General Assembly committee publishes resource to help Presbyterians confront Christian nationalism

The General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations has released a resource aimed at helping Presbyterians understand and address Christian nationalism. The two-page document includes frequently asked questions and a liturgical witness titled “God of All,” authored by the Rev. Dr. Whitney Wilkinson Arreche and the Rev. Dr. Jacob Bolton. The authors credit the writer and poet Cole Arthur Riley for his influence on the work.

Committee members emphasized the importance of standing with interfaith partners who face attacks from Christian nationalism. They cited recent events, such as the second Trump Muslim ban and antisemitic incidents in Washington and Boulder, Colorado, as examples of the movement’s harmful impact. These events, they noted, have psychological and political consequences, including the potential loss of power for marginalized communities. The resource was developed to mitigate such damage and support those under attack.

Noushin Darya Framke, a ruling elder and GACEIR member, reflected on the church’s history of speaking out against harmful ideologies. She referenced Harry Emerson Fosdick’s 1920s sermons against fundamentalism, delivered from the Fosdick Pulpit in New York City. Framke called for modern leaders to similarly confront white supremacy and Christian nationalism from the pulpit, stressing the need for courage in upholding the church’s values.

The resource defines Christian nationalism as a political ideology that merges Christian identity with American civic and national identity. It claims the United States was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed according to what its proponents see as biblical principles. The GACEIR document argues that this ideology conflates religious and political authority in an idolatrous manner, contradicting the teachings and example of Jesus. It also claims Christian nationalism reduces Christianity to a narrow cultural identity, overshadowing the universal tradition Jesus represents.

The committee’s resource highlights the movement’s threat to pluralism and religious liberty. By promoting a singular, culturally bound Christian identity, it risks undermining the broader, inclusive vision of Christianity that Jesus exemplified. The document serves as a guide for Presbyterians to engage with this issue thoughtfully and in alignment with the church’s historical commitment to justice and reconciliation.

The GACEIR resource underscores the need for Presbyterians to recognize and resist the harmful effects of Christian nationalism. It calls for a faithful response rooted in the church’s tradition of standing with the marginalized and advocating for the common good. The document reflects a broader effort within the Presbyterian Church to address contemporary challenges while remaining true to its theological and ethical foundations.

Source: Read the original report