How serendipitous that the Baker Institute held an event entitled “Christian Nationalism and Public Policy in the US” on April 26, 2024, as it allows for a direct contrast to an op-ed published in the Midland Times on April 26, 2024. The op-ed was written by Tim Dunn, someone that has been highlighted in a few different articles through the years. Here are two you should read:
“Tim Dunn is Pushing the Republican Party Into the Arms of God” Texas Monthly - November 18, 2018
“The Billionaire Bully Who Wants to Turn Texas Into a Christian Theocracy” Texas Monthly - February 16, 2024
When you click on Dunn’s smiling face, it will take you to the Midland Times, which is owned by Pipeline Advisors LLC, which received $57k from Defend Texas Liberty PAC, which received millions from, yes, Tim Dunn.
A few excerpts
America was founded on the same type of pluralism reflected by the concept of the Body of Christ.
the American model allows every person his or her God-given free will to believe in Him (or not), pursue their own dreams, and make and bear the consequences of their own choices. Its emphasis on the biblical Rule of Law allows frameworks—federalism, local control, and personal freedom
Two thoughts on the above.
This is all about “America was founded as a Christian nation”
Christian nationalism doesn’t say other religions (or none) can’t and shouldn’t exist (Dunn’s “God-given free will”), but the only people who will have authority or power will be a certain type of Christian. Throughout the piece, Dunn only talks about the portion of the story that is convenient for what he wants.
Dunn’s big point seems to be:
I encourage believers to resist any Christian-Something labels. I proclaim simply that I am a Christian.
Feels as though this is all about the heat turning up and a desire to deflect, all while conflating ideology of Christian nationalism (which is well documented) with Christianity on the whole (which is certainly not reality).
Don’t believe my interpretation? Here is Dunn speaking to Convention of States Action in late 2022.
We are deciding who our king is… We want God as King. We don’t want a king, a human king.
Let’s pivot and watch a few elements from the Baker Institute event. It explains a lot, and touches on Dunn’s gaslighting op-ed. This is key stuff, so please watch the clips. (Full event can be watched here)
What is the difference between Nationalism and Patriotism?
Professor Sam Perry had the answer:
Adding on to the answer above, author Tim Alberta has this to say:
“Christian nationalism is the union of bad history and bad theology. And one is necessary to perpetuate the other.” (Tim Alberta)
So if I’m a Christian and I care about my nation, am I a Christian Nationalist?
Professor Andrew Whitehead with the perfect answer. (hint: No)
We’ve also heard it referred to as “White Christian Nationalism”. Why that designation?
It is not just Christian. It is a certain kind of Christianity that is characterized by whiteness. And not just whiteness. White Evangelical assumptions about what is justice, what is righteousness, what is purity. (Sam Perry)
Is everyone involved in advancing Christian nationalist ideology doing it for the same reasons?
We see an ideology…but also a political strategy being deployed to try to activate that ideology and mobilize it for political victory. And that doesn’t depend on you believing the ideology at all. (Sam Perry)
Is Christian nationalism new?
White Christian Nationalism is a constant in American history, but it ebbs and flows in it’s intensity in response to presence of “the other” (Sam Perry)
There is this uncanny mirror between the rhetoric, political activity, the organizing that was done in the mid to late 1970’s (Tim Alberta)
If we can make them afraid, they will rally to make sure we still keep power (Andrew Whitehead)
How widespread is Christian nationalism?
It isn’t just the loudest voices in the room, but also those that allow those loudest voices to continue to speak unopposed. That matters. (Andrew Whitehead)
You have to categorize or compartmentalize the proud Christian nationalists like a Marjorie Taylor Greene and then the people who are Christian nationalist curious, and there are a lot of those. (Tim Alberta)
What about the claims that Christian nationalism isn’t a real thing, or is just a slur against Christians?
Andrew Whitehead calls it out. (cough Tim Dunn cough)
And Sam Perry nails it. (cough cough Tim Dunn cough cough)
Christian nationalism is a real thing.
Christian nationalism is a threat to our democracy
Christian nationalism intends to seize all levers of power to impose one expression of religion on all Americans
Tim Dunn can claim anything he wants. But we are all paying attention to the reality of what is happening around us and to us. We don’t want to live in the world Tim Dunn and others just like him want to force on our country.
That’s why we must continue to See it. Name it. Fight it.
So thankful to the experts for making sure the light is shined in the dark spaces, helping us all understand what is really happening.
Thank you for a well-researched presentation of White Christian Nationalism. It is terrifying to think we could be living in a Theocracy if Tim Dunn gets his way. Think Iran. Think Taliban.
Thank you!