The topic of Christian nationalism has garnered much debate in modern politics, with it often being identified as the merging of Christian belief and American patriotism. Some have argued that the term Christian nationalism is simply a smear against Christians who engage in advocacy for conservative causes.

The Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, has released a resource meant to help congregations combat the threat of “White Christian Nationalism.”

The PCUSA General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations released the two-page resource last month titled “Confronting White Christian Nationalism,” which the theologically progressive denomination defines as “a political ideology that seeks to merge Christian identity with American civic life and national identity.”

According to the resource, Christian nationalists believe that “America is divinely chosen or specially blessed by God,” “U.S. laws and policies should reflect Christian beliefs, often from a conservative evangelical perspective,” “Christianity should have a privileged place in public life,” and “The Founding Fathers intended for the U.S. to be explicitly Christian in governance.”

According to the document, Christian nationalism allegedly undermines Christianity in various ways, including by conflating “religious and political authority in an idolatrous way,” confusing “the kingdom of God with earthly nations and earthly power with spiritual calling” and distorting “the mission of the Church from love of neighbor to love of power.”

In a statement released by the Presbyterian News Service on Tuesday, the committee members said that the PCUSA “has had long-standing interfaith dialogue partners and it is incumbent upon us to stand with them when they are under assault, directly or indirectly, by Christian nationalism.”

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