Direct Answer
Christian nationalism is a movement that fuses American civic identity with a particular Christian identity in pursuit of political dominion. It is theologically problematic because it blurs the distinction between Church and state, and substitutes coercive political power for the faithful witness Christ actually commanded.
Discussion
Borrowing from George Orwell, who describes nationalism as “power hunger tempered by self-deception,” Christian nationalism may be understood as a movement seeking to gain political power through a fictional vision of America supported by selective (and inappropriate) uses of biblical texts and other Christian terms. The selective use of the Bible and other Christian terms advances a distorted form of Christianity. Many people, some Christians included, seem incapable of distinguishing genuine Christian claims and aims from those of Christian nationalism. As such, it seems appropriate that we may speak of “harder” and “softer,” or perhaps “self-aware” and “coincidental,” versions of Christian nationalism.
Regarding the differing claims of Christianity and Christian nationalism, we see that Christ is indispensable to the former and nonessential to the latter. For instance, Neighborly Faith found that “Christian nationalist adherents” strongly agree with the statement, “The true culture of the United States is fundamentally Christian.” Such a claim is unintelligible from the perspective of the Christian faith because “Christian” denotes the mixed multitude of Jews and non-Jews united in Jesus Christ by faith, as well as their shared beliefs and practices governed by the biblical text and refined through repentance. A “Christian” culture, then, would be the medium in which those united in Christ display God's vision of a meaningful life by learning to live under Christ's authority. It is not a culture inspired by biblical ideas abstracted from their theological context.
Christian nationalism is problematic because it blurs the distinction between the church and the state — two institutions God has established with different purposes. The state is tasked with maintaining a measure of justice and peace within society, often through limited human judgment and the use of coercive authority. The church, however, is a community formed by faith in Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel, make disciples, and model a life shaped by obedience to God. When these two institutions are merged, the unique calling of the church is easily overshadowed by political goals. Instead of pointing beyond political systems to the coming kingdom of God, the church can become invested in preserving the authority and success of the state. As Joseph Mangina notes in his commentary on Revelation: “The church that imagines it has a successful strategy for confronting the principalities and powers on their own terms had better think again.”
Key Takeaways: Christian Nationalism
Core Concepts
Power hunger tempered by self-deception (Orwell); the “soft” vs. “self-aware” forms; the merger of Church and state.
Scripture / Scholars
George Orwell; Joseph Mangina (commentary on Revelation); Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry; the Neighborly Faith / PRRI surveys; Romans 13; Revelation. Core Distinction: “Inspired by the Bible” is not the same as “living under the authority of the inspired Bible.”
The “So What”
A church that secures Christ's authority through political coercion has already abandoned the method Christ actually commanded — discipleship through witness, not dominion through statecraft.