It isn't just that the way of Jesus is difficult to follow, it's difficult to want to follow it. Christian Nationalism renders the way of Jesus null and void. Which can be comforting in its own way.
Kristin, I'm a big fan of yours and read. watch, and listen to you all the time. However, here's something I think would be helpful as you continue to "hold the line" going forward. When I got into this stuff, about two years ago, and first heard the terms "biblical law" and "biblical principles," I thought "oh, good!" Do unto others. Practice justice, kindness, humility. Welcome the stranger. But no. It took me quite some time to realize, this big abstraction -- God's law -- in today's context, means something else entirely. What's more, the "God" invoked is not at all the loving, self-giving God I know in Christ. The God of hell and wrath you evoke on p. 200 in JJW seems more of a piece with this other worldview, and that's not my experience at all! So -- I guess I'm saying, I encourage you not to concede the terms "biblical" or "God's" law to the Christian Nationalists. I'm all for putting "Love one another" out there right at the start. Democracy is the best thing human beings have come up with to put that into action in our common life. The CN's are free to dream up whatever God they want, but they are not free to force it on the rest of us, especially in Jesus' name.
Have you written a post about how you’ve stayed a Christian after studying this? Having been raised in the think of Christian nationalism (seeing it in hindsight) I now want nothing to do with Christianity, although it’s ironically because they taught me about Jesus and then their politics went against everything f he stood for.
Your book Jesus and John Wayne was one of the first I read on my deconstruction journey, and it really helped me see all of the flaws in evangelical Christianity and Christian nationalism so clearly. When I told my Dr. Dobson loving mom about the book, she said “Kristin Du Mez? I would never read anything by her.” Clearly your “child of the devil” reputation is still going strong. 😢
David French has tried to reclaim some of the language. In response to Mike Johnson's saying "Open up the Bible" to find out how he planned on governing, David wisely observed, "The Bible doesn't say how many immigrants the US should allow every year, but it does say a lot about lying."
Barbara, I can tell from your comments that you are a deep thinker who is hitting all the right notes. That open-mindedness encourages me to share this link with you. It is long and deep, but I know that if you work your way to page 6, many of your questions will be answered. The only caution is that the link will open you up to more questions. I hope you don't mind that I am sharing this reply to Substack notes. https://www.thewaywesee.com/religiondetoxnetwork/mystery/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice/the-law
I have visited a site in France where women were imprisoned for being Protestant rather than Catholic (their male relatives sent to row the galleys). They were released after decades because an atheist, Voltaire, advocated for them. I have visited sites where Protestants were killed and incidentally their farming land taken. Another site where Protestants threw Catholics over a cliff. Whoever won the battle got to say what God's will is. The writers of the Constitution knew this history.
I was in my early teens during that period of Irish history known as "The Troubles" were in full swing. Growing up in a mixed faith home (mother was Jewish, father was Christian and the holidays were a battleground) I will never forget an interview with a young woman from the IRA on Sixty Minutes who when asked how she squared her Christian faith with the violence being committed, she simply said: "God's always on the side of the victor, isn't He?"
I so appreciate your thoughtful scholarship. The swirl and chaos is overwhelming. The irony of Christian nationalists following their own Golden Calf and letting the richest man in the world rip through our gov’t would be funny if it wasn’t so heartbreaking.
Dr. Du Mez, thank you; your writing describes & clarifies with timeliness. Having exited & renounced white Xian Nationalism, now I seek to center the teachings & life of Jesus of Nazareth of the Christian Scriptures as my framework rather than right-centering/white-centering myself. I regret that I haven't countered wXN sooner. When I watched "God & Country" a year ago--I didn't think we'd be facing competitive authoritarianism within 12 months. Dr. Anthea Butler's comment about going over the cliff scared me. And here we are. But as you wrote in J&JW, what's done can be undone. Thanks for your timely words.
What an excellent article Kristen. I’ve never been so disheartened and angry/sad at those professing believers who espouse Christian Nationalism. I think part of their thinking hearkens further back to British Israelism, the concept that Great Britain’s Imperialism and its offspring, America are the lost tribe of Israel. This lends itself to the idea of an ongoing theocracy. We are not a theocracy. I can no longer call myself an evangelical Christian. I’m a follower of Jesus and His ways whose foundation is humility, and power under that expresses itself in compassion, empathy, inclusion and justice for the poor, immigrants, and marginalized people groups. I’m retired after 40 years of Pastoral ministry and have never espoused patriarchy or a dispensational theology. I label myself as Reformedbapticostalalliance. I guess I’m rambling but I’m so disgusted at the excessive abuse of power and overreach by Trump and Musk.
