingdom of God.  Neither will making laws in civil society enforced by so called “friendly courts” change the human heart.  Laws modify human behavior, but they never change the human condition, as we are all sinners in need of the saving grace of our God!”

                I find it incongruous that so many well-meaning Christians feel that by packing the local school boards with Christian right officials will someone change the mind of one child or parent.  The mind is never penetrated by law, but only by the grace and compassion of Jesus Christ.  It is God’s love in Christ which changes the human condition, forgives and redeems sinners, not laws fashioned by men as silver statues to the goddess of civil religion!

                In the past twenty years, more or less, conservative politicians and now liberal politicians are discovering the power of religion to persuade persons to vote, often based on an “us vs them” mentality.  By painting the other political opponent as “evil, not like us, the enemy”, this strategy of political elections divides rather than unites the country.  Persons of wealth who want more power for themselves manipulate persons of simple and non-so simple minds to do their bidding.  Hot button issues as “abortion, “pro -life”, “the woke agenda” and other such political phrases energize the masses much like the Ephesians we read about today, who shouted for two hours and refused to be quieted, thinking somehow that the person who speaks the loudest has the most truth or persuasive power.  If fact, in most of human history the very opposite is true.  Our God comes to us “as the still small voice of calm.”  (I Kings 19:12) For God, saying something once is enough!  Would to God, in our society filled with much noise, not calm, and many disparate, conflicted voices we could learn something from the way our God in Christ speaks!

                Christian nationalism is another form of idolatry.  But today those who promote it sincerely believe they are doing the work of God.  Such is also true in Iran, where the Ayatollah Khamenei, a Twelver Shia clergy applies Islam to present-time daily affairs.  Those who promote Christian nationalism in a similar attempt to “Christianize and save the nation from destruction” are inadvertently setting up the downfall of our democratic way of life.  “Freedom, liberty and justice for all” as our great civil religion promulgated by the Deists philosophers who founded our country and wrote our constitution never envisioned a country in which religion swallows up civil society in an attempt to save it from its own destruction.  If we want to live in a country like Iran which is struggling to allow women to appear in public with uncovered heads (no hijab), then we should support these Christians in their misguided attempt to save us.  What we need rather is someone to save us from these bigoted politicians who seek to divide us from ourselves, our own conscience, and from one another!  Brothers and sisters are we! 

                The church when is represents the gospel of Christ rightly has the power to point persons to the Living God in Jesus Christ, who has the true power to save us all from destruction: from sin, from death and from hell.  The Christ who identifies himself not with the powerful but with the weak, the broken, the orphan, the poor, those disenfranchised by civil society is the Christ whom we worship.

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

(Matthew 5:3-6 – a portion of Jesus sayings on the mountainside.)

Have we forgotten the gospel we say we believe?  Do we understand what Jesus means when he says,

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams arose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”  (The Gospel of Matthew 5:24-27)

Bill Wilson, servant of God, by God’s grace and mercies.