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1/ @MichaelRWear and @PaulDMiller2 ask: "What's the difference between White Christian Nationalism and American Civil Religion.
I have a few thoughts about that...
Caveat: wonky.
I have a few thoughts about that...
Caveat: wonky.
2/ Identifying characteristics of contemporary White Christian Nationalism (WCN) uses a language of:
a) Blood
b) Apocalypse
c) Messianism
d) Persecution
a) Blood
b) Apocalypse
c) Messianism
d) Persecution
3/ American Civil Religion (ACR), by contrast, emphasizes
a) Democracy
b) Freedom
c) Justice
d) Inclusion.
a) Democracy
b) Freedom
c) Justice
d) Inclusion.
4/ WCN draws on two Biblical sources:
a) Stories of conquest, warfare and sacrifice in the the OT.
b) Prophecies of apocalypse, esp. in "Revelation."
a) Stories of conquest, warfare and sacrifice in the the OT.
b) Prophecies of apocalypse, esp. in "Revelation."
5/ ACR draws on:
a) Stories of slavery, liberation and covenant in the OT.
b) Theories of revolution, republicanism and citizenship in political philosophy.
a) Stories of slavery, liberation and covenant in the OT.
b) Theories of revolution, republicanism and citizenship in political philosophy.
6/Important thinkers in ACR tradition include Winthrop and Williams, Lincoln and Douglass, DuBois and Niebuhr, King and Heschel.
Important exponents of WCN tradition include: Mather, Calhoun, Dixon, Wallace.
Important exponents of WCN tradition include: Mather, Calhoun, Dixon, Wallace.
7/ ACR spans the left/right divide. I lay out the left version here. https://www.amazon.com/American-Covenant-History-Religion-Puritans-dp-0691191670/dp/0691191670/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1610626327
8/ @PaulDMiller2 is developing a right version in his forthcoming book.