Thank you Kristen, for ur work, & bringing clarity to why Christian nationalism is incompatible w/ being a follower of Jesus. We recently listened to the series by Andy Stanley from Northpoint Church called , “The Last Kingdom”. It lifted our hearts & renewed our vision & inspired us to reset how we see Jesus. His kingdom comes through deeds of love, justice, & mercy. No other kingdom will ever come close to His. He shows us what we are here for, what a Leader is, & how it ends!
Thank you, Kristin, for doing the heavy lifting and helping us understand what has and is happening. C. S. Lewis would have lots of material for a newly, revised Screwtape Letters.
Those exchanges were so unsettling! On some level I think many of the angry boomer types know they're not gonna be any more well off with all these changes. But they just might get to see their "enemies" crushed - and for them that's a fair trade for free speech and tolerance. Daunting times. :(
Sadly as a boomer, I had hoped we would have stopped the despicable hate that continues a long time ago. In the 60's We had a good start, but we have failed miserably!
Yeah unfortunately Kristin’s more pessimistic diagnoses seem to be holding up pretty well. I’m reading Malcolm Foley’s “The anti-greed Gospel” now and that’s filling in another key piece of his puzzle.
Just finished Jesus And John Wayne and The Violent Take It Force. Sounds like the info in those maybe similar to your current read. Angering, frustrating, and frightening.
I'm two days late reading this because for some reason the notice went to the wrong email folder. I just saw this NYT article about the horrific stories of deportees that were sent to a hotel in Panama awaiting return to their home countries.
"More radical elements, however, have taken advantage of this common language". Exactly. Keeping God's law does set us free: from the tyranny of false gods, from slavery to ideologies, from working ourselves to death, from despising all authorities, from unfaithful relationships, from idolatry, etc. I think you went to Dordt College [University?]. At one time, professor Rockne McCarthy exposed American Civil Religion as a serious misreading of history and a perhaps idolatrous belief system. I haven't heard him mentioned at all any more. Did his work affect people much in Iowa or the Dordt community?
"Who are the undeserving ones? The takers, the woke, the parasites, lgbtq individuals, immigrants, and also—and this is important to grasp—anyone who supports or defends anyone on the enemy list."
That reminds me of what Claire Berlinski has to say about "New Ceasarism":
"In modern far-right populist movements (and far-left ones, for that matter), Rousseau’s vision has triumphed. Leaders present themselves as a providential conduit of the volonté generale [general will]... The New Caesar—and only the New Caesar —is capable of delivering the authentic people from their enemies, the elites, and the dark future they face. ('I alone can fix it.')
"The idea of an *authentic* people is key. If you find to your dismay that your will has not been properly channelled by the leader, this proves that you are not authentically of the people. You are an elite, or some other kind of enemy."
It almost seems like the Christian Nationalists are "cherry picking" the Constitution and the writings of the Founding Fathers the way they have always "cherry picked" the bible. Also, it seems like they have elevated these same writings to the level of the bible to justify their drive to make this a Christian nation in their own belief of what that should be. Would it be wrong to compare this with Mormonism and The Book of Mormon, but on a smaller scale? I wonder how the Mormons view Christian Nationalists.
Another thing I think about is how Catholics who don't have a clue about these extremist ideas feel or would feel if they really knew what was going on. I know many Catholics who don't even want to think about this extremism. I was raised Catholic (left the Catholic church at 27) and then was in the Southern Baptist Church for about 22 years, so I have had a view from both of those sides. Thank you, Kristin.
It isn't just that the way of Jesus is difficult to follow, it's difficult to want to follow it. Christian Nationalism renders the way of Jesus null and void. Which can be comforting in its own way.
Well said.
Kristin, I'm a big fan of yours and read. watch, and listen to you all the time. However, here's something I think would be helpful as you continue to "hold the line" going forward. When I got into this stuff, about two years ago, and first heard the terms "biblical law" and "biblical principles," I thought "oh, good!" Do unto others. Practice justice, kindness, humility. Welcome the stranger. But no. It took me quite some time to realize, this big abstraction -- God's law -- in today's context, means something else entirely. What's more, the "God" invoked is not at all the loving, self-giving God I know in Christ. The God of hell and wrath you evoke on p. 200 in JJW seems more of a piece with this other worldview, and that's not my experience at all! So -- I guess I'm saying, I encourage you not to concede the terms "biblical" or "God's" law to the Christian Nationalists. I'm all for putting "Love one another" out there right at the start. Democracy is the best thing human beings have come up with to put that into action in our common life. The CN's are free to dream up whatever God they want, but they are not free to force it on the rest of us, especially in Jesus' name.
