Strategies for ministers to address Christian nationalism: Moral foundations and sermon tactics

This article focuses on ways ministers can counter Christian nationalism through their ministry and preaching and how ethical, biblical, and theological framing can counter this divisive and dangerous ideology. The author begins by giving an overview of Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Foundations Theory to provide a lens through which to examine the tenets of Christian nationalism and the tactics used to draw in followers. She then defines and describes Christian nationalism, its origins, and its prevalence in US society. After this, she offers a list of signs that a preacher might be tacitly or explicitly supporting Christian nationalism, as well as ways to counter this ideology in sermons and in ministry. The author draws primarily on the work of two scholars, Andrew Whitehead and Pamela Cooper White, who have thought deeply about approaches to this movement and how congregations and clergy can counter this belief system in order to steer the church back to the teachings of Jesus.