Best of: But … is it Christian nationalism?

Is an American flag in a church sanctuary an example of Christian nationalism? What about faith-based advocacy? Helping voters get to the polls? Saying the Constitution is "divinely inspired"? In this conversation from 2024, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman answer some common questions they hear about Christian nationalism, and they talk about the questions we all should be asking ourselves when evaluating the political ideology.

This program originally aired March 21, 2024

SHOW NOTES:

Segment 1 (starting at 01:25): What does it mean to determine the level of Christian nationalism?

This podcast episode won the "Best in Class" award from the Religion Communicators Council in 2025. It was first released as episode 21 of season 5 on March 21, 2024.

Learn more about the Christians Against Christian Nationalism movement and how you can get involved at ChristiansAgainstChristianNationalism.org.

Segment 2 (starting at 09:09): Answering some political questions about Christian nationalism

Amanda mentioned this op-ed by David French in The New York Times: What is Christian Nationalism, Exactly?

Visit this link to access the report on Christian nationalism and the January 6 insurrection from BJC and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Amanda mentioned this article by Steven Monacelli for the Daily Dot: A new social network built on a vision of Christian supremacy in America gains traction with GOP politicians

Hear Amanda and Holly's reaction to President Trump's 2020 appearance at St. John's Church with a Bible in episode 15 of our first season: Protests, the president and the photo op with a Bible

Segment 3 (starting at 29:56): Answering some church-related questions about Christian nationalism

Read about the 2024 survey results from PRRI on the support for Christian nationalism at this link that Amanda mentioned during the podcast. UPDATE for the re-release of this episdoe: PRRI's most recent report on the topic was released in February 2025, which is available at this link.

To learn more about Patriot Churches, read this 2020 article in The Washington Post by Sarah Pulliam Bailey: Seeking power in Jesus' name: Trump sparks a rise of Patriot Churches

Segment 4 (starting at 39:40): History and civics questions about Christian nationalism

Amanda and Holly spoke about some lawmakers sharing the idea that the Constitution is "divinely inspired" in episode 10 of season 4: A report, a prayer vigil, and a somber anniversary: Two years after January 6. It was also re-released as a "best of" episode in January 2026.

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