The Problem With ”Christian Nationalism” with Heath Carter | Episode 282

The term "Christian nationalism" is everywhere — but is it actually helping us understand our political moment, or making things worse? Princeton Theological Seminary professor Heath Carter joins host Dennis to make a provocative case: the term has become so broad and loosely applied that it's lost its usefulness, and may be deepening the very polarization it aims to diagnose.

Carter argues that while genuinely dangerous, illiberal movements exist — think theocrats actively working to undermine pluralistic democracy — the label too often gets applied to any Christian who voted for Trump. That kind of broad brush lets mainline Protestants off the hook for their own role in America's political story, while alienating the very voters the left needs to win back.

The conversation ranges from the forgotten history of progressive Christianity and the Social Gospel, to the Democratic Party's complicated relationship with faith, to why curiosity and genuine engagement may matter more than the right terminology. Carter also reflects on what politicians like James Talarico can teach us about speaking the language of faith without surrendering pluralism.

Shownotes:

Americans Should Stop Using the Term "Christian Nationalism" (Heath's article in The Atlantic

Heath Carter's website

Related Episodes:

Is Christian Nationalism Really A Problem? with Ted Peters | Episode 181

Did Mainline Protestants Birth Christian Nationalism with Beau Underwood | Episode 186

Christian Nationalism or Christian Conservatism with Mark Tooley | Episode 195

 

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