Faithful Politics Christian Nationalism, Race, and the Sins of Our Fathers with Matthew Pridgen
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Feb 24, 2026 
Matthew Pridgen, filmmaker who directed The Sins of Our Fathers, explores how Christianity has been used to justify slavery, segregation, and modern political power. He traces the roots of Christian nationalism, discusses how racial fear shaped political strategy, and reflects on how joining a Black church reshaped his faith and theology.
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How A Tent Revival Sparked The Documentary
- Matthew Pridgen started a mentorship group in Charleston's East Side after running a tent revival and Hot Dog Ministry that exposed him to deeply entrenched poverty.
- He baptized eight local girls and realized the neighborhood's history (settled by enslaved people) and myths about the deserving poor were false, which launched his film project.
Christian Rhetoric Was Used To Theologize Slavery
- Matthew argues that Christianity in America has been used to justify oppression from the Doctrine of Discovery through chattel slavery and Jim Crow.
- He cites theological inventions like the curse of Ham and redemption rhetoric used to claim slavery was God-ordained or evangelizing for captives.
Dehumanization Links Slavery To Modern Politics
- Pridgen traces a continuous thread of othering and dehumanization from slavery through modern politics, showing how racist dog whistles replaced overt racism after the 1960s.
- He links Nixon/Reagan-era coded language (welfare queen, law and order) to Trump-era terms (CRT, woke, Antifa, immigrants) as the same political playbook.