From Whence Did This Come?
Christian nationalism has been a hot topic recently in the evangelical world. It became a designation for anyone who opposed abortion, LGBTQ+, BLM, or Covid-19 measures. Basically, anyone who held to anything resembling a Judeo-Christian morality was branded a Christian Nationalist. It was commonly used in relation to the events of January 6, 2021. Media outlets were declaring that “white Christian nationalists” were guilty of trying to overthrow the U.S. Government. Many were saying, “It was the worst attack on national sovereignty since the Civil War.” It is a good thing the South had Robert E. Lee instead of Buffalo Man or the Confederacy might still be standing today. All joking aside, the cultural elites were pinning the blame for this unfortunate series of events on “white Christian nationalists.” It was not used as a term of endearment. Yet, in the days that followed, some “evangelical thought leaders” began parroting the mainstream media’s narrative.
These same thought leaders decried the validity of any real danger from Critical Race Theory. They circled the wagons and dismissed the CRT boogeyman. So, different camps began to emerge. Well, this is not quite true. The camps already existed and merely became more obvious. They existed during the Covid-19 response, the Black Lives Matter protests and riots, the proliferation of CRT, the varied opinions concerning Donald Trump, and the mask mandates and Covid vaccines. The differing viewpoints have carried forward into the Christian Nationalism debate.
Covid-19
The lockdowns and mask mandates were part-and-parcel of the Covid-19 measures that divided evangelical Christians. Most evangelical Christians operated under the mantra, “Obey the Government unless it causes you to sin against God.” This philosophy had not been put to the test much over the years. So, the idea went unchallenged. We did not consider whether or not it was actually holistic biblically. Most are unaware that this idea is found in the Augsburg Confession of 1530, which is a Lutheran Confession. It was written by Philip Melanchthon and its ideas were heavily influenced by Martin Luther. Luther had been excommunicated by Pope Leo X on January 3, 1521. The confession stated that one should obey the government, “save only when they command sin” (Article XVI Of Civil Affairs).[1] It must be noted that this is different than the Roman Catholic view at the time. Prior to the Protestant Reformation (1500’s) the Roman Catholic Church appointed the Holy Roman emperor and thus the law of the land was controlled by the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to this there was no common belief that you would ever disobey the State. Obviously, the Lutheran Confession was a departure from the commonly held view and practice of the time. It allowed for the possibility that the Government could require unacceptable things. The confession’s view was adopted by evangelicals historically. The 1689 London Baptist Confession says, “Civil magistrates being set up by God for the ends aforesaid; subjection, in all lawful things commanded by them, ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake; and we ought to make supplications and prayers for kings and all that are in authority, that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty” (Romans 13:5-7; 1 Peter 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2).[2] Yet, some evangelicals did not adhere to the Covid-19 measures. What happened? Was it merely because they don’t like to follow the rules? This would be a lazy and inadequate conclusion.
Grace Community Church and Pastor-Teacher John MacArthur were the most visible examples of non-compliance in the United States. The elders of Grace Community Church recognized that the Federal and State Governments’ restrictions on churches exceeded the authority given by the U.S. Constitution and the authority given by the Scriptures. Furthermore, the authoritarian measures were not consistently applied. Casinos, liquor stores, porn shops, and marijuana dispensaries were all allowed to operate while churches were restricted or in some states forbidden to meet. Black Lives Matter protests and riots were not restricted or shut down. These were certainly well attended. Mask mandates and social distancing measures were not enforced. Mainstream media was not calling for an end of the riots. They were not considered “super-spreader” gatherings but church services were. This is what generations gone by would have described as, “stranger than fiction.” Beyond the State’s overreach of its Constitutional authority, it overreached the authority that God bestowed on the State. The Lord has given the Civil Government the responsibility to punish evil and reward good (Rom. 13:1-5). For this reason, the State bears the sword. But, it is important to recognize, God is the One who determines what is evil and good.
Who Does the Government Answer to?
Scripture states that the Lord established Government. He established it to restrain evil and promote good in society (Gen. 9:5-6). This is prior to the Mosaic Law. It is prior to the existence of the nation of Israel. God’s instruction following the flood judgment would keep evil and violence in check. God would prevent humanity from filling the earth with violence as occurred before the flood (Gen. 6:11-13). The Lord established Civil Government to protect human life, the food supply (Gen. 9:3), man’s freedom to worship (Gen. 8:20), and the family (Gen. 9:1, 7).[3] These are the divinely appointed parameters. Jesse Johnson writes, “Civil leaders are not owed obedience when their commands exceed the limits God has placed on them.”[4]
So, what is outside of the governmental sphere? The worship, doctrine, and governance of the church. The Government has no authority over the church’s worship. This includes the ordinances, the regularity of worship, the location of worship, the service order, singing of praise, financial giving, hugging, and shaking hands. This means the Government does not have the constitutional authority or the biblical authority to mandate masking, social distancing, attendance limits, or singing bans. These are ecclesiastical matters, which are overseen by the pastors of local churches (1 Pet. 5:1-5; Acts 20:26-32). Thus, they are beyond the sphere of the Government’s authority. Secondly, the Government has no authority over the church’s doctrine. The church’s teaching is determined by God according to the canon of Scripture (Jude 3). Pastors are to teach sound doctrine (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Tim. 4:11-16; Acts 20:26-28) and correct false doctrine (Titus 1:9; 2:1). Pastors are called to ensure that sound doctrine is taught in the local church. Those who teach false doctrine will be held accountable by the Lord and should be rebuked by the church (1 Tim. 6:3-5; 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 4:3-4; Titus 1:10-16; cf. Jas. 3:1; Rev. 22:18-19). A church’s doctrine is outside of the scope of the Civil Government’s authority. Lastly, the Government has no authority over the government of the church. The church follows God’s Word in how it governs itself. This includes hiring and removing pastors, appointing and removing deacons, approving and overseeing church budgets, and adding, disciplining, removing, or restoring members. These things are outside the Government’s authority. Differences in how evangelical Christians and churches viewed and responded to Covid-19 measures led to a divide in the evangelical world.
