I often call that radicalism “Christianism”: a politicized Christianity determined to assert its right to dominate even if doing so completely obscures the heart of the Gospel and contributes to the very cultural degradation Christians purport to oppose. Perhaps "idolatry" is a better term. When participation in a particular nation’s political structure assumes an importance so consuming that Christianity is rendered indistinguishable from any other strident interest group, the heart of the Gospel has clearly been abandoned in the pursuit of political power.
The tragedy of this idolatry is that the country desperately needs an alternative example. By aggressively politicizing their values, conservative Christians have followed in lockstep with the destructive American trend of politicizing every aspect of life. As a collective witness, they have squandered the opportunity to subvert the dominant political culture where they had the greatest ability to do so. American democracy is straining under the weight of politicization, the lack of anyone willing to reject ressentiment and affirm the dignity of those with whom they disagree. But there goes the church, behaving just like everyone else -- as usual.
To return to a balanced patriotism, Christians will have to pursue a public square outside of politics altogether, where they might find real human beings much less intimidating than the shadowy forces they imagine they oppose. If they were willing to listen, others might be willing to listen to them. Those weary of the dehumanizing din of political warfare might be able to hear what the Gospel is truly about. Maybe then Christians could play a role in making America a more decent place.
David Sessions is the founding editor of patrolmag.com.
For more articles like this, see Patheos’ Evangelical Portal, and its feature examining American Evangelicalism and National Idolatry.
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