Understanding the Dynamics in Everyday Language
Imagine you’re looking at a painting. The painting is supposed to show who God really is—loving, mysterious, perhaps beyond our full understanding. Now imagine that someone takes a brush and starts to change the painting. They add features that look a lot like themselves. The face starts to resemble their own, the clothes are from their favorite decade, and suddenly the background is a map of their country. This is what happens when Christian nationalism tries to make God in its own image.
What Is Christian Nationalism?
Let’s break down the term first. Christian nationalism is the belief that a country—say, the United States, for example—should be defined by Christianity, and that the government should actively promote specific Christian beliefs and values. People who support Christian nationalism often think their nation is “chosen” or “special” in God’s plan and that their laws and culture should mirror their version of Christianity.
Turning God into a Reflection of National Culture
Here’s where things get tricky. Christianity, at its heart, is supposed to be about following Jesus—who preached love, compassion, and care for the poor and marginalized. But when Christian nationalism gets involved, it often starts to reshape God’s identity to fit its own views, interests, and even political agendas.
Instead of asking “What does God want for the world?” the question shifts to “What do we want, and how can we say God wants it too?” This means that God sometimes gets portrayed as being very concerned about things like national borders, military strength, or which political party is in charge—all things that are more about earthly power than spiritual values.
Examples in Everyday Life
Let’s say there’s a debate about immigration. In regular Christian teaching, you might hear messages about welcoming the stranger and caring for people in need. But in Christian nationalism, those teachings can be reinterpreted to mean protecting national identity and security—even if that means closing borders or separating families.
Or think about the way holidays are celebrated. In some cases, Christian nationalist ideas push for more religious symbols in public spaces, like nativity scenes outside government buildings. The message isn’t just about celebrating faith—it’s about claiming that this faith should be front and center in society, above all others.
Mixing Faith and Politics
Christian nationalism often tries to blend faith and patriotism so closely that they become hard to tell apart. It’s not just “I love my country and I have faith”—it’s “My country is Christian, and that should influence our laws, leaders, and behavior.” This can lead to the idea that “real” citizens are Christian, and anyone who isn’t is somehow less worthy or less patriotic.
When political leaders use religious language, quoting scripture to support policy decisions, it can sound like God is endorsing a particular law or politician. But really, it’s people using God’s name to support what they already wanted to do. In other words, they’re making God look and act like themselves.
The Risks of Making God in Our Image
1. Losing the Core of Faith
When faith is tailored to fit national interests, the deeper spiritual teachings can get watered down or ignored. Jesus spoke up for outsiders, challenged authority, and reminded followers to love their neighbors, even when it wasn’t easy. If God is made to seem primarily interested in national success, military strength, or one-sided values, the true message of love and humility can be lost.
2. Creating More Division
Christian nationalism can make it harder for people of different faiths—or even Christians with different viewpoints—to feel included. When the idea takes hold that the nation should favor one type of Christianity, it can set up walls between people, rather than bridges.
3. Justifying Harmful Actions
If people believe that God is on their side no matter what, it becomes easier to justify policies or actions that hurt others—whether that’s discrimination, harsh laws, or even violence. When God is imagined to agree with everything a group wants, it’s hard to admit mistakes or listen to others.
Why Does This Happen?
It’s human nature to want to belong and to feel that your group is “right.” Christian nationalism taps into that by linking faith to national pride. It can be comforting to think that God favors your country or way of life, but it’s important to recognize that faith should challenge us, not just affirm our existing beliefs.
There’s also the fact that mixing religion and politics can give leaders more power. If a leader can convince people that God supports their policies, it’s a powerful way to gain votes and keep control. But that’s a risky path, because it turns faith into a tool rather than a guide.
Seeing God Beyond Our Borders
A healthier approach is to remember that God isn’t limited to any one country, culture, or political party. The teachings of Christianity are meant to apply to everyone, everywhere—not just to support one nation’s goals.
When people step back and ask, “Are we following God’s teachings, or just using God to support ourselves?” it can help keep faith honest and open. God, in most Christian traditions, is seen as loving all people, not just one group.
How Can We Avoid This Trap?
Ask Big Questions
Challenge yourself and others to look at faith with fresh eyes. Does God care about the same things as your political leaders? Do religious teachings line up with what’s being promoted in the name of nationalism?
Learn from Different Perspectives
Talk to people from other backgrounds, religions, and countries. Listen to how they experience faith and how they interpret God’s teachings. You might learn that God’s love is far bigger than any one nation or group.
Focus on Core Teachings
Go back to the basics—love your neighbor, care for those in need, work for justice and peace. These ideas are bigger than any one flag or government, and they remind us that faith is about more than just being a good citizen.
In Conclusion
Christian nationalism tries to make God in its own image by mixing faith with national identity and turning religious teachings into tools for promoting political agendas. When this happens, God can start to look and act just like the group in power, instead of challenging us all to be more loving, humble, and open-minded.
If you want a faith that’s real and meaningful, it’s important to keep asking questions and remembering that God is bigger than any nation, political party, or cultural tradition. Only then can faith truly inspire us to become better people—not just better citizens of one country.
Minister A Francine Green
September 2025
afrancinegreen.com 