As a Catholic who writes about the Bible and a journalist covering the occupied West Bank, Christian nationalism in the United States is the subject I’ve been questioned about the most lately. The term touches more political arenas than one might think and has been too loosely associated by those in other parts of the world attempting to explain Christianity and problems with evangelicalism in our country.
Concerning homelife here in the US, Christian nationalism has once again been a trending topic since the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Regardless of your thoughts on the man and who did or didn’t kill him, both he and his organization, Turning Point USA, were popular among self-proclaiming Christian nationalists.
As far as my journalism work in other parts of the world, almost everyone I speak with in the Middle East wants to know my thoughts and opinions on a country like the US, where Christian nationalism is spreading like an infection having so much say in other parts of the world where different religions are just as important, if not more so, than Christianity.
I asked myself three questions before sitting down to write this. What do Christian nationalists believe, why do they believe it, and why is Christian nationalism right or wrong?
Starting with the first question, Christian nationalism is an ideology, not a religion or reflection of the Christian faith, biblically speaking. Even before Kirk’s assassination, the term created lively debate throughout the evangelical community, with numerous interpretations emerging from pulpits and Christian publications across the country.
Similar to many other Protestant trends throughout the previous few centuries, because there is no widely accepted definition, many argue from an ideological standpoint that is molded more by preexisting political beliefs than by linguistic accuracy or sound biblical doctrine.
To create a simple, standard, and reductive definition, Christian nationalism is what one believes to be obedience to Jesus Christ that manifests itself in striving for the good of the United States, a belief clearly lacking Gospel roots. Still, many Christian nationalists will use 1 Peter 2:17 to promote their beliefs.
“Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
There are a couple of things we need to consider when examining this verse. For starters, Peter wasn’t writing to Christians living in the United States in 2025 when he penned his letter.
Most biblical scholars and commentators, both Catholic and Protestant, believe Peter was writing from Rome, more than likely during Nero’s reign between A.D. 54 and 68, addressing believers in Asia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Galatia, and Pontus. All of these names referred to Roman provinces throughout Asia Minor, north of the Taurus Mountains.
This doesn’t mean that American Christians shouldn’t apply the verse in our lives today. However, if the verse is going to be used to back an ideology, it needs to be kept in its proper context. We need to know when Peter was writing, from where, to whom, and his intended message, to apply the verse to our lives properly.
Peter uses verses 2:13-3:12 to strongly urge Christians to goodness as citizens, husbands, and wives. He sums up the section by writing that believers who pursue goodness and imitate Christ have an eternal reward awaiting them.
According to verse 17, specifically, when reading it in the original language in which it was written, everyone deserves the same honor as the emperor. This isn’t based on where the person was born. The believers were only to fear God, and they should love everyone tenderly as members of the same family. Again, depending on where a person was from isn’t mentioned.
Still, Many Christian nationalists go as far as using this verse to claim the United States needs to be a Christian nation, one that can only be governed by Christian leaders, and backed by only Christian institutions. They believe Christianity should be promoted as the only valid faith in the US.
Here’s my hangup. Remember, I’m writing this specifically for a Christian audience. In the first chapter of The Acts of the Apostles, Jesus tells the Apostles that they will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Nothing was said about governing the area, ensuring that all political leaders were believers, or insisting that the Jewish people in the area convert. The Apostles, like ourselves, were called to be witnesses and share the good news of the Gospel with others. Nothing more. Nothing less. Jesus came to build a church, not a government. Too many of us forget that.
God promotes human flourishing through the institutions of government, the church, and the family. Each of these divinely appointed institutions plays a specific role, and any of the three overstepping their part can be disastrous.
We cannot share the Gospel with others without addressing social matters. St. Paul demonstrates this throughout his epistles. Attempting to do so wouldn’t align with Scripture. Good always opposes evil, and the church must stand against sinful cultural trends and unjust governments.
However, Jesus never called for establishing a government run by the church. The government’s role is outlined throughout the Bible, especially in Romans 13:1-7.
This is where families and individuals come into play. Christians need to participate in every area of government. Every able follower of Jesus Christ should be involved in the political process by voting for candidates who back and live by Christian beliefs. This leads to a sensitive issue when discussing the topic.
While aligning with the MAGA political movement isn’t exactly a qualification for being a Christian nationalist, many MAGA voters will tell you they support Christian nationalism, probably more than any other political movement.
Something needs to be very clear before going further. This is in no way intended to condemn an individual or politician or to point out what they are doing wrong. This is using the New Testament to demonstrate beliefs that do or don’t align with what was taught and instructed throughout the Gospels. Keep in mind, the New Testament is what sets us apart as followers of Jesus Christ, not the Bible.
There isn’t a verse or passage throughout the four Gospels that supports the idea of America First when considered in its proper context. The idea that a person or a people group should be held as more important because of where they were born or live is the furthest thing from what Jesus taught. Yes, we are to give Caesar what is Caesar’s, serve people, and respect the government. Still, none of this justifies or even remotely suggests putting the interests of Americans before those of others.
Jesus summed up the Law by saying to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Christian neighborliness extends far beyond national borders, encompassing political, ethnic, and even religious differences. Because all people are created in God’s image, American Christians are to joyfully serve and love Mexicans, Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, immigrants, and refugees.
Paul instructed believers in many of his letters to be sacrificial, humble, and self-denying. Our focus is on what is best for all people, in all countries, and in every walk of life. Paul opposed nationalism more than once in his writings, calling for Jewish Christians to acknowledge their oneness with Gentiles and to stop looking at themselves as superior.
Putting our interests above those of anyone not born in the United States or who lives in another country is not biblical. There is nothing humble or neighborly in building a wall, banning people from a specific country or religion, cutting off aid or other international commitments, and definitely not in separating families because someone is “illegal.”
The America First indoctrination is not only dangerous politically and socially. It is spiritually harmful. Adhering to such an immoral brand of U.S. nationalism betrays the ecumenical and multinational character of the body of Christ.
As abundantly as our nation has been blessed, America should be first. We should be the first to welcome people to our country who are desperate to provide their families with the blessings we ourselves too carelessly take for granted. No, because followers of Jesus are not citizens of this world, we do not need to wait until the paperwork and legal documentation are complete. I highly recommend you spend time in the Bible researching idolatry and where nationalism is found throughout the New Testament, if you disagree.
It is not wrong to love one’s country and want great things for America, as long as these desires do not come at the expense of other people in need. Loving our country well does not mean loving others less. American Christians should work for our country’s success by electing respectable, God-fearing leaders, empowering minorities, and welcoming all people to our country who want to better their lives.
Americans are not more valuable than anyone else in God’s eyes. Christians in the U.S. should have this same vision.
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