As you’re probably aware, the term “Christian Nationalist” has been getting quite a bit of airtime in the last couple years. However, of the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of articles being written about the deadly threat that Christian Nationalism supposedly poses to the United States, most seem unconcerned about offering a strict definition.
Most of what our progressive thought-leaders seem to define as Christian Nationalism reduces to Christians simply being Christians: evangelizing, not putting their children in pagan government schools, and standing up to the senseless slaughter of millions of babies. As for that last point, let us be quick to recognize that progressives believe that your desire for the survival of unborn American citizens is a threat to our “Democracy.” Regardless, clear definitions of Christian Nationalism remain elusive from the mainstream media that would seek to frighten us with this threat (a threat apparently so pervasive and deadly that it requires constant coverage).
So, Christian Nationalism has again made an appearance in the news, this time on NBC, with something that gets us closer to a definition of whatever it is they’re so afraid of: a Christian Nationalist in the flesh, appearing for an interview—Pastor Douglas Wilson, pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, ID.
You may not have heard of the little town. Moscow is a small town in northern Idaho with a population of around 25,000. It is home to the University of Idaho and is just a few miles away from Washington State University. What little reputation Moscow has is mostly as a college town. And, as college towns tend to be, politically speaking, Moscow has historically been a deep blue dot on a very red map. However, the town’s appearance on NBC showed it to be anything but a bastion of progressivism: the segment sounded the alarm on (or at least attempted to) the town’s incipient Christian Nationalist takeover.
One stated goal of Pastor Wilson’s church, Christ Church, is to “make Moscow a Christian town.” This, of course, has non-Christians and Christians alike nervous about “theocracy” (though the fear, in many cases, is ecclesiocracy, not theocracy simpliciter) or Erastian governmental structures. In reality, Wilson is simply trying to realize the most basic of Christian confessions: Christ is Lord (Rom. 10:9). And so, Wilson, Christ Church, and the Christians in Moscow, have begun to live like that confession is true. Christ is Lord, so His lordship must be realized in every area of life: worship, family life, education, government, business, eating and drinking, and anything else under the sun. In other words, Christ Church has pointed out that the Gospel is a totalizing claim: there is nothing in this world exempted from Christ’s claims of lordship. He is King of kings, Lord of lords; all must bow the knee.
On the ground, this has resulted in an immensely fruitful ministry for Pastor Wilson and his church. Out of Pastor Wilson’s efforts has not only been born a thriving church community but also educational institutions, a Reformed denomination, and a publishing house. Each of these ventures has been fruitful in its own right, reaching countless Christians all around the world.
And this is what the progressives are afraid of. This is what NBC news wants you to be afraid of: Christians acting like serious and faithful Christians—building faithful institutions; seeking to make your town, county, and nation obedient to Christ; and, above all, building a culture that is centered around the right worship of God.
Congratulations—if you think any of those things sound like a good idea, the media says you’re a Christian Nationalist and represent a grave threat to America. Of course, this should produce nothing in us but the deepest joy. What a privilege to be castigated and vilified for holding fast to our Christian confession. And it should inspire you to be even more serious about your “Christian Nationalism”—we’re gaining on them and they’re getting nervous.
No matter how great the woke monster may seem, no matter how impenetrable the walls of American secularism appear, the Gospel truly is a potent weapon, the kind of weapon that makes God-haters tremble and try to dismiss it with a wave of their hand. So, as the old hymn says, “Shout on, pray on, we’re gaining ground! Glory hallelujah!”
