In a recent article in World magazine, Dr. Albert Mohler opened with a provocative question.
Are you a Christian nationalist?
He proceeded to suggest that for a Christian, holding Christian convictions on abortion, gender, and other issues will allow the secular media to label the believer a Christian Nationalist. If one is fears that label, then the Christian should raise the white flag of surrender. It is surprising that an intellectual such as Mohler would use the logical fallacy of the false dilemma. It is also surprising that he would define a term like Christian Nationalism on its detractor’s terms.
Does Mohler equip his readers with the tools to take the right decision whether or not to adopt the term for themselves?
In order to answer this question, we should look to the words of one of Christian Nationalism’s leading proponents, Stephen Wolfe, author of The Case for Christian Nationalism.
Wolfe defines Christian Nationalism as, “a totality of national action, consisting of civil laws an social customs, conducted by a Christian nation as a Christian nation, in order to procure for itself both earthly and heavenly good in Christ.” Both law and custom in the Christian nation work together to give both types of good for its citizens. The leader of such a Christian nation can be likened to “the image of Christ to his people.”
The Christian nation can compel doctrinal conformity. In one telling quote from his book, Wolfe says, “The question is whether a Christian magistrate, having civil rule over a civil society of Christians, may punish (with civil power) false teachers, heretics, blasphemers, and idolators for their external expression of such things in order to prevent (1) any injury to the souls of the people of God, (2) the subversion of Christian government, Christian culture, or spiritual discipline, or (3) civil disruption or unrest. Modern religious liberty advocates deny this and I affirm it.” We, as believers, reject the teachings of non-Christian cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, or Word-Faith television preachers, but Wolfe would use the power of the state to suppress and punish them (and others).
If these three quotes define the major and practical tenets of Christian Nationalism, and I believe they do, Albert Mohler has not done his job of equipping his readers about the nature of Christian Nationalism.
Mohler does not prefer the term Christian Nationalism but does not fear it.
The term Christian Nationalism and its tenets should be rejected.
Next week, let me suggest three reasons why.
Mark Riser - Apologist 