Progressive Christian Mobilization and the Discourse of Christian Nationalism

One significant audience, or public, for the voluminous scholarly and journalistic literature on (white) Christian nationalism is progressive Christians. Many of them peruse polling data, listen to podcasts, subscribe to Substacks, and read articles and books to understand their political opponents and co-religionists. This paper explores how progressive Christians have engaged with the term “Christian nationalism” in order to organize, define their opponents, and motivate political action.  Our research is based on interviews and fieldwork with several local chapters of the group Christians Against Christian Nationalism. We also offer discursive and visual analysis of their digital products, including podcasts and social media. In tumultuous times, these groups have found Christian nationalism to be a useful way to name their political opponents, even when they are loved ones, family members, and fellow church members. And at a time of potential resurgence of progressive Christianity, we offer detailed accounts of grassroots mobilization.