How to protect democracy: resources & opportunities
Everywhere I go, I meet Christians who are deeply concerned about the trends they’re seeing in their own communities and on the national stage.
Plenty of attention has been given to diagnosing the dangers of Christian nationalism and a creeping religious authoritarianism. Many political observers agree that the stakes could not be higher for the next election. And many analysts agree that those best positioned to combat these forces are those located in or adjacent to the communities most susceptible to the allure of Christian nationalism. In other words, people like many of you readers. Christians, churchgoers or former churchgoers, people who take theology seriously, those who are seeing friends and neighbors being drawn into a movement that threatens to undermine our democratic traditions.
While we still have a democracy, this is the time to use our freedoms well. The Right has long excelled at mobilizing their base, using churches and religious organizations to build their networks and carry out their aims. What some of us are working on now isn’t an attempt to do the same but from “the Left.” Rather, it’s an attempt to build a broad coalition of conservatives, moderates, and progressives, each drawing on their own values and rooted in their own communities, but working collectively to preserve our democracy. If we succeed, we can continue to hash out our differences going forward.
In the coming months, I’ll be sharing resources and opportunities here. Some are educational, others are more action-oriented. Some I’m involved in directly, others I’ve heard about and want to amplify. Please consider joining an effort or sharing these opportunities with others in your churches, organizations, and networks. And please share other opportunities and resources in the comments. (I’ll keep the comments open for this purpose.)
For our first installment, I have three opportunities to share:
This first one is the result of a broad-based coalition between conservatives and progressives, activists, organizers, faith leaders, and scholars. Christians United to Defend Democracy is offering a private, six-month training program to equip pastors, faith leaders, and concerned citizens with organizing tools and skills to do the work in their own communities. It’s a wonderful opportunity to branch out, develop new skills, and develop relationships with what is sure to be a diverse group of kindred spirits. Here’s the invitation:
Within our churches, communities, and public spaces, we are all witnessing disturbing rhetoric and actions that threaten to erode our deepest held values. We are watching as our history and scripture are twisted and our faith is reduced and shrunken by limiting it to the imperfections of one nation. Our faith does not call us to worship any one country or group of people. Nor does Christ permit us to withdraw behind the walls of our sanctuaries when those in positions of power are using the word of God to divide our communities and abuse the most vulnerable among us.
This non-public, six-month training program will support Christians who are concerned about the distortion of our faith, the rise of extremism and intolerance in our communities, and the erosion of our democracy. This program is hosted by the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice and organized by a set of Christians working on these issues. You can read more about the program in this FAQ, including tentative, proposed dates and times.This really is an incredible opportunity, and you can RSVP here to express interest and learn more.
Russell Moore, David French, Nancy French, and Curtis Chang have developed a curriculum for Christian political engagement. Their webinar launches today. (It will be available online if you can’t join in person.) Hundreds have already signed up, and I think it will be worth checking out.
To learn more, check out their Trinity Forum introduction:
The third one is a fun one. A new feature documentary, God & Country, releases this February. I’m in it, along with Katherine Stewart (it’s inspired by her fabulous book The Power Worshippers), Jemar Tisby, Anthea Butler, David French, Russell Moore, Phil Vischer, Andrew Whitehead, and several others. It’s directed by Dan Partland and produced by Rob Reiner, so it’s getting quite a bit of buzz right now. I hope to attend the Capitol Hill screening next month, and I’ll share more on this as the release date nears.
That’s all for now, but I’ll keep sharing resources in the coming months. If you’re feeling uneasy about the future of our country, the best thing to do is find something to do about it. Stepping up in this way brings the added benefit of connecting you with other thoughtful, dedicated people—which is a gift in and of itself.
KDM
Kristin, thank you for your commitment to this big work in the midst of everything else you have on your plate. There's also a very good movement growing here in Nashville amongst the music community (apart from what the Frenchs and Russell are doing). Happy to share more specifics. Hit me up at charliepeacockmusic at icloud dot com Peace to you.
Not sure how it can be accomplished, but would love to see resources that we can easily share to challenge the dangerous marketing of complementarianism/biblical patriarchy gender role theologies to evangelical and Christian nationalist networks/and into political venues. You know so well, its astounding impact on women and girls. This might include egalitarian scholarship/theological resources to counter the "biblical" patriarchal "script" so common in those networks. So grateful for all your tremendous work on all of this, and how you do so with such grace and professionalism.