Not in His Name: What Christian Nationalism Gets Wrong About Christ—And What We Can Do About It
There’s a kind of Christianity moving through American politics right now that bears little resemblance to the teachings of Christ. It is loud, controlling, obsessed with hierarchy and purity. It envisions a nation ruled not by love but by law—biblical law, at least as interpreted by the architects of Project 2025, a sweeping political blueprint that seeks to overhaul the U.S. government in the image of Christian nationalism.
But here’s the thing: this movement uses the name of Jesus while rejecting nearly everything he taught. And the rest of us—believers, seekers, doubters, the spiritually dispossessed—need to say so.
Christ vs. Christian Nationalism: A Tale of Two Gospels
Jesus, as portrayed in the Gospels, was a carpenter’s son born into poverty under imperial rule. He spent his time with outcasts: lepers, tax collectors, women of ill repute. He preached love of enemies, humility, and the dangers of wealth and power. He confronted religious leaders who had become agents of control. He said the Kingdom of God was within us—not something to be imposed from above.
On Palm Sunday, just days before his crucifixion, Jesus entered the temple and famously turned over the tables of the money changers. It wasn’t a moment of random outrage—it was a direct confrontation with a system that had commodified the sacred. According to some interpretations of the controversial Moses Scrolls, he also freed the animals that were being sold for ritual sacrifice. Whether literal or symbolic, this act wasn’t just about corruption—it was about liberation. Jesus disrupted an entire religious economy that profited from fear, exclusion, and violence. He didn’t seek power within the system—he challenged its very foundation. He didn’t build a coalition to take the temple over. He exposed its contradictions and walked away.
By contrast, Christian nationalism and the Christianity of Project 2025 preach:
Obedience over conscience
Hierarchy over humility
Exclusion over embrace
Power over service
Where Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, Christian nationalism installs strongmen. Where Jesus warned against praying on street corners for show, it mandates performative religiosity in schools and government. Where Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” Project 2025 strategizes how to deplatform dissent, roll back rights, and consolidate authority under a “biblical worldview” that curiously resembles theocratic authoritarianism.
This is not Christianity. This is appropriation. It is, as the prophets might say, taking the Lord’s name in vain.
What We Can Do About It—Without Becoming What We Oppose
So how do we respond, without using the same tactics of fear, shame, or coercion?
Here are some nonviolent, truth-based ways to resist this distortion of faith and power:
1.
Speak the Real Gospel
Reclaim the moral authority of Christ’s teachings. Quote him directly. Ask hard questions of those who invoke his name while violating his core message. You don’t have to be a theologian to point out that “love your neighbor” does not mean criminalize the vulnerable. (Scroll down for a few of his key teachings.)
2.
Build Parallel Structures
We don’t need to wait for permission to live differently. Create communities that reflect Christ’s values: mutual care, radical inclusion, shared meals, deep listening. The early church didn’t conquer Rome—they out-loved it. Even if it’s meeting at a coffee shop or brewery once a month, that’s a good start.
3.
Refuse to Hate
It’s tempting to respond to Christian nationalism with equal and opposite rage. But that just feeds the machine. What defuses authoritarianism isn’t counter-authoritarianism—it’s courage, compassion, and clarity. Call out abuse, yes—but without becoming abusive.
4.
Tell Better Stories
Christian nationalists are working with a narrative of fear: the world is broken, and only domination can save it. We need to tell a bigger story—of interdependence, mystery, and grace. A world where freedom isn’t the absence of others, but the presence of love. Stories that encourage us to lean into beauty, and give us hope that love really can conquer all—even if not everyone is on board. Stories that show the geometric progression of love from one small act.
5.
Vote, Organize, and Testify
Challenge Project 2025 on every front: legal, political, cultural, spiritual. Support candidates who believe in actual liberty and justice. Show up at school board meetings. Testify at hearings. And when someone says, “This is what God wants,” don’t be afraid to ask, “Which God?”
Let the Truth Be Enough
Christianity, at its heart, is not a blueprint for empire. It is a path walked in sandals, in the dust, toward the least and the lost. We don’t need to manipulate people into belief or enforce our values by law. We just need to live the truth—and trust that truth, when walked humbly, still has power. You don’t even have to confess belief in Christ to walk that path.
If Christian nationalism is a counterfeit gospel, which I wholeheartedly believe that it is, then our task is to bear quiet, radiant witness to the real thing—not in their image, but in His.
What Jesus Actually Said: A Few Teachings to Remember
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” — Matthew 5:9
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.” — Matthew 23:13
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” — Luke 6:27
“My kingdom is not of this world.” — John 18:36
“The last will be first, and the first will be last.” — Matthew 20:16
“No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money.” — Matthew 6:24
“Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.” — John 8:7
What Jesus Never Said
(But Christian Nationalism Pretends He Did)
“Blessed are the powerful, for they will enforce righteousness.”
“Render unto Caesar unlimited authority, especially if he shares your religion.”
“Silence your enemies, for they are an offense to God.”
“The kingdom of God will come through government policy.”
“You shall know them by their patriotism.”
“A woman’s role is to submit, and her body belongs to the state.”
“Faith is best expressed through legislation.”
“Let the children come unto me—unless they are immigrants.”
“Forgive, unless the person votes differently.”
“Love one another, but only if they’re straight, cisgender, and married.”
Live the Difference
If you’re concerned about the rise of Christian nationalism and the vision of Project 2025, here’s what you can do:
Share this post and speak openly with friends and family about what Jesus actually taught.
Get involved locally—at your church, school board, or city council. Theocracy thrives where people stay silent.
Support organizations that defend religious freedom and democracy, like Faithful America, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, or Vote Common Good.
Practice radical hospitality. Make space for the marginalized. Create circles of safety where no one has to earn their worth.
Refuse coercion—of belief, of behavior, of conscience. Truth doesn’t need force. It needs fidelity.
The Christianity of Christ doesn’t seek to dominate the world—it seeks to transform it through love. Let’s walk in that way. Let’s not let His name be used to build a kingdom He never asked for.