Yes! For me the money quote here is "Christian nationalism seeks to privilege a very particular expression of Christianity in American civic life. The cultural baggage associated with this particular expression of Christianity idolizes and emphasizes violence, power, and control."
Yes, violence, power, and control are hallmarks of the Christian Nationalists who have so much influence in our current idolatrous time. All diametrically opposed to the way of Jesus.
That's partly why I struggle with the language of some faith-based resistance organizing I have been connected to, where there is a lot of talk borrowed from secular community organizing about building and using "power". Can power be built and exercised in a servant-like way (and certainly a non-violent way), perhaps with the distinction being using it to serve our neighbors rather than for ourselves? Or is seeking to have "power" inherently incompatible with following Jesus?
These are the right questions. At risk of self promotion, in American Idolatry I tackle this in my chapter on Power as an idol of CN. And I make the case there is a distinction between the self-interested power coveted by CN, and power that leverages itself to make the marginalized more free, to expand flourishing. Christians and patriots should aim for the latter exercise of power.
Yes! For me the money quote here is "Christian nationalism seeks to privilege a very particular expression of Christianity in American civic life. The cultural baggage associated with this particular expression of Christianity idolizes and emphasizes violence, power, and control."
Yes, violence, power, and control are hallmarks of the Christian Nationalists who have so much influence in our current idolatrous time. All diametrically opposed to the way of Jesus.
That's partly why I struggle with the language of some faith-based resistance organizing I have been connected to, where there is a lot of talk borrowed from secular community organizing about building and using "power". Can power be built and exercised in a servant-like way (and certainly a non-violent way), perhaps with the distinction being using it to serve our neighbors rather than for ourselves? Or is seeking to have "power" inherently incompatible with following Jesus?
These are the right questions. At risk of self promotion, in American Idolatry I tackle this in my chapter on Power as an idol of CN. And I make the case there is a distinction between the self-interested power coveted by CN, and power that leverages itself to make the marginalized more free, to expand flourishing. Christians and patriots should aim for the latter exercise of power.