Gravity Commons Podcast

Andrew Whitehead: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel

Aug 15, 2023

Leading scholar on Christian nationalism in America, Andrew Whitehead, discusses how Christian nationalism betrays the gospel. Topics include the idols of power, fear, and violence, racism and xenophobia as violations of core Christian beliefs, confronting Christian nationalism, engaging power as Christians and Americans, and exploring a discipleship program focused on self-emptying love.

01:15:53

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Episode guests

Andrew Whitehead

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Quick takeaways

Christian nationalism betrays the teachings of Jesus and is characterized by fear, violence, and a pursuit of power.

Engaging with people entrenched in Christian nationalism requires building relationships, gentle challenging, and highlighting shared values within Christianity.

Opposing Christian nationalism involves supporting marginalized communities, challenging narratives, and using privilege to benefit others.

Deep dives

Christian nationalism undermines the gospel and threatens the church

Christian nationalism, characterized by fear, violence, and a pursuit of power, goes against the teachings of Jesus. It is important to understand the historical context and interconnected nature of racism, xenophobia, and patriarchy that support Christian nationalism. Instead of villainizing those caught up in this ideology, we should seek solidarity with the marginalized and offer a different perspective. This can be done through embodying the witness of standing with the oppressed, engaging in conversations that challenge harmful beliefs, supporting causes that uplift marginalized communities, and using our platforms to bring about truth and understanding.

Introduction

2min

Upcoming Retreat and Dissertation Study Cohort on Processing Grief and Emotional Intelligence

5min

Christian Nationalism and the Betrayal of the Gospel

14min

War, Christian Nationalism, and Violence

7min

Confronting Christian Nationalism

8min

Engaging Power as Christians and Americans

24min

Andrew's Work and Christian Nationalism

14min

Exploring the Concept of a Discipleship Program Focused on Self-Emptying Love

3min

Power. Fear. Violence. These three idols of Christian nationalism are corrupting American Christianity.

Andrew Whitehead is a leading scholar on Christian nationalism in America and speaks widely on its effects within Christian communities. In this book, he shares his journey and reveals how Christian nationalism threatens the spiritual lives of American Christians and the church.

Whitehead shows how Christians harm their neighbors when they embrace the idols of power, fear, and violence. He uses two key examples--racism and xenophobia--to demonstrate that these idols violate core Christian beliefs. Through stories, he illuminates expressions of Christianity that confront Christian nationalism and offer a faithful path forward.

American Idolatry encourages further conversation about what Christian nationalism threatens, how to face it, and why it is vitally important to do so. It will help identify Christian nationalism and build a framework that makes sense of the relationship between faith and the current political and cultural context.

Andrew L. Whitehead (PhD, Baylor University) is associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where he codirects the Association of Religion Data Archives at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. He is the coauthor of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, which won the 2021 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Whitehead has written for the Washington Post, NBC News, Time, and Religion News Service and speaks frequently about Christian nationalism.

Connect with Andrew on Twitter or Instagram.

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Gravity Commons Podcast

Andrew Whitehead: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Christian nationalism undermines the gospel and threatens the church

Overcoming fear and misinformation in confronting Christian nationalism

Personal actions in opposition to Christian nationalism

The Problem with Opting Out of Social Issues

Different Forms of Power and Opposing Christian Nationalism

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podcast app

AI-powered
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highlights

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Gravity Commons Podcast

Andrew Whitehead: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Christian nationalism undermines the gospel and threatens the church

Overcoming fear and misinformation in confronting Christian nationalism

Personal actions in opposition to Christian nationalism

The Problem with Opting Out of Social Issues

Different Forms of Power and Opposing Christian Nationalism

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