Christianity: Political but not Partisan
A troubling trend has been spreading in political discourse which I, as a Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, strongly condemn, the rise of Christian Nationalism, an unholy marriage between fundamentalist Christianity, conservative politics, and fierce nationalism which has distorted what it means to be an engaged Christian in society.
As Christians, we follow Jesus’ command, “Love God, love others.” As Americans, we uphold a system of government that, while messy and complicated, tries to keep the common good as central in our constitutional democracy. Christian Nationalism is a threat to both.
Christian Nationalism distorts the Gospel and turns Jesus and Christianity into a weapon for power and division instead of an instrument for love and unity. Christion Nationalism demands a particular brand of Christianity be privileged by the state and conflates being a “good American” with this brand of Christianity. Often, Christian Nationalism is focused on keeping power and privilege for a certain subsect of our society while alienating those on the margins, including other Christians with differing values.
Wisconsin has a state motto of “Forward,” reminding us to strive to be a national leader. We move forward when we ensure that all people, including those with whom we disagree, work together in the pursuit of the common good. We move forward when we honor and respect one another and allow for the richness of diversity to flourish. With elections around the corner, we move forward when we all get out and vote for the sake of our common good.
To be clear, the way we interpret God’s Word should inform how we engage the public sphere. In this way, the Gospel IS political. The Gospel, on the other hand, is NOT partisan and does not conform to a political ideology. No political party or ideology can claim the Gospel for themselves. When we speak of the Gospel of Jesus Christ only one thing is certain, God’s work in the world is marked by peace, love, and justice.
I, along with many Christian siblings,* reject Christian Nationalism, a damaging political ideology which tends to be divisive and uses the tools of fear and hate to gain support. As Christians Against Christian Nationalism, we believe that:
“People of all faiths and none have the right and responsibility to engage constructively in the public square.
Patriotism does not require us to minimize our religious convictions.
One’s religious affiliation, or lack thereof, should be irrelevant to one’s standing in the civic community.
Government should not prefer one religion over another or religion over nonreligion.
America’s historic commitment to religious pluralism enables faith communities to live in civic harmony with one another without sacrificing our theological convictions.
Conflating religious authority with political authority is idolatrous and often leads to oppression of minority and other marginalized groups as well as the spiritual impoverishment of religion.
We must stand up to and speak out against Christian nationalism, especially when it inspires acts of violence and intimidation against religious communities at home and abroad.
Whether we worship at a church, mosque, synagogue, or temple, America has no second-class faiths, including among Christians. All are equal under the U.S. Constitution. As Christians, we must speak in one voice condemning Christian nationalism as a distortion of the gospel of Jesus and a threat to American democracy.”*
Rev. Felix Javier Malpica
Bishop, La Crosse Area Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
1 https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/endorsers
2 From the “Christians Against Christian Nationalism” statement, https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/statement
