Since Life Church was founded in 2010, we have prided ourselves on making space for different voices and experiences. When you walk into Life Church today, you will find that there is a place at the table for everyone – no matter your gender, age, race, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.

In the current political climate, there has been a lot of talk about Christian nationalism. But what is this exactly, and how does it impact the current political landscape in the United States, especially with the election approaching on November 5?

Life Church’s Co-Pastor, Greg Carey, who is also a Professor of New Testament at the Lancaster Theological Seminary, shares his thoughts on this important topic.

What is Christian Nationalism?

The term Christian nationalism has received a significant amount of attention lately, but folks rarely pause to explain what it means. To put it simply, a person who is a Christian nationalist believes the United States was founded as a Christian nation, receives special blessings from God, and should govern itself according to Christian principles. Throughout our nation’s history, many people have expressed similar sentiments, including heroes like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

Despite this popular sentiment, the framers of our Constitution did not create a religious government, much less a Christian nation. In fact, the United States of America was founded with religious freedom in mind. As such, the Constitution prohibits Congress from passing laws that establish religion in any way, and it guarantees the freedom to practice any religion one chooses or none. The Constitution also prohibits someone needing to practice a certain religion to hold public office. The framers of the Constitution knew about Europe’s vicious religious wars that produced death in the tens of millions. They did not want religion to be a divisive force in a pluralistic society that already included Protestants and Catholics, Jews and Unitarians, Deists, and nonbelievers.

The Effect of Christian Nationalism

In a pluralistic society and under our constitution, it is inappropriate for one set of Christians to impose their understanding of “Christian principles” upon everyone else. Even Christians cannot agree on just what those Christian principles might be. Christian groups vary widely in their understandings of labor and economics, climate change, gender and sexuality, and a host of other issues.

But, today we have an energetic movement of Christian nationalists who believe they and Christians like them should exercise dominion over our country. They say they should be “the head and not the tail.” This movement includes traditional Protestants, nondenominational Charismatics, and Roman Catholics. That means they think they should rule over us simply because they are Christians and speak for all Christians. They also overlook the obvious: Even Christians are subject to corruption and deception. Christian nationalist ideas shape the policy proposals of the Project 2025 document, which maps a detailed plan for a prospective conservative presidential administration.

We do not want any kind of Christian government. We don’t believe Christians should rule or have “dominion” over other people. We don’t trust any single group of Christians to speak for the rest of us. Thus, we, at Life Church, reject Christian nationalism in all its forms.