In our current political climate, patriotism is often treated with spiritual and secular suspicion. Especially as we mark America’s 250th birthday, is waving a flag or celebrating America’s rich spiritual heritage “political idolatry” or “Christian nationalism”? The short answer: no. Patriotism can and should be an expression of rightly ordered love and commitment to the place where God has placed us (Jer. 29). In this episode, Dan Darling joins me to discuss his timely book A Defense of Christian Patriotism and explain why love of country (i.e., place) is essential for the Christian. We discuss America’s founding principles, the necessity of telling the full story of America including here failures and triumphs, the importance of Christian civic engagement, and practical ways we can impact America’s future from our own back yards.

Daniel Darling is an author, pastor and thought leader. He currently serves as the Director of The Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Assistant Professor of Faith and Culture at Texas Baptist College.

Dan has served in a variety of senior executive positions, including eight years as Vice President of Communications at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, where he is now a research fellow. He has also pastored churches in Illinois and Tennessee. He is also a columnist for World and a contributor to USA Today.

Key takeaways/links:

Link to In Defense of Christian Patriotism .

Link to The Land Center for Cultural Engagement.

Connect with Dan Darling on X.

Click Here to Watch on YouTube

The post #411 In Defense of Christian Patriotism with Daniel Darling first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.