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Thread on Identifying Christian Nationalism in its current form:
This is by no means an exhaustive list of characteristics but the result of my own attempts to pin down a framework to identify Christian Nationalism (abbreviated as CN).
This is by no means an exhaustive list of characteristics but the result of my own attempts to pin down a framework to identify Christian Nationalism (abbreviated as CN).
1. Christian Nationalism uses symbolism, biblical and theological language, and other forms of Christian liturgy in service to maintaining influence and power within the Empire. This blending of Christian symbols to baptize empire goes back at least as far as Constantine.
@liztheo points out many issues w Christian Nationalism, most notably Pence's rewriting a second of the Letter to the Hebrews in his RNC speech:
"Let's fix our eyes on Old Glory [replacing Jesus with the American Flag] and all she represents..." https://www.salon.com/2020/10/04/the-rise-of-christian-nationalism-in-america-_partner/
"Let's fix our eyes on Old Glory [replacing Jesus with the American Flag] and all she represents..." https://www.salon.com/2020/10/04/the-rise-of-christian-nationalism-in-america-_partner/
I write about the use of symbolism on behalf of empire in my book “Resisting Empire: The book of Revelation as Resistance” and see Revelation (as an anti-empire text) unveils how symbolism and Christian liturgy is utilized by empire. https://gatheringinlight.com/2020/05/15/unmasking-liturgies-of-empire/
2. Christian Nationalism unifies around the exercise of the will to power and and use of violence justified through a selective use of biblical texts and theological reasoning meant to underwrite "the religion of empire."
Unity is found in pursuing and maintaining power more so than through a set of shared beliefs or religiosity.
This is one of the arguments that Whitehead and Perry make in the book "Taking America Back for God.”
This is one of the arguments that Whitehead and Perry make in the book "Taking America Back for God.”
“CN is not about religious revival but pwr & privilege over society..., calling out Trump’s immorality & corruption is not an effective strategy for resisting Christian nationalism bc for C. nationalists Trump is 'fully orthodox' & delivers on what is most wanted—namely, power.”
Here is a great review of the book “Taking America Back for God” which goes in depth on Christian Nationalism and describes a lot of this: https://shrtm.nu/7pqQ
3. Christian Nationalism’s theology is “based upon the lie of scarcity.”
This scarcity is rooted in an exclusionist understanding of a vengeful God and impacts not theology, & social structures like family, church, and society, it is rooted is found in “beastly economics."
This scarcity is rooted in an exclusionist understanding of a vengeful God and impacts not theology, & social structures like family, church, and society, it is rooted is found in “beastly economics."
"the accepted [false] moral narrative America has blamed poor people for their poverty, pitted people against each other (united in us vs them), separated systemic racism from poverty and ecology and the war economy, and spread the lie of scarcity..." via @unitethepoor
For more on the above quote from the #poorpeoplescampaign and how scarcity fits into economics see the thorough report “The Souls of Poor Folks." https://ips-dc.org/souls-of-poor-folks/
See this essay for a further explanation of the “beastly economics of empire” and how that fits into not only a liberative reading of the book of Revelation but how it unveils the lie of scarcity today: https://gatheringinlight.com/2020/01/20/beastly-economics-the-kings-vision-for-the-poor-peoples-campaign/
4. Christian Nationalism relies on the "scapegoat mechanism" to reinforce social boundaries and theological exclusion specifically targeting non-white communities or other people seen as being the enemy (often in our case “too liberal” or un-Christian). https://gatheringinlight.com/2016/04/11/the-lamb-that-was-slain-and-the-politics-of-scapegoating-rev-511-15/
5. Christian Nationalism thrives on narratives of "providence" & "chosen (white) people,” writing laws to protect, benefit, & enforce religious preferences & identity of this "chosen" people (from doctrine of discovery, to Jim Crow, to Sunday Blue laws). https://bookshop.org/a/7736/9781469621814
6. Christian Nationalism points to a new future not yet realized in order to create unity. This new future promises to rid the world of those who persecute or stand in the way of “God’s kingdom.”
This future becomes a rallying point.
cf. @JamesAlison11 http://jamesalison.com/worship-in-a-violent-world
This future becomes a rallying point.
cf. @JamesAlison11 http://jamesalison.com/worship-in-a-violent-world
7. Christian Nationalism identifies as the victim rather than the victimizer. Religious and political authorities looking to rally this base re-enforce this myth of the (mis)identified victim.
Christian Nationalism is in part then a mis-identification, or perhaps an over-identification, with Jesus who is the (innocent) victim.
For Christian nationalists "we are the victims" being gathered up and vindicated.
Again see @JamesAlison11 http://jamesalison.com/worship-in-a-violent-world
For Christian nationalists "we are the victims" being gathered up and vindicated.
Again see @JamesAlison11 http://jamesalison.com/worship-in-a-violent-world
8. Christian Nationalism functions as a spiritual “Power” that @daviddark characterizes well as #whitesupremacistantichristpoltergeist
This is a spirit that whips people up into a frenzy, generating a mob-mentality (& ironically ends up protecting the status quo & empire).
This is a spirit that whips people up into a frenzy, generating a mob-mentality (& ironically ends up protecting the status quo & empire).
describes why this is a useful way of thinking about this “spirit” in this long and very useful thread that walks through many examples of the #whitesupremacistantichristpoltergeist https://twitter.com/DavidDark/status/1267109532335038464?s=20
9. Christian Nationalism employs "The Secret” - you can’t trust outside authorities. Thus fake news, misinformation, the big lie, & conspiracy theories to make up for the lack of information.
e.g. Obama’s birth certificate & being a secret Muslim, QAnon, etc.
e.g. Obama’s birth certificate & being a secret Muslim, QAnon, etc.
The secret is has been leveraged by Christian Nationalists as being more powerful than the observable truths. “If you only knew…”
This is a way of organizing power that is unverifiable but appeals to emotions like fears and uncertainty. https://gatheringinlight.com/2008/10/29/the-mccain-palin-taste-for-the-secret
This is a way of organizing power that is unverifiable but appeals to emotions like fears and uncertainty. https://gatheringinlight.com/2008/10/29/the-mccain-palin-taste-for-the-secret
10. Christian Nationalism organizes this w/in a hyper-masculinity that promotes rigid gender roles & heteronormativity. Patriarchy - as a force that seeks power & violence “for good” - is the apparatus containing these disparate features. Mediation through a male “head” is key.
It is important that God is the all powerful male and therefore inscribes the inescapable patriarchal apparatus onto all of creation
Listen to this incredible podcast with @kkdumez about her recent book “Jesus and John Wayne” for more on this thread. https://overcast.fm/+YjdNdy31A
Listen to this incredible podcast with @kkdumez about her recent book “Jesus and John Wayne” for more on this thread. https://overcast.fm/+YjdNdy31A
Ultimtately, Christian Nationalists seem to be eager to hand over their freedoms to an autocratic figures (political leaders, pastor, husband) because it turns out that God is an autocratic figure.
# Here are some twitter footnotes (tweet notes?):
Here was the initial question with great suggestions: https://twitter.com/cwdaniels/status/1351580735187148801?s=20
Here was the initial question with great suggestions: https://twitter.com/cwdaniels/status/1351580735187148801?s=20
Here is a thread with some of the key texts I've been looking at in developing this: https://twitter.com/cwdaniels/status/1354140315700113408?s=20
Written on @typefullyapp.
