Christianity and Politics in the American Founding
Mark's new book, Who’s Afraid of Christian Nationalism?: Why Christian Nationalism is Not an Existential Threat to America or the Church, shows definitively that American Christian nationalism does not, as its critics claim, pose “an existential threat to American democracy and the Christian church in the United States.” As well, it critiques the handful of Americans who advocate for Christian nationalism. The book shines light on a debate characterized by unfounded claims, rhetorical excesses, and fear-mongering.
Available April 2024 • Fidelis Books
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT Who's Afraid of Christian Nationalism?
Marvin Olasky
Former Editor-in-Chief, World
Chairman, Zenger House
Is the sky falling? Fear of Donald Trump increased the revenues of big media companies in 2016, and fear of “Christian nationalism” in 2024 is helping the sale of books screaming about it. Mark David Hall’s remarkably even-tempered, even-handed analysis examines the hype from both sides. He shows us where we should be concerned and where we should just sadly smile, in the realization that God still holds up the sky.
Hall’s writing is succinct and often witty. He notes that “Don Quixote mistakenly attacked windmills that he believed were evil giants, but that does not mean that evil giants don’t exist.” He writes that Paul, Augustine, and Martin Luther might object to “Trump’s post-presidential claim that ‘nobody has done more for Christianity or for evangelicals or for religion itself than I have,' but of course they wouldn’t, as those men at least attempted to practice the Christian virtue of humility.”
Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D.
President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center
For almost two decades now any Christian who stepped into the public square to advocate for laws and policies that upheld human dignity, justice, and the common good was accused of being a "Christian Nationalist." As Mark David Hall carefully documents in this new book the shrill warnings of a looming "Christian Nationalist" takeover are much overblown—the result of liberal political advocacy, not thoughtful scholarship. Now a small handful of Christians have embraced the label, and Hall points out that we can keep the best of Christian political engagement without embracing religious coercion or established churches. Who's Afraid of Christian Nationalism is a sober and serious response to overblown views at both extremes.
Eric Patterson, Ph.D.
President, Religious Freedom Institute
Mark Hall provides thoughtful people with compelling evidence that much of the hype about so-called 'Christian nationalism' began with attacks by progressive academics on faithful Christians, labeling them as neo-fascists for their Christian worldview. Hall also shows how, in recent years, a number of debates have broken out on the margins of Christianity about the role of religion, government, and the moral underpinnings of society. Hall helps us distinguish those patriotic Christians who understand the right relationship between their faith and the role they have to play in civic life as distinct from a tiny minority who seem to advocate for a new model of political Christendom. Highly recommended.
Eric Gregory, Ph.D.
Princeton University
Discussions of “Christian nationalism” often generate more heat than light. Mark David Hall, a respected conservative evangelical scholar of religion and politics, here provides a provocative yet reasoned critique of both its defenders and critics. An important intervention that takes history and theology seriously, it is recommended for anyone interested in the complicated role of Christianity in American public life.
