Editorial introduction: Faith(ful) responses to imperial Christianity

The focus of this issue of the Review & Expositor is “Faith(ful) responses to Christian imperialism.” While Christian imperialism is not a new phenomenon, going back at least to Christianity’s embracing of power and politics in the post-Constantinian empire, in the United States today it is impossible to separate imperialism’s aspirations of power, control, and expansion from the racist, anti-immigrant, and anti-LGBTQI+ theology, rhetoric, and practices associated with white Christian nationalism.

I write this introduction the day after the United States celebrated Martin Luther King Day and inaugurated our next president. And as I write, I cannot help but consider the very different visions of faith espoused by those that sought (and continue to seek) to follow Dr. King’s vision and the millions of Christians who, through their votes, support policies that are racist, xenophobic, and homophobic. Dr. King, in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, wrote, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” ¹ Contrastingly, US politics today are marked by the demonization and “othering” of racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, members of the LGBTQI+ community, and those who seek to stand with and support them. In addition, millions of Christians in the United States today seek to use the marriage of faith and power to further their idea of an idealized Christian nation.

Although the contributors to this issue all approach the issue from their respective academic disciplines, they also approach it with a common view: white Christian nationalism is a heresy diametrically opposed to the lived example and teachings of Jesus. And in our current political context, this heresy and its supporters have gained influence and power that have very real and material consequences for many in our society, especially the most vulnerable among us. In addition, white Christian nationalism’s guiding anthropology, which places humans (especially those marked as privileged) as separate from and above the rest of creation and seeks as its telos maximizing profit, has very real and material consequences for our planet and all sentient and non-sentient beings.

The first article in this issue is actually an epistle, written by Dr. Loida I. Martell, titled “Christian nationalism: Letter to the US church.” In the spirit of the epistles found in the Second Testament, Martell offers instruction, encouragement, and council for churches seeking to live faithfully and authentically today. She names white Christian nationalism as a heresy and offers resources as well as encouragement for those seeking to be faithful to our calling to stand against injustice and be agents of love and hope.

There are five thematic articles included in this issue. In “Deconstructing theo-logics of Christian nationalism,” Dr. Shanti Parajuli writes about these “theo-logics,” beginning by recalling the January 6 insurrection, noting that the convergence of faith and political violence that day was not an aberration but is instead consistent with the rhetoric, aim, and goals of white Christian nationalism. While the fusing of Christian symbols, civic realities, and nationalist discourse centers white, male, cis-gendered Christians in power as “true” citizens, Parajuli offers a different Christian anthropology rooted in the innate mystery and relational nature of being human, opening us up to love that transcends boundaries and fosters collective liberation. Dr. Leah Schade’s contribution, “Strategies for ministers to address Christian nationalism: Moral foundations and sermon tactics,” focuses on resources for pastors and other church leaders for countering white Christian nationalism through their ministry and preaching. After discussing Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Foundations Theory and offering a brief history of white Christian nationalism and how it continues to manifest in society today, Schade offers a list of signs that a preacher might be, either tacitly or explicitly, supporting white Christian nationalism, as well as ways to counter this ideology in sermons and ministry. Dr. Tomeka Jacobs’s article is titled “Integrative spiritual care for minoritized women in the United States toward a theology of hope and ethic of wholeness mediated through critical consciousness and spiritual practice” and focuses on spiritual care and practice for poor, minoritized, and marginalized women. Jacobs notes that care must be rooted in an ethic of wholeness that is radical, inclusive, and just because the consequences of multilayered oppressions create somatically (embodied) manifested trauma. Drawing on the wisdom of the ancestors, she offers a guide to spiritual care and practice to resist oppressive effects of white Christian nationalism. In “Christ’s grassroots path: Counter-memories of the Plantationocene and Fannie Lou Hamer,” Dr. Wilson Dickinson contrasts the example of Jesus’s life and teachings with the structure of the plantation, which, he argues, is not an historic relic of the past but still exists today as an economic and social form revelatory of often repressed and ongoing dynamics connected to land, labor, and race. Dickinson looks at the theological vision, political organizing, and communal practice of Fannie Lou Hamer and the Freedom Farm Cooperative as an example of inspiration and direction. Finally, Dr. Brenita Mitchell asks “How does White Christian nationalism harm women in America?” Mitchell writes about the unique threat white Christian nationalism poses to women, intertwining religious doctrine with nationalist ideals to promote a rigidly patriarchal society. She traces this history from the very beginnings of the colonial experiment in what was to become the United States, noting that white Christian nationalism not only marginalizes women but also undermines broader movements toward gender justice and equity in society. She also shares historical examples of resilience by marginalized women, offering examples of hope for those fighting for autonomy and equity today.

This issue has three expository articles. First, in “Threatened identity: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Christian nationalism in the United States,” Dr. Lydia Hernández-Marcial reminds us that all interpretations of scripture have consequences. Hernández-Marcial writes about the various ways Ezra 9–10 and Neh 13:32–37 have served as resources providing support for xenophobic and racist policies. She notes that xenophobia, or fear of the “other,” is based on the fear of losing power and one’s dominant place in society. Hernández-Marcial then identifies counter-narratives from, for example, Ruth, Esther, and Jonah, pointing to white Christian nationalists’ selective use of scripture in justifying support for racist and xenophobic policies. Next, Dr. Kamila Hall Sharp, focusing on the book of Esther, offers “Vashti, Esther, and the ‘no’ and ‘yes’ to Christian nationalism.” In it, Sharp looks at the different responses of Vashti and Esther to King Ahasuerus, noting that in contexts of oppression and exploitation, Black women can use both Vashti’s “no” and Esther’s “yes” as examples of resistance in responding to domination and danger. Finally, in “Romans 13 and the demands of empire,” Dr. Jerry L. Sumney examines Rom 13:1–7, a passage often used to discuss a Christian’s proper relationship to government, in Paul’s context and his already/not-yet eschatology. Sumney notes that the Nazi regime and the apartheid government in South Africa used this passage to support their racist and xenophobic policies. Sumney further notes that this interpretation of Paul contradicts other parts of scripture, and he sets the Roman text in its historical context, including the influence of the prophetic tradition on Paul.

A final article to introduce is the contribution from Hebert Palomino, an R&E consortium member of the Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity, titled “A Word about . . . Pastoral care: Confessional realities and opportunities for the church and theological education after COVID.” Palomino calls for the exercise of a “more intentional, integrated pastoral care” in a post-pandemic world. This challenge is both for ministers and theological educators as they care for parishioners and students, respectively. Palomino observes that COVID spotlighted a “need to explore other dynamic methods to continue caring for people.” Thus, “the pulpit and the lectern” must be movable, and ministers and educators must work to “integrate theological disciplines and pastoral care.” He concludes with a number of “workable and practical ideas” to engage such work.

White Christian nationalism is not a new phenomenon in the United States. Robert P. Jones, in White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, writes,

The historical record of lived Christianity in America reveals that Christian theology and institutions have been the central cultural tent pole holding up the very idea of white supremacy. And the genetic imprint of this legacy remains present and measurable in contemporary white Christianity, not only among evangelicals in the South but also among mainline Protestants in the Midwest and Catholics in the Northeast. ²

While this observation is true, the current rise in power and influence of white Christian nationalism, as well as its imperial ambitions of domination and control of all areas of civic life, demands a faith(ful) response that is robust and thoughtful. We hope this timely issue offers resources that will both help us think deeply about these issues as well as enable us to act with the faith, courage, hope, and love that these times demand.