So, try to figure it all out! I may have not pigeon-holed everyone here correctly, but again, that is part of the problem of defining Christian Nationalism. However, they all recognize the decline of America since Christianity lost its foothold on our culture.  Under the United States Constitution and a pietistic church, America has spiraled down into debauchery and degeneracy.  Only a recapture of the culture through the gospel of Christ which preaches his Kingship over all things can restore what we have lost. This is the theme of Christian Nationalism. 

Christian Nationalism (CN) has become the modern boogeyman in secular America, and also the bugaboo in both liberal and conservative churches. The PCUSA recently put out a statement of condemnation (July 21, PCUSA Releases Resource Aimed at Combating ‘White Christian Nationalists’).  The 2025 PCA General Assembly approved appointing a Study Committee with the apparent intent on condemning it.  Writers continue to bombard the media with both denunciations and reprimands of what is conceived to be a threat to both our national and ecclesiastical security, as well as to the gospel itself (July 21, A Word to the Young Men Who are Called Christian Nationalists; July 23, Christian Nationalists Stephen Wolfe Argues for a Minority Elite). Indeed, CN appears to be the 21^st century boogeyman.

The Aquila Report (TAR) has taken no official stand on the issue because it is committed to freedom of speech.  TAR Editor, Dominic Aquila, is to be praised for allowing viewpoints from both sides of the issue in this public forum.  The issue has become “hot,” and as expected in any major controversy, no one is really hearing their opposition.

The amazing thing about this is that nobody can define what CN is. It’s a little like trying to nail Jello to a wall. Within the culture of CN itself, there are turf wars and major disagreements.  On what I call the left side of CN is Stephen Wolfe who represents the “Natural Law CN.” He reveres Thomism and derives his views from the days of Christian Magistrates in Medieval Europe. Considering the characteristics of nations in history, he is sympathetic to the “blood and soil motif,” similar to Kinism. He is a historian and not a theologian.

On the other side of the scale to the right is the old-guard Bahnsen theonomists. The major difference here is that they believe that the principles of Old Testament Law must be the basis of law in all nations.  Natural Law, if it even exists, is totally inadequate to form the basis of a civil society. Some of them don’t like the name Christian Nationalism because they believe that Wolfe stole the concept from Bahnsen, and thus Wolfe corrupted the concept of theonomy. Many of them are generally opposed to any form of Kinism.  I think this is partially because that was not an issue when Bahnsen was living and writing. Others promote Kinism ardently.

In the middle trying to appease both the right and the left is Doug Wilson, who is trying to mediate between the two, in acknowledging a “bud light” version of Kinism, and conflating natural and biblical law into what he calls “general equity theonomy.”  Since he has some Jewish blood in his family, he is against any form of ethno-nationalism. Wilson still reveres “religious pluralism (now religious polytheism)” and is opposed to a strictly WASP nation, even though this is part of the heritage of the United States. He would allow the presence of other religious groups in America, as long as they have limited powers.

So, try to figure it all out! I may have not pigeon-holed everyone here correctly, but again, that is part of the problem of defining Christian Nationalism. However, they all recognize the decline of America since Christianity lost its foothold on our culture.  Under the United States Constitution and a pietistic church, America has spiraled down into debauchery and degeneracy.  Only a recapture of the culture through the gospel of Christ which preaches his Kingship over all things can restore what we have lost. This is the theme of Christian Nationalism.

Islam

However, CN is not the real boogeyman in the United States.  There are other real ones. One of those is Islam. There are nearly 3,000 mosques in the United States and over 300 of them are in Texas. There are a number of Muslims who serve in the United States Congress with the power to make laws for our nation.  Reps llhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib constantly spout out anti-American vitriol. Two Muslims are running for mayor in two of our large cities—New York and Minneapolis.  Dearborn, Michigan is basically a Muslim city where the adhan call to prayer is heard daily from the Minarets.  Muslims are planning new cities in this country which will consist of Muslims only, like the proposed EPIC City in North Texas.

Before the Nationality Act of 1965 (Hart-Cellar Act) Muslims in the United States were almost non-existent.  Now they number 4 million.  According to the Counsel on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) website there are at least 185 elected Muslim officials in the United States. There are 40 in the State of New Jersey and 39 in the State of Michigan.  They keep track of the exact numbers in every individual state.  They take pride in this.  The birth rate for Americans as a whole is presently 1.6 children per family.  Among Muslims there are no official statistics, but the estimate is at least 3 to 5 children per family.  They are expanding rapidly.

Ireland and England (as well as much of Europe) are in a crisis because of the large immigrant Muslim population.  The Irish have given up on their Catholic Faith, but they realize that their heritage is under attack.  I recently watched an Irish lady protesting in the streets of one city in Ireland proclaiming to the Muslim crowd that “Jesus is King.” This tension continues to build, and I believe it eventually will only be resolved by a civil war.

America in her infancy upheld Protestant Pluralism in which the Federal Government would give no precedence to any particular Christian denomination.  After War World II everything changed.  America became in principle the home of a polytheistic pluralism of religions. Muslims have as much right to rule America now as the old WASPs did years ago.   We are no longer a Christian nation.  Since they are outpacing Christian growth in America, the number of years for Muslim rule by democratic vote is not that far away.  The United States Constitution does not forbid this.  To argue otherwise is to argue against “principled pluralism.”

The United States Constitution was not a Christian document.  No where is Christ declared King in it.  Muslims now have easy access to this country, and based on the supposed neutrality of the Constitution they have the upper hand in any argument whereby Christians would oppose their pursuit of power. Christianity and Islam are incompatible.  When they try to occupy the same land, either war results or there will be a slavery of one over the other.

So, our Christian leaders are all up in arms because young men (and old men like me) want to take America back to being a Christian nation.  However, if anyone mentions the danger of Muslims advancing in power in America, then they may find fireballs raining down on their heads because they are not upholding “religious freedom.” The first amendment has replaced the first commandment in this nation, and we will have to live with the results of that. Like Esau, we traded our birth-right for a mess of pottage.

Islam is a real boogeyman, and again the church is silent. No wonder there are so many young men upset in our churches. They know who the real boogeymen are, and Islam is one of them.  And if there is eventually a civil war, they, their children, or their grandchildren will have to fight it.

Larry E. Ball is a retired minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is now a CPA. He lives in Kingsport, Tenn.