Christian Nationalism became a topic of discussion between my husband and me when we started hearing a political ideology coming from the pulpit. I wouldn’t say it really mixed with Christianity in its orthodoxy, but it definitely used the right words…they just had a different meaning. It wasn’t mixed with it, because, ultimately, it seemed to replace the message of Jesus Christ, his gospel, the distinction between law and gospel, and Jesus’ message of grace. Instead, the meanings of those things were obfuscated and, in many instances, completely inverted. The right words were being used, but the definitions, and therefore, conclusions were completely different than the intended purpose of what scripture tells us. A different Jesus and a different gospel (which was no gospel at all) were being preached. It was about our works: what we did, what we were going to do, and in some instances, how we were going to do it.

At first, we had no idea what it was, so we started doing some digging. What we came up with has led us on a journey that continues to this day. We began to learn about Dominionism (Theonomy), Integralism, and the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), including the Seven Mountain Mandate, among other topics. We were trying to figure out what exactly was being preached from the pulpit and stick an understandable (to us) label on it. We finally came to the conclusion that what was being preached was Christian Nationalism. And that there were many churches sharing a similar message.

I’m a veteran; I believed that voting was a responsibility of citizens and had participated since I turned 18. I’m not sure when I first heard the term “Christian Nationalist,” but it was the summer of 2022 when it had a particular impact on me. I wasn’t sure if I was a Christian Nationalist at first because I loved this country; I’m a veteran; I believed that voting was a responsibility of citizens and had participated since I turned 18; and I generally felt a sense of patriotism (pride in being a United States citizen). However, I had my own concerns long before I tried to figure this out. I always considered myself an Independent, although I typically voted Republican. I was conservative (believed in small government). I didn’t believe in unjust wars (and I couldn’t think of one in my lifetime that had been just). And I’ve never trusted the government. I’m not sure what the exact cause of the last one was, but I think there were many factors (perhaps Bill Clinton’s unfamiliarity with the definition of “is” tipped me off). I guess those are a few reasons I was leery about proclaiming myself to be anything I wasn’t really certain of.

Within a few months of deep diving into what a “Christian Nationalist” was, I knew I was not one. I had already been asking questions about why we used certain symbols in our denomination. Why was the American flag at the front of many sanctuaries? Why do we use militant language and militant songs? Then COVID happened, and I gained more understanding of what many people believed in regarding Christianity and our rights as American citizens. I started listening to people I hadn’t heard of before, such as Doug Wilson, who was standing against forced masking and the closure of churches. Romans 13 was being used left and right (no pun intended). I started reading more books on the rights of citizens and the rights of Christians who belong to God. I started seeing slogans like “Defy Tyrants.”

All that stuff tracked with me and what I believed. To be honest, many of those things still do. I never believed in masking because it perpetuated a lie (that wearing a mask would protect you and others from getting sick). I know that’s not how sickness works, and most other people knew that too -before all this happened. I felt strongly that masks were dehumanizing and caused extreme distress in children (especially infants and toddlers). I also didn’t believe it was right for the government to “close down” churches and small businesses when Wal-Mart and other big box stores were open.

But, in the middle of all this, I kept seeing comments from people across the world talking about how American Christians were mixing our political beliefs with religion and how other Christians, in other parts of the world (some of whom had been truly persecuted for their faith), viewed things differently than we did. People started quietly inferring, and some outright saying, that if people in other parts of the world didn’t believe in the American kind of Christianity (a political ideology wrapped in “Christianity”), then they may not be Christians at all (which blew my mind!).

I recall the pastor in Canada being arrested for preaching, and how many had pointed out that he was not being arrested for preaching the gospel, but for publicly defying the COVID-19 laws (albeit ridiculous) that Canada had in place. He wasn’t arrested for his message, but for the way he delivered it. There were others arrested during this time, too (which I still don’t agree with), but it did make me start wondering whether or not they were really being persecuted for their religious beliefs/messages or if they were being arrested for their political beliefs/activism. And are those two things separate?

To be sure, our religious beliefs inform our political beliefs, but are they held to the same level of importance to us as Christians? When we stand before the judgment throne of God, is he going to make sure that we had a particular party that we were aligned with? I don’t think so.

I recall a book I read that was particularly helpful during this time, titled “Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents.” The reason I like it so much is that it calls for individual action to stand in truth, as each of us has personal convictions. It did not call for a revolution or revolt en masse. It did not call for an uprising of political parties under the guise of religion. But called for standing in truth, peaceably. In my opinion, among all the books I’ve read on this topic, it most closely aligns with and honors Jesus’ view of government and politics.

The old, hard totalitarianism had a vision for the world that required the eradication of Christianity. The new, soft totalitarianism does too, and we are not equipped to resist its sneakier attack. -Rod Dreher, p. 13

This was my frame of mind as the COVID restrictions fizzled out by the summer of ‘22, and the Christian Nationalism ramped up. I have certain convictions that I will always stand up for or against as an individual, because I love the truth and feel compelled to do so. However, other people, including fellow believers, may hold different convictions than I do. That does not mean they are not believers, nor do my convictions mean that I’m not a believer. But it does mean that God uses us in different ways for different reasons. Sometimes, our convictions change, and God uses that, too.

This is part of a series of posts including: My Preface to Christian Nationalism, The Wide Road to Christian Nationalism, White Supremacy in Christian Nationalism, and NAR -Seven Mountain Mandate.