[As Christian nationalists take advantage of a moment of political
precarity to call for a turn toward authoritarian theocracy, the press
should be paying attention to those rising up to preserve democracy in
America.]
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CHRISTIAN NATIONALISTS HAVE PROVOKED A PLURALIST RESISTANCE  
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Ruth Braunstein
April 21, 2023
Religion News
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_ As Christian nationalists take advantage of a moment of political
precarity to call for a turn toward authoritarian theocracy, the press
should be paying attention to those rising up to preserve democracy in
America. _

Pluralist resistance image, Gerd Altmann/Pixabay/Creative Commons

 

(RNS) — Christian nationalism — the idea that being Christian is
core to the American identity — is nothing new, either in American
religious culture or its politics. But it used to be a radical
proposal, and holding Christian nationalist views disqualified
politicians and even clergy from higher leadership. Recently, however,
it has been embraced as a badge of honor. A sitting member of Congress
has sold “Proud Christian Nationalist” T-shirts
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her website. Books
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Christian nationalism are given serious discussion. And according to
a recent survey from PRRI
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nearly one-third of Americans now hold Christian nationalist
attitudes.

These developments rightfully raise concern. But there is another,
relatively untold, side of this story: The most recent rise of
Christian nationalism has ignited a wave of resistance.

According to PRRI,
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who have heard of Christian nationalism are twice as likely to hold a
negative than a positive view of the term. These Americans also reject
the specific ideas associated with the ideology. Indeed, the 3 in 10
Americans that PRRI found who align with Christian nationalism to some
degree are opposed by nearly the same percentage (29%)
who _completely_ reject the ideas associated with Christian
nationalism. Another 39% is skeptical.

Most importantly, these Americans are joining a growing movement I
call the pluralist resistance. They are taking action through a
diverse set of organizations that each tackles a different dimension
of Christian nationalism’s influence.

RELATED: Five charts that explain the desperate turn to MAGA among
conservative white Christians
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One pivotal front of this battle is in the nation’s churches.
Conservative Christians, lured by new online platforms and
hyper-partisanship, have been sucked into a vortex of right-wing
disinformation, conspiracy theories and fear. They are repeatedly told
by right-wing influencers and politicians that Christians need to
“take their country back.” Mistrustful of outsiders, these
believers can only be convinced of the threat Christian nationalism
holds for our democracy and to Christianity itself if other Christians
are doing the talking.

[Doug Pagitt, center, speaks during a Vote Common Good rally at a
United Church of Christ in Fresno, California, on Jan. 19, 2020. Video
screen grab]

Doug Pagitt, center, speaks during a Vote Common Good rally at a
United Church of Christ in Fresno, California, on Jan. 19, 2020. Video
screen grab

Christians Against Christian Nationalism
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Common Good [[link removed]] are the
most visible of the groups attempting just that. Amanda Tyler of
the Baptist Joint Committee [[link removed]],
which leads the Christians Against Christian Nationalism coalition,
has been speaking around the country to raise alarms about the dangers
of Christian nationalism. Last December, she testified
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a House subcommittee about the role Christian nationalism played in
the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

Vote Common Good recently completed a “March on Christian
Nationalism” campaign, which builds on the group’s year-round work
to educate Christians about how to identify and confront Christian
Nationalism through podcasts, webinars and a state-of-the art training
program, titled “Confronting Christian Nationalism Curriculum,
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for faith community leaders and individuals.

Meanwhile the Poor People’s Campaign, a social movement led by the
Rev. William Barber II and the Rev. Liz Theoharis, attacks Christian
nationalism in the arena of policy and politics. The group
has identified
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“a key pillar of injustice in America that provides cover for a host
of other ills” and is leading a multiracial and multi-faith “moral
movement” to confront it in the minutia of public policy, but also
in demonstrations outside statehouses and the nation’s Capitol
buildings.

In their policy fights, the Poor People’s Campaign challenges a
Christian nationalist mythology
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mythologized past of plenty, but only for those who “belong.”
Activists like Barber and Theoharis draw up a narrative in which
patriotic citizens work together toward a more perfect, inclusive and
abundant future that lives up to the country’s founding ideals.

[Poor People’s Campaign co-chair the Rev. Liz Theoharis speaks
during the announcement of a new resolution titled “Third
Reconstruction: Fully Addressing Poverty and Low Wages From the Bottom
Up,” May 20, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. RNS photo by Jack
Jenkins]

Poor People’s Campaign co-chair the Rev. Liz Theoharis speaks during
the announcement of a new resolution titled “Third Reconstruction:
Fully Addressing Poverty and Low Wages From the Bottom Up,” May 20,
2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. RNS photo by Jack Jenkins

Corporations, motivated by profit not politics, also recognize their
influence over how we understand what it means to be an American. Over
the objections of right-wing critics
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companies such as Coca-Cola use their advertising to promote an image
of a racially and religiously diverse and thriving America that is
“beautiful
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Americans United for Separation of Church and State
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demands for religious privilege under the guise of religious freedom,
as Christian nationalist extremists seek to impose laws on abortion,
public school curricula and other issues to force conformity with
their religio-political worldview. 

Finally, philanthropies, including one funding collective calling
themselves “New Pluralists,” are taking the lead in helping local
communities by funding projects that attempt to repair the frayed
bonds of democracy.

Pluralism is not new. Since the early 1990s, Harvard’s Pluralism
Project has tracked the country’s growing religious diversity and
corresponding efforts to promote a pluralistic culture and politics.
But my research suggests that projects to promote pluralism tend to
emerge in waves, in response to different opportunities and threats,
like rising religious diversity; the rise of Islamophobia after Sept.
11; and now ascendant Christian nationalism. Each wave builds on
previous efforts, while also bringing new players into the fold.

What’s different about today’s wave of pluralist resistance is
that it has attracted greater numbers of white Christians to a field
previously led by non-white Christians and people of other faiths.
This is important given the privileged position that white Christians
have long enjoyed in American politics and society.

RELATED: In North Idaho, religious and secular activists work to
fight Christian nationalism
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Christian privilege is so baked into our society that it is often hard
to recognize it and it offers cover for some Christian nationalist
arguments. But Christian privilege is rooted in demographic power, not
divine right. As demographic shifts change the face of power in
America
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we are better able to imagine what a truly pluralist culture might
look like. The participation of a more racially and religiously
diverse cohort of leaders in the current fight is helping all
Americans to be more conscious of this historical barrier to
pluralism.

Deep cultural and political change is never easy. But with a diverse
majority
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Americans on their side, these leaders are making inroads. As
Christian nationalists take advantage of a moment of political
precarity to call for a turn toward authoritarian theocracy, the press
should be paying attention to those rising up to preserve democracy in
America. The leaders of the resistance are on the front lines of this
war. They should be making headlines, too.

_Ruth Braunstein is an associate professor of sociology at the
University of Connecticut and the director of the Meanings of
Democracy Lab [[link removed]]. The views expressed
in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News
Service._

Religion News Service (RNS) is an independent, nonprofit and
award-winning source of global news on religion, spirituality, culture
and ethics, reported by a staff of professional journalists. Founded
in 1934, RNS seeks to inform readers with objective reporting and
insightful commentary, and is relied upon by secular and faith-based
news organizations in a number of countries.

_RNS [[link removed]] is a subsidiary of Religion
News Foundation [[link removed]] and
a proud member of Institute for Nonprofit News.
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* religion
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* Christian nationalists
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* Poor People's Campaign
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