Understanding the Balance Between Loving Our Country and Staying True to God
Nationalism is a word we hear a lot these days—on the news, in conversations, and in debates about what it means to belong to a nation. Some people see it as a good thing, something that brings people together and gives them a sense of pride and purpose. Others, especially many Christian thinkers, warn that nationalism can go too far. In fact, they believe it can become a kind of modern-day idolatry—putting our country above everything else, even above God. Let’s break down what this means, why it’s a problem, and how Christians can respond.
What Is Nationalism, Anyway?
At its simplest, nationalism is about loving your country and feeling connected to the people who share your language, culture, and history. It’s the feeling you get when you cheer for your country’s team or celebrate national holidays. Nationalism can be positive: it helps people work together, makes them feel like they belong, and sometimes even inspires them to fight for freedom or justice.
But there’s a flip side. Nationalism can also mean thinking your country is better than all the others, or putting its needs and interests above everything else. When people start to believe their nation deserves unconditional loyalty—no matter what—it can become dangerous. That’s when nationalism moves from being a healthy form of pride to something more like worship.
The Appeal—and the Risk—of Nationalism
Why is nationalism so attractive? For many, it offers a sense of identity. In a world that often feels confusing and divided, knowing where you belong can be comforting. Nationalism gives people a team to root for—a group to stand with, especially in tough times.
But the downside is that it can change how we see right and wrong. Instead of thinking about what’s fair or loving to everyone, people might start making decisions only in their nation’s interest. This can mean ignoring the needs or rights of others, or even justifying actions that go against basic Christian values like compassion and justice.
When Nationalism Becomes Idolatry
In Christian teaching, idolatry means making something or someone more important than God. The Bible is full of warnings against putting trust in anything but God—whether it’s money, power, or even your own nation.
When people start to see their country as the highest good, above all else, it can become a kind of “idol”. This means they trust the nation to save them, protect them, or give their lives meaning, instead of trusting God. They might even twist faith to fit into national pride, rather than letting faith shape their values.
Theologians like Walter Brueggemann and Reinhold Niebuhr have talked about this problem. Niebuhr, for example, warned that patriotism can blind people to their own nation’s flaws. If you believe your country is always right, you’re less likely to admit when it does wrong or to seek justice for those who are hurt by its actions.
Mixing Faith and Patriotism: A Tricky Balance
Stanley Hauerwas, another Christian theologian, points out that problems start when Christianity gets mixed up with national identity. In some places, people see being a “good Christian” as the same as being a “good citizen” or a “true patriot.” But this can distort the heart of Christianity. Instead of letting the teachings of Jesus shape their values, people might let love for country take over—even when it means supporting things that go against the gospel.
Patriotism in itself isn’t wrong. It’s natural to be grateful for your country and want to help make it better. The problem comes when loyalty to the nation starts to compete with, or even replace, loyalty to God.
How Do We See Idolatrous Nationalism Today?
In our world, idolatrous nationalism can show up in lots of ways:
· Blindly defending your country’s actions, even when they hurt others
· Excluding or looking down on people from other nations, or those who don’t fit a narrow idea of what it means to be “truly” part of your country
· Letting national interests justify injustice, violence, or hatred
· Using faith to push a national agenda, instead of using faith to challenge and improve the nation’s actions
All these are signs that the nation is being put in the place that belongs to God—a classic definition of idolatry.
What Does Christianity Actually Teach?
At the heart of Christian faith is the belief that God is above everything else—including our families, communities, and countries. The Bible teaches that all people are made in God’s image and deserve love and respect.
One famous verse, Galatians 3:28, says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In other words, God’s family is bigger than any one nation or group. Christians are called to put God’s kingdom first, not the kingdom of any country on earth.
Augustine, a famous early Christian theologian and philosopher, said that believers live in two “cities”: the city of God and the city of this world. While Christians have duties as citizens—like following laws, paying taxes, and caring for neighbors—their ultimate loyalty is to God. That means being willing to speak up when their country is wrong, and to love people beyond their own borders.
How Should Christians Respond?
First, it’s important to see the difference between healthy patriotism and idolatrous nationalism:
· Healthy patriotism is about gratitude and responsibility—being thankful for your country and wanting to make it better for everyone.
· Idolatrous nationalism is about putting your country above everything, even God and God’s commands.
Christians are called to love and serve their country, but not to worship it. That means:
· Being honest about your country’s strengths and its flaws
· Putting God’s values—love, justice, mercy, and inclusion—above national pride
· Standing up for outsiders and those who are left out or mistreated
· Remembering that God’s kingdom includes people from every nation, and our call to love crosses all borders
Sometimes, this might mean challenging popular ideas or going against the crowd. It might mean calling out injustice or refusing to join in when nationalism asks for blind loyalty. Christians are asked to be brave in putting God and God’s way of love first—even when it’s hard or unpopular.
Conclusion: Keeping Our Priorities Straight
Nationalism isn’t always bad. It can unite people and inspire them to do great things together. But when love for country turns into a demand for ultimate loyalty—when it asks us to ignore God’s commands or to treat others as less than—we cross the line into idolatry.
For Christians, the challenge is to love their country without letting it take God’s place in their hearts. This means always measuring national pride and loyalty against the teaching and example of Jesus: love for neighbor, care for the outsider, and above all, devotion to God.
By keeping our focus on God’s kingdom, Christians can be good citizens—working for justice and peace—without falling into the trap of idolatrous nationalism. And in doing so, they show the world a better way: one rooted not in fear or exclusion, but in the wide, welcoming love of God.
Minister A Francine Green
September 2025
afrancinegreen.com 