Introduction
The challenge with these things is naming, which includes actual definitions, plus connotations and denotations. If Christian Nationalism is the QAnon Shaman from January 6th, then no thanks, deal me out. But if Christian Nationalism is simply the idea that among our tasks as Christians is to disciple our nation, teaching it to obey everything that Jesus has commanded – what all Christians everywhere believed until about 15 minutes ago, then every Bible-believing Christian is a Christian Nationalist.
But we need to recognize that our enemies are constantly trying to get us to slip and fall: either by backing into something that is unbiblical or else by backing away from obedience because of our fear of being associated with zealots that wear buffalo hats. So our task is to be obedient and faithful in both directions. We must not back into disobedience, and we must not back away from obedience, even if Simon the Zealot joins our church, and he has two gigantic Trump flags flying off the back of his F-350.
Scottish Presbyterian John Buchan who served as a member of parliament for the Scottish universities and later as the Governor General of Canada wrote in the 1920s: “I believe as firmly as ever that a sane nationalism is necessary for all true peace and prosperity, but I am equally clear that an artificial nationalism which manifests itself in barren separatism and the manufacture of artificial difference makes for neither peace nor prosperity.” This establishes both the credibility of a “sane nationalism,” which we assume would necessarily be very Christian, as well as the possibility of an artificial nationalism that is utterly barren and belligerent.
Bible-believing Christians are behind the eight-ball, and we have our work cut out for us in this land. We are not likely to be in significant positions of power nationally any time soon, although we may have opportunities locally to work for the peace and prosperity of our local cities and counties (and perhaps some states). The first and primary question when it comes to this topic is simply whether Jesus is Lord of the public square. Does He in fact have all authority in Heaven and on earth? If so, that should be publicly affirmed in the public square, and it must not be an empty affirmation. It must mean that whatever Jesus says, we will do. This is nothing less than the Great Commission. To explain away this clear commission as only applying to individuals is simply disobedience. And regardless, what happens when the individual you’re discipling becomes a senator or president?
A Chastened Kuyperianism
Jesus says in the Great Commission that our task in addition to preaching and baptizing is teach every convert to obey everything He has commanded. I want to argue that this means that we must embrace what I would call a “chastened Kuyperianism.” Abraham Kuyper Dutch Reformed theologian and statesman of the 19th century famously asserted that there is not one square inch in all of creation over which the Lord Jesus does not cry, “Mine!”
The problem is that some of Kuyper’s descendants (and maybe Kuyper himself to some extent) seem to have had a far too optimistic view of human nature and not enough of a biblical-cynicism (or theonomic backbone) to keep human hubris chained to the rock of God’s Word. Remember, the house that is built on the rock is built by the man who hears the Word of God and obeys; the house built on the sand is built by the man who hears the Word of God and does not obey (Mt. 7:24-29). These houses equally apply to nations, churches, and families.
What Kuyper helpfully pushed forward is the notion of division of powers and sphere sovereignty. The founders of our nation had already established this in our civil government, and this was because they already had a strong notion of the other spheres (family and church). Since Jesus is Lord, all other human authority is derived and delegated power – all power is from the Lord Jesus. And therefore, the particular assignments Jesus gives are essential to obeying Him. Only Jesus has absolute authority. All other authority and power is limited by Him.
While we grant that there will be matters that fall on the line between jurisdictions, or where there are legitimately overlapping responsibilities, the Lordship of Jesus begins with centering our assignments in the clear instructions given by the Word of God. The explicit commands given to the three main governments are as follows: the church is tasked with the government of worship through the Word and Sacraments (Mt. 28:16-20); the civil magistrate is assigned the ministry of criminal justice through punishment of crimes (Rom. 13:1-5); and the family is assigned the ministry of health care decisions, mercy ministry, and education (Dt. 6, Eph. 5-6, 1 Tim. 5). This is a “chastened” Kuyperianism both because it insists on beginning with the explicit commands of Jesus and because it acknowledges that this cannot account for every need of human society and some matters will need to be figured out by “the light of nature and Christian prudence” as the Westminster confession says regarding worship.
Theonomic Federalism
Theonomy simply means government by God’s law. Although some caricatures imagine that this must mean copying and pasting Deuteronomy into the local municipal code, everyone who favors some form of theonomy recognizes that the particular laws of the Old Testament code were applied to a particular culture and nation and must therefore be applied as principles or what the Westminster Confession calls the “general equity.”
On the one hand, many theonomic types are more like engineers than pastors, seeming to imagine that if we only get the right laws, utopia will break out, while many among the current Christian Nationalist types seem to be too much like modern politicians than pastors. And the reason why I press the contrast between these and “pastors” is because it is the God-given task of pastors to disciple the nations by teaching them the whole Word of God for all of life. Far too many theonomy types are perfectionistic idealists and don’t understand the real life needs and challenges that face communities, but far too many Christian Nationalist types haven’t spent much time studying biblical law in detail to see what it has to teach modern civics. If we take biblical law seriously, we will arrive at something that will sound a lot more libertarian than many modern conservative statists think is possible, but if we take biblical law seriously it will have plenty of covenantal poison pills for true-blue libertarians who are often just as perfectionistic and idealistic in their own ways. So the church must return to teaching, preaching, and declaring the whole counsel of God (Genesis-Revelation): All of Christ for all of life. No problem passages. No apologies. Obedience to all of the commands of Christ, with the full authority of Christ.
Conclusion: Self-Government & Self-Control
Often, the missing element in all our theorizing and theologizing is the foundation of all the governments: self-government or self-control. Part of what often paralyzes Christians with fear and despair is the feeling that nothing can be done. What can ordinary people with ordinary jobs and ordinary families do? But the answer is here: Obey your King. Is He the King of America? Is He King of the World? Than trust Him. Believe Him. Begin with you. Confess your sins to God and anyone you have wronged. Is Jesus Lord or not? Do you want your leaders to change? Do you want them to repent? Then show them how. Walk in repentance.
The joy of the Lord is your strength. And the joy of the Lord flows principally from forgiven hearts and walking in the Light. But you cannot have the joy of the Lord and walk in the light with a backlog of sin and guilt (Ps. 32, 1 Jn. 1). When you are walking in sin, you are walking in the dark, and you can’t see clearly. You can’t see yourself, you can’t see the people around you, and you can’t see our world clearly. Jesus says you have a California Redwood lodged in your eye, and you’re swinging your chainsaw around at other people. First remove your own log. Confess your own sin. And this includes your bad attitudes about other peoples’ sin. If you’re fussing and fuming and angry; you can’t see clearly. Whether it’s your children or your spouse.
Then in that joyful clarity, teach others the way (Ps. 51), beginning with those closest to you, in your family and church and business. And when God blesses those endeavors with growing joy and fellowship and productivity, and you get accused of being “Christian Nationalists” then just grin and shrug. If that’s “Christian Nationalism” then let’s have some more.
Photo by Samuel Schroth on Unsplash
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