Yves here. Our discussions about religion typically focus on the political influence of various sects and the societal norms they aim to impose on the broader community. Growing up in America, I witnessed a time when the Christian Right wielded limited power, and the Constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and religion were widely accepted as sacrosanct.
In the following sections, Basil Dannebohm explores how R.J. Rushdoony, one of the prominent figures in Christian Nationalism, regarded democracy as a form of heresy and promoted other questionable doctrines.
By J. Basil Dannebohm, a writer, speaker, consultant, and former state legislator who divides his time between Kansas and Washington, DC. Originally published at his website
Thomas Jefferson stated, “Religious institutions that leverage government power to favor themselves and impose their beliefs on individuals of other faiths or those without faith jeopardize all our civil rights. Furthermore, state backing of an established religion can lead clergy to become disengaged from their congregants, fostering corruption within the religion itself. Thus, establishing a wall of separation between church and state is imperative in a free society.”
Christian Nationalism stems from the misguided belief epitomized by a man who viewed democracy as blasphemous.
Rousas John “R.J.” Rushdoony was an Armenian American Calvinist who claimed that every generation since 320 AD in his family has produced a Christian priest or minister, asserting that his ancestors maintained a form of Old Testament priesthood akin to that of Aaron.
Rushdoony, credited as a key influencer of the modern Christian homeschool movement, aimed to supplant U.S. law with a literal and stringent interpretation of biblical law. In his book, “The Institutes of Biblical Law,” he expressed support for severe penalties for homosexuals, advocated the silencing of women, and called for the abolition of public schools.
Like many right-wing Christians today, Rushdoony was a divorced, racist Holocaust denier who claimed to be “pro-life” while supporting the death penalty. He deemed interracial marriage, which he termed “unequal yoking,” as unlawful. Additionally, he opposed “enforced integration” and described Southern slavery as “benevolent,” asserting that “some people are by nature slaves.”
Though he passed away in 2001, his rhetoric continues to wield significant influence over Christian extremists.
Today, a majority of Evangelicals, along with a substantial number of Catholic and Orthodox Christians—many of whom are recent converts—believe that those who do not share their faith are condemned to Hell, echoing several tenets advocated by Rushdoony during his life.
In his book, “The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American,” Andrew L. Seidel writes:
“Trump’s dictatorial tendencies and mendacity, negative traits for many voters, made him perfectly positioned to manipulate the evangelical mindset. Like the biblical god worshipped by evangelicals, Trump is a thin-skinned authoritarian with totalitarian inclinations. He desires adulation and punishes any perceived disloyalty. Evangelicals have been conditioned to idolize such figures above all else. This type of religion fosters a respect for extreme authority, as studies show a high correlation between religious fundamentalism and submission to authoritarianism. Evangelicals saw in Trump a reflection of the character they’re taught to revere. Ann Coulter encapsulated this by calling Trump her ‘Emperor God.’”
Conversely, Brian Zahnd argues in his book, “Postcards from Babylon – The Church In American Exile“:
“The church’s role isn’t to ‘Make America Great Again.’ Instead, it should aim to make Christianity countercultural once more. When we detach Jesus from imperial interests, we truly come to understand how radical and countercultural his teachings are. Love your enemies. Renounce violence. Share your wealth. Welcome foreigners. Forgive sinners. These are the radical ideals that will always encounter opposition from powers and authorities but which followers of Jesus are called to embrace, proclaim, and practice. The extent to which the church remains devoted to Jesus and his radical teachings is the measure of its authenticity as a countercultural faith.”
Walter Brueggemann succinctly summarizes this in his book, “A Way Other than Our Own: Devotions for Lent“:
“I believe the crisis in the U.S. church is less about being liberal or conservative; it’s more about abandoning the faith and discipline of our Christian baptism in favor of a broad, generic U.S. identity composed of patriotism, consumerism, violence, and affluence.”
In Isaiah 10:1-2, the prophet warns us:
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, depriving the poor of their rights and withholding justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the orphan.”
Let’s not forget the important scriptures that advocate for welcoming migrants.
If, as the old hymn proclaims, “they’ll know we are Christians by our love,” much of American Christianity is failing this vital test.
