How to End Christian Nationalism

How to End Christian Nationalism by Amanda Tyler, founder of @endchristiannationalism is another brief book to add to our growing library of books regarding the subject of American Idolatry. The movement and media in her "Christians Against Christian Nationalism" group review and update the tenets of the 2020 book "Taking America Back For God" by Andrew Whitehead. This is to define what CN is, to determine what its ideals are, and how much someone agrees with the ideas of CN. The ultimate book on the subject is Tim Alberta's "The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory," which was one of Barack Obama's books of 2023. That book is 512 pages, though, and that isn't for everyone. It includes a lot of his personal experience and is part dissertation and part memoir, written by a journalist.

There is a lot of confusion as to what Christian Nationalism actually IS. When people know more about it, they are much more likely to reject it than to embrace it. Tyler defines CN as "a political ideology and cultural framework that seeks to fuse American and Christian identities. It suggests that “real” Americans are Christians and that “true” Christians hold a particular set of political beliefs. It seeks to create a society in which only this narrow subset of Americans is privileged by law and in societal practice."

This new debut book is 244 pages, and has more of a focus on solutions. I learned a lot reading this book, which is saying something, since I have read most books on this subject. Tyler focuses more on politics and constitutional law, the difference of opinion in how Americans interpret the relationship between the church and the law.

As a Christian, it bothers me quite a bit at how this movement mocks and mimics Christianity, co-opting the language of my faith to advance a political agenda. I learned that most atheists and agnostics, when pressed about their criticisms of Christianity, they almost always describe this particular ideology. That is bad news. This is something most of these books don't emphasize enough... the ideology is loud and frankly, can make Christianity look bad. How sad is that?

I learned that it is better to refer to this as an ideology rather than refer to a person as a "Christian Nationalist" because that ties them to it as an identity as if it cannot be changed. Rather, how much someone agrees with this ideology exists on a spectrum. I learned "separation of church and state" is an American invention.

The title is incredibly ambitious, it makes a promise that is hard to keep, but acknowledges this is a problem that won't be solved in our lifetimes. It started in 300 AD under Constantine and it was ultimately the framework of Adolf Hitler and the KKK. So it isn't new, nor exclusively American. We can't end the ideology everywhere, but we must, on a micro level, work to break down some of the most dangerous views in our own families and neighborhoods. It is up to each of us to confront and call it out as destructive and for the damage that it is causing our country.

Thank you to @netgalley and @broadleafbooks for the ARC. Book to be published October 22, 2024.

I found this quite an interesting read! Amanda Tylers's 244 page book on Christian nationalism has lots of great information, but focuses a lot more on offering solutions and I really appreciate that. Sometimes this subject can feel infuriating and very doom and gloom- and I am so pleased that she offered up solutions.
If you are new to the ideas of Christian nationalism this is a fantastic starting point! Amanda gives her own personal experiences to this book as well and I found that helpful.

I would recommend this book to anyone who feels frustrated by the ideology of Christian Nationalism or is curious to learn more.
Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.
#NetGalleyARC #NetGalley

I got an early copy of Amanda Tyler’s new book, How to End Christian Nationalism. Tyler is the executive director of the BJC and the lead organizer of their Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. I have long followed her work and was lucky enough to get to spend some time with her last year when I was named as a BJC Fellow.

Of course my Christianity plays a huge part in my civic participation and in the decisions I make about what issues are important to me. But Christian nationalism is when those beliefs become, rather than personally-held values, a way to legislate a version of morality. When we see Christian nationalism, we often see one very narrow set of morals or beliefs being legislated. In our society it is crucial that we stand for religious freedom for all, and Tyler has written a book that helps us see how to do that across several areas of American life.

She does of course explain Christian nationalism very clearly and why it is dangerous, and then gives clear areas where it is important to advocate against Christian nationalist values. She encourages us to denounce violence, commit to the separation of church and state, and (my favorite chapter) protect religious freedom for all in public schools. She cites experts and personal experience as she explains a path forward. This would be a great book for a group discussion or for a church to work through - Christian nationalism is a huge part of American Christian culture and unpacking it is important work.