Andrew L. Whitehead > Quotes

“Christian nationalism is, therefore, ultimately about privilege. It co-opts Christian language and iconography in order to cloak particular political or social ends in moral and religious symbolism.”
― Andrew L Whitehead, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

“To my wife, Jill, I’m not sure how I could make it without you. You are stronger, smarter, and generally more capable than I will ever be. I am so grateful you are in my life. Thanks for putting up with yet another book. At least this one’s not about porn!”
― Andrew L Whitehead, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

“Perhaps we should take Jesus’s prayer seriously and participate in the ongoing work of reflecting God’s kingdom—a racially and economically just kingdom—here on earth.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Despite its ostensible association with family values and marriage, its primary concern with these issues is not moral in a personal sense, but political.”
― Andrew L Whitehead, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

“Jesus calls us to be a light, not a wildfire.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Embracing Christian nationalism, therefore, results in a propensity toward consequentialism, where the ends justify the means. Half-truths, shady practices, and authoritarian measures, if in service to realizing a more “Christian” nation, are deemed necessary to ensure the “right” group stays in power.”
― Andrew L Whitehead, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

“We have also seen that while Christian nationalism is most prevalent among white Christians, and specifically white evangelicals, the two are not synonymous and conflating the two is unnecessarily misleading.”
― Andrew L Whitehead, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

“Likewise, the source of Christian nationalism’s influence in the political realm is not “religious” in essence, since personal religiosity often tends to influence Americans to hold more progressive stances on political issues, once Christian nationalism is taken into account.”
― Andrew L Whitehead, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

“Christian nationalism is not interested in a government for the people, by the people,
but rather for a particular people, by a particular people.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“White American Christians can begin to look to and learn from the expressions of Christianity among the marginalized throughout history to find a new way forward, one that does not rely on violence in order to protect power over others and assuage the fear of losing what we consider ours.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“When it comes down to democracy or power, white Christian nationalism will choose power every time.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“What you choose to do today to confront white Christian nationalism—in your own life, in the lives of those around you, or the systems of which we are all a part—matters. We can commit now to consistently making these choices, hoping that the seeds planted, however small, will someday grow and provide shade to the entire garden—where we all can flourish.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“This vision of power is the central idol of white Christian nationalism. This idol tempts us because we believe that only through gaining privileged access to power over others can we ensure our own protection. But is this the way of Christ? What was his relationship to power? I have been asking myself these questions for the past twenty-plus years.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“In my own journey—much of which is reflected in this book—I’ve come to believe that in order to faithfully follow the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, I must work to disentangle Christianity from Christian nationalism. The two cannot coexist. I must serve one or the other.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Our ability to love, serve, and act as salt and light in our communities is not dependent on various symbols of Christianity dominating the civic landscape.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Therefore, groups opposing Trump should realize that dwelling on Trump’s sexual dalliances, corrupt business practices, or even collusion with a foreign power are not useful tools in the project of changing minds.”
― Andrew L Whitehead, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

“Instead of focusing solely on gaining more and more institutional power to overturn Roe v. Wade, for decades Christians could have sought multiple avenues through which all might experience flourishing from conception to birth and then especially after.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“The kingdom of God inverts the power dynamics of the kingdoms of this world. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. He commands us to give to those who ask. He commands us to give our cloak if someone asks for our tunic. He commands us to go two miles with the one who asks us to go one mile.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Fear, hatred, and a lack of empathy toward immigrants and refugees are not faithful representations of the love of God.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Trocmé writes that part of Jesus’s ministry was to liberate humanity from the ravages of sin, enacted sociopolitically, and to expand the way of peace through community with other Christians.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“God taught his people that caring for immigrants is ethical and just. It had the added effect of serving as a reminder that the people of God were once in that same situation.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“To illustrate, let’s return to three political issues that were powerfully associated with Christian nationalism (see Figures 2.3 and 2.5). As Americans show greater agreement with Christian nationalism, they are more likely to view Muslim refugees as terrorist threats, agree that citizens should be made to show respect for America’s traditions, and oppose stricter gun control laws. But as Americans become more religious in terms of attendance, prayer, and Scripture reading, they move in the opposite direction on these issues (see Figure 2.8). These situations are not anomalous. In fact, the crisscrossing pattern we observe here holds true for other political issues.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States

“A consistent pro-life ethic entails supporting (and encouraging our politicians to support) social policies that benefit mothers and children, including the unborn, with medical care and treatment.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“We cannot truly love something if we are unwilling to tell the truth about it.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“One thing, though, is for sure: the track record of Christianity aligning itself with empire in any time and place should unnerve Christians.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Where patriotism can move us to care for our neighbor out of a shared love of our country and all its inhabitants, nationalism demands that we draw sharp boundary lines around who is truly a part of our country and that we take control of our country to ensure that “we” benefit most from all it has to offer, the rights and needs of our neighbors be damned.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“No matter the scale, Christian nationalism provides theological justification for violence toward enemies, making it a righteous act.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Sadly, the influence of white Christian nationalism through the centuries has ensured that in times of social unrest and cultural change, when it seems the ground is shifting beneath us, Christians have consistently idolized fear.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Weyrich confirmed that the Christian Right formed in opposition to a federal government mandate that organizations receiving federal funds must not endorse racially discriminatory policies.6 They wanted to be able legally to segregate their white children from Black children in schools.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church

“Christianity was not about culture-warring or dominating the public square.”
― Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church