I hear this. As a scholar, I have to use the terms they use. Otherwise people won’t recognize them when they see them. As a Christian, I’m with you.
Have you written a post about how you’ve stayed a Christian after studying this? Having been raised in the think of Christian nationalism (seeing it in hindsight) I now want nothing to do with Christianity, although it’s ironically because they taught me about Jesus and then their politics went against everything f he stood for.
Your book Jesus and John Wayne was one of the first I read on my deconstruction journey, and it really helped me see all of the flaws in evangelical Christianity and Christian nationalism so clearly. When I told my Dr. Dobson loving mom about the book, she said “Kristin Du Mez? I would never read anything by her.” Clearly your “child of the devil” reputation is still going strong. 😢
I think it helps that the Christianity I embraced was never this version so I’ve always been able to disentangle the two without deconstructing.
Me too!!
David French has tried to reclaim some of the language. In response to Mike Johnson's saying "Open up the Bible" to find out how he planned on governing, David wisely observed, "The Bible doesn't say how many immigrants the US should allow every year, but it does say a lot about lying."
Here are some scriptures about lying: https://thewayweseecom.ipage.com/howtolove/how-to-practice-truthfulness-honesty-and-integrity/
One more thing Barbara that I cannot let pass. Loving one another is the most important and highest note anyone can hit. This is a note that I strongly encourage others to reach for. See this link for one of my efforts to that end. https://thewayweseecom.ipage.com/howtolove/chapter-1-gods-strategy-for-overcoming-division-and-creating-unity/
Barbara, I can tell from your comments that you are a deep thinker who is hitting all the right notes. That open-mindedness encourages me to share this link with you. It is long and deep, but I know that if you work your way to page 6, many of your questions will be answered. The only caution is that the link will open you up to more questions. I hope you don't mind that I am sharing this reply to Substack notes. https://www.thewaywesee.com/religiondetoxnetwork/mystery/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice/the-law
I have visited a site in France where women were imprisoned for being Protestant rather than Catholic (their male relatives sent to row the galleys). They were released after decades because an atheist, Voltaire, advocated for them. I have visited sites where Protestants were killed and incidentally their farming land taken. Another site where Protestants threw Catholics over a cliff. Whoever won the battle got to say what God's will is. The writers of the Constitution knew this history.
I was in my early teens during that period of Irish history known as "The Troubles" were in full swing. Growing up in a mixed faith home (mother was Jewish, father was Christian and the holidays were a battleground) I will never forget an interview with a young woman from the IRA on Sixty Minutes who when asked how she squared her Christian faith with the violence being committed, she simply said: "God's always on the side of the victor, isn't He?"
That has always stuck with me.
I so appreciate your thoughtful scholarship. The swirl and chaos is overwhelming. The irony of Christian nationalists following their own Golden Calf and letting the richest man in the world rip through our gov’t would be funny if it wasn’t so heartbreaking.
See this link for understanding of the symbolism of the golden calf: https://www.thewaywesee.com/religiondetoxnetwork/mystery/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns/music-singing-and-dancing/3#goldencalf
Dr. Du Mez, thank you; your writing describes & clarifies with timeliness. Having exited & renounced white Xian Nationalism, now I seek to center the teachings & life of Jesus of Nazareth of the Christian Scriptures as my framework rather than right-centering/white-centering myself. I regret that I haven't countered wXN sooner. When I watched "God & Country" a year ago--I didn't think we'd be facing competitive authoritarianism within 12 months. Dr. Anthea Butler's comment about going over the cliff scared me. And here we are. But as you wrote in J&JW, what's done can be undone. Thanks for your timely words.
What an excellent article Kristen. I’ve never been so disheartened and angry/sad at those professing believers who espouse Christian Nationalism. I think part of their thinking hearkens further back to British Israelism, the concept that Great Britain’s Imperialism and its offspring, America are the lost tribe of Israel. This lends itself to the idea of an ongoing theocracy. We are not a theocracy. I can no longer call myself an evangelical Christian. I’m a follower of Jesus and His ways whose foundation is humility, and power under that expresses itself in compassion, empathy, inclusion and justice for the poor, immigrants, and marginalized people groups. I’m retired after 40 years of Pastoral ministry and have never espoused patriarchy or a dispensational theology. I label myself as Reformedbapticostalalliance. I guess I’m rambling but I’m so disgusted at the excessive abuse of power and overreach by Trump and Musk.
