Curated topics for a disillusioned church
Is there a difference between Christianity and Christian nationalism? In just three minutes Amanda Tyler points out the stark differences between the two belief systems.
Russell Moore, former head of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and director of the Public Theology Project at Christianity Today, shows that Christian Nationalism is a virulent flavor of secularism and cannot, as no secularism can, save the world, or even save an individual.
New Life Church (Colorado Springs, CO) pastor Glenn Packiam says pastors need to point out the symptoms of Christian nationalism before providing a diagnosis. Packiam then touches on idolatry, kingdom theology, the global church, and much more in a wide-ranging and nuanced interview.
Was America founded as a Christian nation? That depends on how you define Christian and how you define nation. In the 1800s did most of the population identify as Christian? Yes. Was this also a time when 1/3 of the population was in forced labor? Yes. Was this also a time when the majority of the population attended church? Yes. Was this a time when laws and social norms discriminated against Native Americans, black people, Catholics, and many other groups? Yes. Host Chris Staron illustrates that the claim that America was founded as a Christian nation or the statement that we need to "get back to being a Christian nation" is dubious. American history bears witness to a vague Christianity. One where people identify with the religion but don't follow the way of Jesus. Staron calls this the battle between the economic Jesus and the servant Jesus.
From Ken Peters, founder of Patriot Church in Knoxville, TN, who believes that Americans are about to lose the country we have "always known" to pastor Franklin Grahm who believes Christians are under attack CBS News profiles a handful of Christian Americans who believe the country was founded as a Christian nation. Historian John Fea provides the historical context in a short documentary that asks the question, what does it mean for religious liberty if Christian nationalists get their way?
Preaching from Mark 1 and centering on the theme of repentance Paul Sannerud of Blair Lutheran Church (Blair, WI) says that the ideology of Christian nationalism perverts the gospel in three key ways. First, the nation is seen as the "savior" of history. Second, it embraces power and greatness to save the world. And third, it believes Christians are persecuted when we can't impose our will on other people.
Simply put, American Christians have been seduced by the conflation of the American dream with the Christian gospel. Many Christians, although using Christian language, cannot distinguish between the two belief systems that are diametrically opposed to each other.
In a succinct and meaty conversation with host Marty Duren Georgetown University professor and author Paul Miller first defines his terms, such as classical liberalism, nationalism, patriotism, and conservatism, before discussing the dangers of nationalism shaping Christians instead of the other way around. Miller concludes the conversation with some advice for pastors addressing Christian nationalism from the pulpit.
At one point in his life author Joe Forrest thought if we had more Christians in the world then the world would get better, but the current iteration of Christian nationalism has him abandoning his theory. The idolatrous mixture of nationalism and religion has birthed Christians who simply think, believe, vote, and fear like themselves. Self-critique is blasphemy and demonizing those we disagree with is a virtue. Forrest points out that this idolatry is doomed to fail and is a major reason why the 15 books of the prophets in the Bible focused so intently on idolatry as humans are prone to worship things other than God.
In an illuminating hour hosts Jesse Eubanks and Rachel Szabo trace religious nationalism to the gospels (Matthew 3) while weaving interviews with Samuel Perry, a sociologist who developed a Christian nationalism scale, and discussions with three Christians who fall on different ends of the spectrum.
Sunday to Saturday 
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