In case you were wondering, Lutherans (of the ELCA variety) are crystal clear. Christian Nationalism is a “distortion of the Christian Faith.” It is an “unhealthy expression of patriotism.” It is not the way of Jesus. Don’t be confused by what you are hearing.

At our churchwide assembly in Phoenix this summer, we adopted a social statement on Civic Life & Faith. Article 38 states:

“At the time of this writing, there is a peculiar form of unhealthy patriotism gaining traction in the United States—Christian nationalism. Christian nationalist belief seeks to fuse selected Christian ideas about what should be the national way of life with a comprehensive cultural framework. That framework incorporates highly selective narratives, practices, symbols, and value systems. For example: “In a Christian nation, social power is placed in the service of the Christian religion.” Christian nationalism explicitly seeks to implement such a legislative framework. Yet, this “turns God into a mascot for the state.

​​”In hardline strains of Christian nationalism, only white, U.S.-born, Christian believers are considered genuine U.S. citizens. This privileging of white, U.S.-born Christians is connected to our country’s violent practices of white supremacy, such as Jim Crow laws or the hundreds of years of Black African slavery.

“Such belief in an intrinsic moral and intellectual superiority of white European Christian civilization has been used to justify as natural and right that white Christians, especially males, should be in power. Such views about race, ethnicity, sex, social/economic class, and religion deny that one’s birth in the nation or one’s great contributions and service to the country are enough for a resident to be considered a “true American.” It distorts who is considered to be a true citizen of the nation.

“A comparison of any strain of religious nationalism, including Christian nationalism, with the actual teachings of Jesus and of the Holy Scriptures reveals that these values are not Christlike. Christian nationalism, in particular, perverts the Christian message by cherry-picking texts that interpret the Scriptures in ways that connect religion to domination. Christian nationalism fuses an imagined conception of a Christian nation with a false vision of God’s ultimate will. It confuses the kingdom of God with a particular government. Jesus rejects identification of earthly structures with God’s kingdom or will: “My kingdom does not belong to this world” (John 18:36). Lutherans teach that the kingdom of God is not a nation, not a particular culture, not a racial grouping, not a form of government, and not even a denomination or a religion (Article xx).

“For theological reasons, the ELCA repudiates Christian nationalism as a distortion of the Christian faith that crosses the line into idolatry. This church also realizes that Christian nationalism contradicts the U.S. motto, e pluribus unum (out of many, one). It effectively substitutes “we the (self-declared) true American-Christians” for “we the people.” It is an unhealthy form of patriotism that harms this country, divides it, and especially endangers the well-being of vulnerable members of our society.”