The Roots and Reality of U.S. Christian Nationalism

Is the United States a "Christian nation," a "Judeo-Christian nation," or a "secular nation?" This has been a much-debated question throughout American history. As religious diversity, congregational membership, and racial demographics have shifted, some American Christians have created a reactionary response, which includes violence, as evident at the Capitol Insurrection. Their goal is to "take back" and "restore" America's Christian identity. In this 3-week course, ICJS Protestant Scholar Matt Taylor explored the theological and historical ideas that underpin the American Christian nationalist narrative, examining both the deep roots and the present-day realities of this Christian nationalist identity in the U.S. and consider the threat that it poses to American religious pluralism.