This is in sum the question that someone asked me recently. As it happens, I’ve seen quite a few people arguing that there is a link, although they balk at the term far right. I’ve seen a number of articles and read a number of blog posts suggesting that some Christians do see a link and a positive one, they would of course balk at the suggestion that they are far right, arguing that the concern is for cultural reformation through a return to Christian morality, opposition to Islamists and a commitment to freedom.
Anyway, I thought it was worth reflecting further. On this and think about some of the narrative that may be behind the events the other weekend. Here are some taking points to keep us thinking
- Christians tend to follow the wider political trends in general terms
This is because, at least in the UK, there hasn’t historically been a politicisation of faith in the same way that we might see in other contexts. I don’t mean that Christianity isn’t seen as political. There is some nuance to this. There has been a strong pietist trend with an emphasis on more pietistic faith. I wonder how much that view reflects a more English reserve to wearing our politics on our sleaves. At the same time there has been a strong historical interest in public matters. Evangelical Christians have been engaged in all kinds of issues from the abolition of the slave trade to factories acts and setting up schools. In more recent times there has been strong engagement in sexual ethics, beginning and end of life, freedom of speech and creation care. Furthermore, Christians have been proactive on issues such as welcoming and supporting refugees, alleviating poverty and encouraging adoption and fostering. The reality is that some of those issues cross traditional party political divides and Christians don’t always agree on the outworkings of Biblical ethics. The result is that I think it’s best to describe Evangelical Christianity as political but not party or tribal political. The result is that Christians have tended towards to mirror the voting intentions of the wider population. The challenge at the moment is that we are now entering a period of uncertainty about that as we see an apparent political realignment going forward.
- The biggest political winner in recent times has been apathy
Increasingly you could argue that if we counted the votes of those who stayed at home, then they would be the lead party in a General Election! Working class voters on estates are amongst those least likely to vote. I wouldn’t, anecdotally detect much enthusiasm more widely for right wing, alt-right or far right politics and politicians. I appreciate that the organisers of the march were keen to talk about 3 million marchers, however I’m not sure why we would believe them over the professionals who are responsible for policing events and safety. So it is likely that no more than 150000 marched, This is a tiny proportion of the UK public. I’m not convinced, especially when you observe some of the interviews with people on the march or check out the CVs of those pronouncing as Christian marchers (university, Eton, etc) that we were seeing a mass uprising of council estate working class or Christians.
One of the reasons why we see such rapid turnaround between political parties in northern towns and cities is that lack of political enthusiasm. None of our political leaders are what would have been considered popular in the past. Voters may have lent their ballot to Boris Johnson to get Brexit done but the Conservatives were fooled if they thought they had achieved a great realignment. So, votes lent to Tories may now be lent to Reform and who knows after. And a lot of that reflects the failure of Labour to find ways to appeal to them. Corbynite socialism with its free WIFI and cancelled student fees was after all aimed at the middle class of Islington not the working class of Blackpool or Walsall. A lot of Christians are concluding “none of the above” too though not always apathetically, sometimes it is more in the sense of “I don’t have to choose between the lesser of two evils. I can refuse both your poisons.”
- Morality and Freedom
I was interested to see that quite a few of the Christians on the march were involved in street preaching and there has been a connecting together of such people in recent years primarily because of legal matters over free speech. There are Christian organisations that have got involved in representing those people when they get arrested or affected by local measures such as the recent PSPOs in Birmingham. They are fired up about moral issues, these are things that are likely to bring conflict with the authorities. And there is a suspicion that they are treated differently to other faiths. In our own city centre we have seen an increasingly brash confidence from Islamic stalls and there is a nervousness about Islamist tendencies. The Unite the Kingdom march certainly made a great effort to lean into those fears and grievances.
- Christian Nationalism
And then of course there is Christian Nationalism. What we seem to be seeing is a coming together of two strands here. There are of course those influenced by US postmillennialist theonomism with a Reformed/Presbyterian edge. Then, especially among the street preachers, there’s a more Pentecostal/Dispensationalist vibe. It’s funny at times to hear people talking both in terms of discipling nations to see a new Christendom whilst also expecting an imminent Tribulation and the rise of anti-Christ.
This particular strand of “Christian Nationalism” though is essentially ethno-cultural nationalism, cultural because it’s associated with a perception that western culture is Christian and ethnic because of a theology that believes God has divided the world up into nations that are closely tied to ethnicity. So, essentially it’s ethno-cultural nationalism with Christ as king.
- Christian trust
There’s a general disposition towards trust and I also think this reflects the influence of Americal forms of conversionism which divides Christ as Saviour from Jesus as Lord. Within that kind of thinking there is a willingness not just to give people like Russell Brand and Tommy Robinson, or even Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt but to enthusiastically put them on the stage as thought leaders and celebrity converts. Major questions about morality and ideology are quickly dismissed as discipleship issues.
Alongside this (and I write as a charismatic), I’ve noticed a heavy reliance of prophecy from the Pentecostal end. The trust thing means that prophecies are untested despite there being major questions about big claims that should be verifiable or not. Then there are other claims of prophecy where people had already reached conclusions through normal means (for example prophetic words about the financial crash made when serious economists were already deeply concerned_.
- The algorithms
It is fascinating to consider that many of the people identified as part of the so called Quiet Revival are Gen Z, white and male. These are likely to be the same people who have watched Andre Tate videos and potentially Jordan Peterson too. This means it is very likely that the algorithms also took them to Charlie Kirk. We might see a double positive influence here. First, whatever you think of Kirk’s politics -and in many ways they weren’t mine- he encouraged reasoned debate. Second, he was busily promoting Christianity and talking about Jesus. We should not be surprised to find some of these young men turning up in church. However, they may well still come along with a lot of the baggage they’ve picked up along the way politically. If they are, then that may also be picked up by the radical right.
My thoughts and conclusions
If you were to ask me “Are you worried about people joining up with Tommy Robinson and the Far Right?” I’d say no. Not that there won’t be any but at this point I don’t expect it to be many. That’s not where my current concerns lie. Rather, they are that if Christian leaders and churches fail to speak up boldly and incisively, not merely condemning violence at marches but challenging the root issue then there are other dangers.
- That we won’t properly disciple these young men and so they will either go through life without a serious aspect of the old person clinging on, or become disillusioned with church and if they don’t become radicalised by the radical/alt/far right, they will slip back into apathy.
- That an unpleasant idol will be allowed to exercise greater influence. We might not fall into line with the far right in our masses but our culture will shift in that direction.
- That many Christians who either have insight to see the danger and falseness of this ideology and/or feel personally threatened and intimidated by it as it gives space for discrimination, intimidation and violence, will feel disconnected from the body, unheard and unloved.
These are the reasons why I am continuing to urge Christian leaders not to miss the opportunity to challenge a false Gospel and proclaim the true one. If we do this, can we trust God to be faithful and we know that even through dark days he is sovereign.
Faithroots 