Grace Saves All: Christianity and Universal Salvation Ep. 184 Brian Zahnd - When Christianity becomes tangled up in violence, nationalism, and empire
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May 6, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Brian Zahnd, a pastor and author known for his insights on faith and politics, tackles the troubling entanglement of Christianity with nationalism and violence. He explores the historical evolution from a peaceful faith to its entwinement with empire, particularly focusing on America's modern imperial identity. Zahnd addresses hyper-masculinity's role in shaping authoritarian nationalism and emphasizes the importance of embracing diverse cultural identities within Christian unity. His thoughts provoke a deeper conversation on faith's political implications.
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Early Christian Pacifism
- Early Christians opposed participation in war and refused to kill, reflecting the peace ethics of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.
- Baptized soldiers took vows not to kill, showing a distinctive nonviolent Christian commitment within the Roman legions.
Constantine Changed Christianity
- Christianity's alignment with Constantine and empire marks a shift from nonviolence to endorsing state power and war.
- Reducing Jesus's lordship to a spiritual afterlife role enabled complicity with empire's violence over centuries.
America as Empire and Religion
- America functions simultaneously as a nation, culture, empire, and religion with divine destiny claims.
- The apotheosis of George Washington in the Capitol reflects America’s quasi-religious identity mirroring ancient empires.