This is excellent, Kristin, and resonates so clearly.
Thank you Kristen, for ur work, & bringing clarity to why Christian nationalism is incompatible w/ being a follower of Jesus. We recently listened to the series by Andy Stanley from Northpoint Church called , “The Last Kingdom”. It lifted our hearts & renewed our vision & inspired us to reset how we see Jesus. His kingdom comes through deeds of love, justice, & mercy. No other kingdom will ever come close to His. He shows us what we are here for, what a Leader is, & how it ends!
Thank you, Kristin, for doing the heavy lifting and helping us understand what has and is happening. C. S. Lewis would have lots of material for a newly, revised Screwtape Letters.
Those exchanges were so unsettling! On some level I think many of the angry boomer types know they're not gonna be any more well off with all these changes. But they just might get to see their "enemies" crushed - and for them that's a fair trade for free speech and tolerance. Daunting times. :(
Sadly as a boomer, I had hoped we would have stopped the despicable hate that continues a long time ago. In the 60's We had a good start, but we have failed miserably!
Yeah unfortunately Kristin’s more pessimistic diagnoses seem to be holding up pretty well. I’m reading Malcolm Foley’s “The anti-greed Gospel” now and that’s filling in another key piece of his puzzle.
Just finished Jesus And John Wayne and The Violent Take It Force. Sounds like the info in those maybe similar to your current read. Angering, frustrating, and frightening.
Yes, Taylor’s book totally blindsided me. I’d never heard of the NAR. Make sure to get Katherine Stewart’s “Money, Lies and God” too!
Prophetic words of wisdom and truth
I'm two days late reading this because for some reason the notice went to the wrong email folder. I just saw this NYT article about the horrific stories of deportees that were sent to a hotel in Panama awaiting return to their home countries.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/world/americas/trump-migrant-deportation-panama.html
"More radical elements, however, have taken advantage of this common language". Exactly. Keeping God's law does set us free: from the tyranny of false gods, from slavery to ideologies, from working ourselves to death, from despising all authorities, from unfaithful relationships, from idolatry, etc. I think you went to Dordt College [University?]. At one time, professor Rockne McCarthy exposed American Civil Religion as a serious misreading of history and a perhaps idolatrous belief system. I haven't heard him mentioned at all any more. Did his work affect people much in Iowa or the Dordt community?
He was out of the classroom long before I came, went into administration.
Thank you, Kristin! This was so helpful!
"Who are the undeserving ones? The takers, the woke, the parasites, lgbtq individuals, immigrants, and also—and this is important to grasp—anyone who supports or defends anyone on the enemy list."
That reminds me of what Claire Berlinski has to say about "New Ceasarism":
"In modern far-right populist movements (and far-left ones, for that matter), Rousseau’s vision has triumphed. Leaders present themselves as a providential conduit of the volonté generale [general will]... The New Caesar—and only the New Caesar —is capable of delivering the authentic people from their enemies, the elites, and the dark future they face. ('I alone can fix it.')
"The idea of an *authentic* people is key. If you find to your dismay that your will has not been properly channelled by the leader, this proves that you are not authentically of the people. You are an elite, or some other kind of enemy."
https://claireberlinski.substack.com/p/the-new-caesars-fd9
It almost seems like the Christian Nationalists are "cherry picking" the Constitution and the writings of the Founding Fathers the way they have always "cherry picked" the bible. Also, it seems like they have elevated these same writings to the level of the bible to justify their drive to make this a Christian nation in their own belief of what that should be. Would it be wrong to compare this with Mormonism and The Book of Mormon, but on a smaller scale? I wonder how the Mormons view Christian Nationalists.
Another thing I think about is how Catholics who don't have a clue about these extremist ideas feel or would feel if they really knew what was going on. I know many Catholics who don't even want to think about this extremism. I was raised Catholic (left the Catholic church at 27) and then was in the Southern Baptist Church for about 22 years, so I have had a view from both of those sides. Thank you, Kristin.
For some Catholics and others, the benchmark is the Holy Fetus. For some, nothing is more important than to be Pro-Life by which they mean pre birth.