Why the rise of 'exceedingly dangerous' Christian nationalism is 'entirely out of our control': columnist

In a Sunday op-ed, New York Times opinion columnist David French posits that Christian nationalism may not be a "serious" threat to American democracy, but it is "very dangerous."

He argues, "It's not a serious position to argue that this diverse, secularizing country will shed liberal democracy for Catholic or Protestant religious rule. But it's exceedingly dangerous and destabilizing when millions of citizens believe that the fate of the church is bound up in the person they believe is the once and future President of the United States."

French notes that upon seeing "a tremendous surge of interest in Christian nationalism" immediately following the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol, "I started to hear questions I'd never heard before: What is Christian nationalism and how is it different from patriotism?"

The columnist cites Baylor University church history professor Thomas Kidd, who argues, "Actual Christian nationalism is more a visceral reaction than a rationally chosen stance."

French responds to Kidd's argument saying, "He's right. Essays and books about philosophy and theology are important for determining the ultimate health of the church, but on the ground or in the pews? They're much less important than emotion, prophecy and spiritualism."

He adds:

That's why the Trump fever won't break. That's why even the most biblically based arguments against Trump fall on deaf ears. That’s why the very act of Christian opposition to Trump is often seen as a grave betrayal of Christ himself. In 2024, this nation will wrestle with Christian nationalism once again, but it won't be the nationalism of ideas. It will be a nationalism rooted more in emotion and mysticism than theology. The fever may not break until the 'prophecies' change, and that is a factor that is entirely out of our control.