Christian Nationalist Ideologies and Theology

Christian Nationalism continues to pose challenges for everyone trying to understand and address its social, political, and religious influences. One ongoing debate about Christian Nationalism involves the degree to which actual theological content informs Christian Nationalist ideas. Are Christian Nationalist agendas primarily driven by cultural and political forces or are they based on theological understandings that undergird and amplify the cultural influences?

This panel addresses questions about the theological ideas and habits of mind that contribute to Christian Nationalist agendas. Bryan Ellrod examines the theodicy of Christian Nationalism in “Visions of the End at the Texas-Mexico Line: Crises of Sovereignty and Theodicy in Department of Homeland Security v. Texas.” Jared Stacey provides insight into rhetorical uses of hell as a place of violence in “Fight Like Hell: Generating A Praxis of Non-Violence By Contesting White Evangelical Doctrines of Hell As A Site of Violence on January 6.” Mutale Nkonde concludes the panel with a look at how online rhetoric frames theology and ideology in “Hate.com: How The Online Christian Identity Movement Inspires Offline Violence.”