Frequently asked questions

There are various definitions and understandings of Christian nationalism. The statement defines it as “a political ideology that seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy.” This handout has more information on how Christian nationalism is measured. You can listen to a conversation about various definitions of the term in this episode of the Respecting Religion podcast (S4, Ep. 18, released in 2023).

Examples of Christian nationalism can range from derogatory and exclusionary comments to issues of life and death. 

People who espouse Christian nationalism often use the idea of Christianity or Christian language to demand conformity and promote policies and behaviors that solidify their power or status against others. 

Christian nationalism suggests that “real” Americans are Christians and that “true” Christians hold a particular set of political beliefs, and so it seeks to privilege a narrow subset of Americans by law and in societal practice. 

A policy or proposal might match up with religious beliefs, and that does not mean it’s necessarily an example of Christian nationalism. For example, robbery is both illegal and against the teachings of Christianity (and many other religions). However, if a policy or proposal is based solely on religious belief and seeks to privilege a certain set of beliefs or a certain type of Christianity in law, it’s a hallmark of Christian nationalism. One example is in the way some states propose public school curriculum with lessons from the Bible under the guise of promoting “religious literacy,” but the lessons tend to focus on Christianity and use Christian texts or Christian interpretations of Jewish texts instead of providing a fair, well-rounded view of religion. You can read more about that specific issue on our page dedicated to our North Texas coalition.

“Christian nation” mythology is often used to marginalize non-Christians in political activity, too. Citizenship is not predicated on our religious belief – you do not have to be a certain religion or any religion at all to belong in the United States. Plus, our country’s separation of the institutions of religion and government does not — and should not — silence religious voices in the public square. People approach voting and public policy from a variety of perspectives, including their religious beliefs and ethics. Often, there are religious viewpoints on multiple sides of a policy debate. A person or politician can be open about their personal faith, but they cannot tell others what to believe religiously or politically.

Christian nationalism in the hands of extremists can lead to acts of violence, such as the shootings at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego, California. At times, these violent acts are perpetuated by those who mix Christian theology with nationalist ideas of exclusion and superiority. Some of the white nationalists who marched through Charlottesville in 2017 wore cross necklaces while chanting “Jews will not replace us.” 

For a conversation evaluating several situations — from flags in church sanctuaries to saying the Constitution is “divinely inspired” — visit our FAQ page or listen to the podcast episode titled “But … is it Christian nationalism?” on the Respecting Religion podcast (episode 21 of season 5).

Religious nationalism is not unique to the United States or to Christianity; it has been a recurrent problem throughout history and it continues to be one around the world today in various countries. Any type of religious nationalism provides a source of authority by giving a leader or government moral support for its policies. Pew Research Center released a report comparing levels around the world in 2025. The expression of religious nationalism we see most in the United States is Christian nationalism, and this campaign focuses on that phenomenon and issue. 

As the statement affirms, “People of all faiths and none have the right and responsibility to engage constructively in the public square.” Separating the institutions of religion and government does not — and should not — silence religious voices in the public square. People approach voting and public policy from a variety of perspectives, including their religious beliefs and ethics. Often, there are religious viewpoints on multiple sides of a policy debate.

This question could be referring to many things. The Constitution is clear that the country wasn’t founded for Christians or to prefer Christians. The U.S. Constitution created a system of government open to people of any faith – Article VI prohibits any religious test for public office. Sometimes when people say the United States is a Christian nation, they are referring to demographics. Most surveys find around 70% of the American population identify with Christianity, so it can be accurate to say that we are a majority-Christian nation. The numbers decrease when surveys go deeper to ask questions about frequency of engaging in Christian practices, such as prayer, Bible study or attending corporate worship services.

“Patriotism” is love of country that is expressed in many ways, such as waving an American flag, volunteering at a food bank, teaching in the public schools, serving in the military, running for public office, or protesting policies with which you disagree. “Nationalism” is an extreme form of patriotism that demands a position of superiority and has little or no room for dissent or disagreement.

The statement says that Christian nationalism “overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation.” The deep, abiding problem of racism in this country is much larger than this project, and yet it is undoubtedly connected to this conversation. We recognize the overlap between Christian nationalism and white supremacy and the fact that not all Christians or signers of this statement will view the connection in the same way.

This effort is not in response to any one event or statement. Christian leaders and others have long discussed the dangers in this political ideology, and this project has developed over time. Launched in July 2019, this project is a place for Christians to call out Christian nationalism and the threat it poses to our faith and to our democracy.

Sometimes the public perception of Christians is far more limited than the experience and diversity of Christians. This online statement provides a more accurate picture of how American Christians view Christian nationalism. It demonstrates common ground across the broad Christian family and can serve as a helpful resource for those combating the ideology of Christian nationalism and engaging in civil dialogue. Anyone who self-identifies as a Christian is invited to sign the statement online.

But, you do not have to identify as a Christian or be a signer of the statement to be part of efforts combating Christian nationalism. We invite you to join our email list to stay connected with us.

We are building broad support for this statement across diverse American Christian life. Help amplify these efforts by sharing your support for this statement with your networks, both online and in real life. Most signers tell us that they signed because they heard about the campaign from a friend.

Here are some next steps you can take:

1.Donate to the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign

2. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at @EndChristianNationalism, and share our posts and videos with your networks.

3. Share the statement with your networks, including on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook

4. Get three individuals to sign

5.Lead discussions about the dangers of Christian nationalism. Here are three resources for small group conversations:

Curriculum: Responding to Christian Nationalism

Discussion Guide: How Racism Undergirds Christian Nationalism

Podcast series: The Dangers of Christian Nationalism

6. Consider hosting a meeting in your community by using our toolkit.

7. Looking for other ways to get involved? Whether it's starting a group in your local community, joining an existing effort, or supporting this work in other ways, we would like to connect. Click here to let us know about your interest!

We first approached this project as an interfaith partnership. After talking with our partners of different religious backgrounds and those of no religious background, we realized that this was work that we, as Christians, need to do first. We are grateful for the support of our non-Christian partners, many of whom have helped us spread the word about the campaign. We invite you to join our email list to stay connected and get alerts about opportunities for involvement.

Another way to support the campaign is with a donation to this work.

A group of Christian organizations came together to discuss what could be done to take a stand against this harmful ideology. Our “Endorsers” page shows some of the leaders of those organizations, along with short statements from them. The website and campaign is organized and managed by BJC, which defends faith freedom for all. You can learn more about the genesis of the campaign in this article and this podcast.

Let us know! Click here to send an email of what should be changed. Please include all necessary details.

Yes, you can click here to make a tax-deductible gift to the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. Your gift will go to BJC, the 501(c)(3) organization that runs the campaign, and your gift will be designated for this work. You can also click here to make a specific gift supporting our organizing work in North Texas. You can also support us through transferring stock or bonds, donating through your donor-advised fund or including this work in your will or trust. If you have questions about donating to Christians Against Christian Nationalism, contact info@christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org.