A Time to Keep, A Time to Throw Away: Preaching and White Christian Nationalism

As white Christian nationalism takes center stage in American politics and the second Trump administration, preachers and church leaders find themselves disoriented and concerned about what this means for the church and the nation. Through sociological, historical, theological, and homiletical perspectives on white Christian nationalism and its antecedents in U.S. history and culture, this article offers a starting point for interpreting the present moment of uncertainty and volatility. The article considers related themes such as American exceptionalism, the American rhetorical “jeremiad,” and civil religion that reflect cultural and social myths that can hamper prophetic and authentic preaching and even Christian discipleship, and suggests what preachers might “keep” and “throw-away” in their preaching and leadership.