Where and when was the term Christian Nationalism first coined? Well, some of the ideas, underpinning theology and ideology seem to have been around for a long time with or without the term. Indeed, it is worth observing that there are both people who are happy to overtly identify as Christian Nationalists, there are others who align with the ideology and key people but for various reasons refuse the label.
However, it seems that the term made its debut proper in South Africa back in the 1940s. South African, or rather, Afrikaans culture was shaped by the Dutch Reformed church and movement. One of the key figures in South African politics, in shaping Apartheid and in the hegemony of the National Party prior to the end of Apartheid was BJ Vorster. He was Prime Minister from 1966-1978 and then President from 1978-79. In 1942, he stated:
“We stand for Christian Nationalism which is an ally of National Socialism. You can call this anti-democratic principle dictatorship if you wish. In Italy, it is called Fascism; in Germany, National Socialism and in South Africa, Christian Nationalism.”
To be explicitly clear, Vorster saw Christian Nationalism as the South African contextualised version of Fascism and National Socialism (The Nazi Party), with all that those vile, evil and demonic ideologies entailed.
Now, it is important to recognise that this neither means that all those who are happy to call themselves Christian Nationalists now are therefore Nazis or Fascists or even that the ideology as it has developed is the same as those things. You have to look carefully at the detail of what is being said and done.
However, this gives us some sense of the roots of a term. I personally would want to have very, very good reason for opting for a term with such a history. Indeed, even with good reasons available, I’d still stay clear from something with such connotations and indeed associations with apartheid too.
Faithroots 