Respecting Religion Best of: A report, a prayer vigil, and a somber anniversary: Remembering the January 6 attack
As Amanda's sabbatical begins, we are revisiting previous episodes of the podcast. This week marked the 5th anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. In today's episode of Respecting Religion, hear a conversation two years after the attack. Amanda and Holly share their reactions to the report released by the January 6 Select Committee at the end of 2022, including the lack of any mention of Christian nationalism and why that matters. They also discuss the importance of Christian leaders providing an alternative witness in 2023 to the Christian nationalism exhibited during the attack on the Capitol. And, they review how the insurrection still shapes our world and how it – surprisingly – doesn't shape Capitol tours.
This program originally aired on January 12, 2023, in season 4 of Respecting Religion.
SHOW NOTES
This episode was originally broadcast as episode 10 of season 4 in 2023. For another conversation about January 6 and Christian nationalism, check out S3, Ep. 12 from 2022.
Segment 1 (starting at 01:06): The Select Committee Report
We played a clip compiling three individuals' statements during the January 6 hearings claiming the Constitution was divinely inspired: Greg Jacob, Rusty Bowers, and Rep. Liz Cheney. See the video on Amanda's Twitter (now X) account. The comprehensive BJC/Freedom From Religion Foundation report on Christian nationalism and the January 6, 2021 insurrection is available online. Click here to read the letter organized by BJC and Christians from Christian Nationalism to the Select Committee, asking them to investigate how Christian nationalism motivated and intensified the attack. Watch Amanda's testimony about Christian nationalism before a House subcommittee in December 2022 at this link. Amanda and Holly discuss it in more detail in episode 9 of season 10.
Amanda and Holly mentioned this article by Vera Bergengruen for TIME Magazine: Why a Group of Christians Is Fighting the Growing Threat of Christian Nationalism
Additional media coverage on the absence of Christian nationalism from the final report:
- Despite ample evidence, Christian nationalism mostly absent from final Jan. 6 report by Jack Jenkins for Religion News Service
- Christian nationalism conspicuously absent from January 6 report, featuring an interview with Amanda Tyler and MSNBC's Alicia Menendez on the Alex Wagner Tonight program
Segment 2 (starting at 21:01): Contrasting images on the 2nd anniversary of January 6
After this podcast was first released, BJC created a compilation of clips from the 2023 prayer vigil, which you can watch on BJC's YouTube channel.
See BJC's photos of the prayer vigil in this Instagram post. There are also photos still online from Getty Images and Reuters at the vigil.
Watch this short compilation of the two events on January 6, 2023, on the @EndChristianNationalism TikTok.
You can follow the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign on Instagram and TikTok at the handle @EndChristianNationalism.
Segment 3 (starting at 29:29): Scrubbing the insurrection from Capitol tours
Amanda and Holly discussed this story from The Washington Post by Joe Heim: Official U.S. Capitol tour guides told to only mention Jan. 6 if asked
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