The Religion of American Greatness: What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
Long before it featured dramatically in the 2016 presidential election, Christian nationalism had sunk deep roots in the United States. From America’s beginning, Christians have often merged their religious faith with national identity. But what is Christian nationalism? How is it different from patriotism? Is it an honest quirk, or something more threatening?
Paul D. Miller, a Christian scholar, political theorist, veteran, and former White House staffer, provides a detailed portrait of—and case against—Christian nationalism. Building on his practical expertise not only in the archives and classroom but also in public service, Miller unravels this ideology’s historical importance, its key tenets, and its political, cultural, and spiritual implications.
Miller shows what’s at stake if we misunderstand the relationship between Christianity and the American nation. Christian nationalism—the religion of American greatness—is an illiberal political theory, at odds with the genius of the American experiment, and could prove devastating to both church and state. Christians must relearn how to love our country without idolizing it and seek a healthier Christian political witness that respects our constitutional ideals and a biblical vision of justice.
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- Provides a detailed portrait of Christian nationalism
- Shows what’s at stake if we misunderstand the relationship between Christianity and the American nation
- Offers a thoughtful Christian critique of the most recent versions of Christian nationalism and its antecedents
- Nationalism and the Love of Country
- The Case for Christian Nationalism
- The Case Against Christian Nationalism
- Nationalism, Cultural Pluralism, and Identity Politics
- Nationalism and the Bible
- The Christian Right’s Political Theory
- The Christian Right’s Illiberalism
- Evangelicals and Donald J. Trump
- How to Think of Nation, Gospel, and Creed
A much-needed and astute analysis of a major reality in the United States, a reality that challenges the very heart of this nation and of Christianity. Dr. Paul Miller brings to bear years of political experience, a deep commitment to Christian understanding, and a wellspring of scholarly comprehension to help us see what ultimately is wrong with Christian nationalism. A must-read.
Michael O. Emerson, professor and Sociology Department head at the University of Illinois Chicago and author of Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
Paul Miller draws from an impressive range of sources to show the theological, historical, and cultural errors of Christian nationalism while still suggesting how American Christians can pursue with each other and their neighbors a common American identity and shared aspirations for the future of the country.
John Inazu, Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis
As a deeply religious and deeply patriotic American, Paul Miller has written a brave, insightful, and immensely valuable analysis of the dangers of resurgent Christian nationalism in America today. This book is of vital importance for all who wish to understand our pivotal historical moment, and especially for Americans who wish for a nation that strives to live up to the highest ideals of their faiths.
Rogers M. Smith, Christopher H. Brown Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania