The rise of militant Christianity in the United States
The popular phrases: “God bless America” and “One Nation under God” are still common expressions among both politicians and evangelical pastors in the United States.[1] Moreover, since the electoral victory of President Donald Trump in 2016, a rise in conservative rhetoric and a nationalism that is intertwined with evangelical Christianity has become more noticeable than ever.[2] What is also evident, is a heightening of discrimination against people of color and sexual minorities[3] in the name of the battle for America’s culture and - according to evangelicals - the battle for America’s soul.
This increasing polarisation, authoritarianism, and discrimination brings up the following questions: What does being “one nation under God” truly mean, and who gets to define it? Who invokes the prayer “God bless America”, and towards whom is this “blessing” directed?
In an academic conference hosted by Georgetown University on the topic of the alt-right Christian phenomenon in the United States, Jerome Copulsky pointed out that alt-right Christianity hinges on protectionist identity politics.[4] The protection of “American” and “Christian” culture from threats such as liberals, sexual minorities, immigrants, and other identities has become a rallying point and a fundamental aspect of alt-right evangelicalism. However, Copulsky continues, there is not a set and clear definition of the “alt-right” phenomenon. In general, the expression “alt-right Christianity” describes attitudes and behaviors that develop as a response to threats to tradition. Another common characteristic of alt-right behaviour is the desire to reinforce distinctions and separation, an “us versus them” mentality that responds to the growing integration of diverse identities and globalisation. Finally, the appeal to traditional “Western Judaeo-Christian” ideals is also present in alt-right rhetoric and is utilised by Donald Trump to garner support, especially in the so-called “Bible-Belt” states.[5]
On the other hand, Copulsky adds that even the political left is guilty of some of the same sins of alt-right Christianity, for instance when it expresses its desire to return to “pre-Christian ideals”, or when it attempts to enforce a culture that is hostile to all kinds of religion or religious notions. In fact, the temptation to hinge on universal utopian ideals and on identity politics - Copulsky continues - is the root of the increasingly widening polarisation in the United States, and arguably the rest of the world. Authoritarianism, therefore, becomes the simplest solution to enforce these universal utopian visions.[6]
Martyn Whittock underlines Donald Trump’s reliance on evangelical Christianity to assert his authority and to “make America great again” and argues that there is a religious foundation to the nationalistic and autocratic rhetoric of the Trump administration. In Whittock’s words: “While Trump is no Puritan, his appeal to evangelicals has seventeenth-century roots. It draws on a deep story of American exceptionalism, providential calling, elimination of the ‘alien other’ [...] apocalyptic confidence of being the fulfilment of history and gate-keeper to the fulfilment of biblical prophecy. We might call these ‘foundational phenomena’ and they reverberate with Puritan resonances.”[7] As we can see in this quote, Whittock argues that at the source of Christian nationalism we can find the Puritan settlers’deology. The Puritans aimed to convert the natives and claimed the American land was God’s land. This missiological ideal became the instrument of the “colonisation” of the Americas, and introduced a literalist reading of the Christian Scriptures.
The origins of theocratic tendencies - according to Whittock - can also be attributed to the Puritanical ideals. They are founded upon the belief that God meant for the settlers to colonise the Americas, which were seen as the “New Israel.” These theocratic tendencies are therefore a fundamental aspect of the evangelical alt-right support for Donald Trump, who has advocated to build a wall to keep out those who do not belong to the land, and has called for divine favor through going back to moral righteousness according to scriptures.[8]
According to journalist Amanda Taub, the view of an authoritarian God who favors and rewards those who obey, and punishes those who do not respect the norm and express dissent, is related to the rise of authoritarianism in the United States. The fear of the foreigner and the morally-deviant - grounded in the desire for self-preservation which can only be achieved through Divine favor - is, according to Taub, the driving force behind the current authoritarian tendencies in the United States.[9] Moreover, political scientist Karen Stenner[10] has argued that people who support authoritarian rule are usually triggered by fast-changing norms, and increasing diversity of race or belief. In an effort to protect themselves from these cultural changes, these people support leaders and movements who promise to preserve “authentic values”. This explains the likelihood of evangelicals to support Donald Trump when he promised to preserve “American values”, according to him including immigration restrictions, and opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion rights. The increasing diversity of opinions on these hot-button issues threatens “traditional” values of American Christianity and triggers the protectionist and right-wing authoritarian tendencies of some believers, thereby furthering the polarisation of American society.
President Trump has attended a number of publicly televised Sunday church services and performed gestures appealing to the religious spirit of evangelicals.[11] [12] He even held a Bible outside a church near the White House right after a Black Lives Matter demonstration was dispersed in the area.[13] These images portray how intertwined evangelical Christianity is with American political engagement, especially when a powerful political figure is performing religious gestures to appeal to the sensibilities of the Christian majority. It is also indicative of how religion can be used to draw political lines and divide people.
Performing religious gestures to appeal to religious sensibilities for political ends is not new. Yet one must ask if religion can also be an instrument to express ambiguities and find unity in diversity, and not just an instrument of violence, or - in our case - of authoritarianism. There are, for example, Christians, who back racial minorities and LGBTQ+ people.[14] James Martin, an American Jesuit priest, is very vocal in his support for sexual minorities. However, he is also wary of ad hominem comments on his Facebook page, coming from both sides of the debate on sexual morality.[15] Another example is the ׳Center for Prophetic Imagination׳ whose advocacy for economic justice and freedom from discrimination is based on Catholic liberation theology.[16] Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons also witnesses alternative Christian voices as a religion contributor to CNN, an LGBTQ+ and environmental advocate, and a deacon to his local Baptist Church.[17] In their opinion, Christianity should give a voice to those who are disenfranchised and marginalised, and one should no longer see the religious other as a threat.
[1] Under God: The Rise Of Christian Nationalism
[2] Public Highly Critical of State of Political Discourse in the U.S.
[4]Christianity and the Alt-Right: Exploring the Relationship
[5] Christianity and the Alt-Right: Exploring the Relationship
[6] Christianity and the Alt-Right: Exploring the Relationship
[9] The rise of American authoritarianism
[10] The rise of American authoritarianism
[11] The latest on the 2020 election
[12] Trump, millions go to church online on National Day of Prayer amid coronavirus
[13] Protesters Dispersed With Tear Gas So Trump Could Pose at Church
[14] 9 LGBTQ Faith Leaders to Watch in 2019
[15] Protesters Dispersed With Tear Gas So Trump Could Pose at Church