Big Eva
One thing that became apparent over time was that those who faithfully adhered to the Covid-19 measures, and criticized churches who did not, also were speaking out about the dangers of “white Christian nationalism.” In addition, they were voicing support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Wait… So, the evangelicals who were faithfully adhering to mask mandates and social distancing also spoke out against so-called “white privilege” and confessed the potential guilt of their ancestors from generations ago? They uncritically aligned themselves with Black Lives Matter and its Marxist worldview, rather than adhering to a biblical anthropology. All lives matter because all of mankind is made in the image of God (Gen. 9:5-6).
These views were also accompanied by a strong distaste for Donald Trump. They were disgusted by the bombastic, arrogant, and immoral behavior of the former President. Big Eva’s leaders called into question the propriety of Christians voting for Trump as President. These same thought leaders appear to have forgotten the reputation and immoral behavior of his opponent. Evangelicals for Biden helped elect a man whose administration desires to provide unhindered access to so-called gender transition for minors, abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy, and unashamed support for the LGBTQ+ agenda. They permitted the harassment of sitting Supreme Court Justices, which is illegal. They also deny that there is a concerted effort to promote critical theory (i.e. wokeness) and the sexualization of children in Public Schools. But, at least there are no more mean tweets. It should help us all sleep better at night.
January 6
The events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol were unfortunate and unwise. There is no legitimate excuse for the lack of restraint and wisdom displayed on that day. It highlighted the deep-seated mistrust of the election process. This was on top of the pervasive mistrust of our institutions. Yet, this event was the catalyst for many to herald the dangers of “white Christian nationalism.” It was as though a theocracy was imminent. Our elections are to be free and fair according to the Constitution and the laws of our nation. When this is in question there is a legal process by which to try those claims. What was interesting was Big Eva leaders were ridiculing the theory that the election was not fair. They churned out articles chastising evangelicals for their ridiculous tin foil hat-wearing conspiracy theories. They declared that it was absurd for Christians to think there was any election corruption. Just as absurd as it was to think that Covid-19 leaked from a laboratory in China, or that said laboratory was funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars. Nothing to see here, the evangelical elites said.
Who is worried?
So, who was worried about these things? Mainstream media, social and political progressives, and progressive evangelical thought leaders (Big Eva leaders) were out in force to call our attention to the danger of “white Christian nationalism.” Big Eva was warning of this dangerous idol. Social media was ablaze with warm feelings for pluralism. Drag Queen Story Hour was described as a blessing of liberty. David French surmised this was preferable to the dangers of “white Christian nationalism.” This is not satire. I wish it was. The evangelical church has been split on wokeness, politics, and Covid measures. So, the narrative in 2021 that “white Christian nationalism” is the greatest danger facing the U.S. and the evangelical church was hard to take seriously. Yet, in the last two years, a growing number of evangelicals have decided to own the characterization.
Today
Let us move forward to today. Stephen Wolfe and Canon Press have released the book, “The Case for Christian Nationalism.”[5] There have been podcasts, articles, social media posts, conferences, and books released addressing Christian Nationalism. Evangelicals are not monolithic theologically. There are fundamental doctrines that one must believe to be considered an evangelical Christian. Evangelicals have differed on eschatology for some time. I believe that reality feeds much of the debate today concerning Christian Nationalism. Unfortunately, the debate is becoming heated. In fact, in some discussions, there is more heat than light. Sadly, this has been true in the past regarding differing eschatological views among evangelicals. Some have gone so far as to make eschatology a test of Christian faithfulness or even a test of whether one is regenerate. This attitude now characterizes the response of some regarding differences over Christian Nationalism.
In my next post, I will focus on why I believe it is foolish to disfellowship or pronounce anathema over a person who holds to the fundamentals. If someone has repented and placed his faith in the finished work of Christ, he is a brother, regardless of differences over secondary or tertiary issues.
[1] https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/
[2] https://www.grbc.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/The-1689-Baptist-Confession-of-Faith.pdf
[3] See Jesse Johnson’s book highlighting these biblical principles, “City of Man, Kingdom of God: Why Christians Respect, Obey, and Resist Government.
[4] Jesse Johnson, City of Man, Kingdom of God: Why Christians Respect, Obey, and Resist Government, (N.p.: BookBaby, 2022), p. 57.
[5] Stephen Wolfe, The Case for Christian Nationalism, (Idaho: Canon Press, 2022).