One of the arguments for Christian Nationalism is that it is simply historic Christianity as accepted and continued by the Reformation. It is certainly true that for most of history,, Christianity has been afforded a special place in western culture referring to Europe and North America both through Catholic and Protestant influence. We also see that influence through eastern orthodoxy into Greece, Russian and the Coptic communities of Egypt. Where Christianity has been taken to other contexts such as Africa and South America, that has also been the case too.
However, it is not correct to say that this has always been the case or that it has gone uncontested. Prior to Constantine’s conversion, Christians found themselves to be a persecuted and scattered minority. Even following his conversion, it was not always the case that orthodox Christianity was the dominant influence. In particular, there were significant struggles over what it meant to believe in the Triune God. Those like Athanasius who held to an orthodox Biblical Christology and understanding of the Trinity found that they were up against Arian beliefs that were backed by the civic authority of the Empire and so were frequently subject to persecution and exile. It took several ecumenical counsels to establish orthodox unity, Even then, schism followed as the eastern and western traditions divided, each seeking to enforce their view of orthodoxy within their sphere.
By the time of the Reformation, kings and rulers were both subject to the Pope in the West and there to enforce papal decree. Early dissidents such as Wycliffe who sought to translate the Bible into English faced persecution as did many of the reformers including Luther who was imprisoned. In England, many who joined the reformation movement were imprisoned and burnt at the stake.
Yet, rather than seeing the dangers in this mixing of church and politics, the leaders of the reformation in Europe and England used power when they achieved dominance to oppress both Catholics and protestant dissidents. In his short but compelling book, “Everyman’s , Conscience, Ryan Burton King describes the beginnings of the Baptists as a movement beginning with the anabaptists who separated from Zwingli in Zurich. He particularly highlights Felix Manz, Conrad Grebel and George Blaurock who objected to Zwingli allowing the civic authorities responsibility over church practice. The mainstream reformation became known as the Magisterial Reformation due to the willingness of its leaders to rely on the civic authorities, the magistrate to enforce church discipline and doctrine. Manz, Grebel and Blaurock became convinced of
“the institutional separation of church and state and a church membership comprised of believers at an age of understanding, baptised after profession of faith in Christ.”[1]
This position led to their persecution. The idea of being rebaptised (anabaptism) was considered to be heretical and dangerous. The new protestant and reformed churches used their relationship to the magistrates to enforce discipline and conformity through imprisonment and even the death penalty.
“Grebel died in 1526 after imprisonment. Manz was drowned in 1527…Blaurock was burned in 1529.”[2]
If dissenter Christians fared badly under both the Catholic and the Protestant magisterium so did those from other faiths. The programs against Jews both on the mainland and in England during the medieval period are well documented. Often Jews were excluded from professions and driven to the margins hence you will find historic synagogues built on the outskirts of towns close to the site of former leper colonies. This was a violent period of time most graphically represented by the siege of Jews who sought refuge in Clifford’s Tower, York in 1190. Rather than face the expected torture and slow death offered by their assailants, those in the tower chose instead to set fire to the place, burning to death inside. One hundred years later, in 1290, a royal edict by Edward I excluded all Jews from England.
Muslims also faced distrust, prejudice and conflict across Europe reflecting the great clash of civilisation with the Caliphate reaching as far as Spain. King observes that the “Turks” or “Moors” fared a little better in Elizabethan England as the Queen was dependent on whatever allies and trade routes she could established as protestant England became isolated from continental and Catholic Europe. However, even in England there was still opposition and distrust. King writes:
Of course, England was not without its prejudices. Doubtless there were Muslims who fell afoul of Elizabeth I’s anxieties about the growing black population. In an open letter to the Lord Mayor of London, Elizabeth explained in 1596 that ‘there are of late blackmoores brought into this realm, of which kinde of people there are already here to manae.’ A week later she expressed her ‘good pleasure to have those kinde of people sent out of the lande”[3]
Many from a Reformed perspective will look back to the Dutch Reformed Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) as influential both in the idea of Christian influence in the public sphere and specifically the ideal of a reformed, confessional state. It was Kuyper who famously said:
There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all does not cry ‘Mine’.”
Whilst one consequence of Kuyper’s legacy was the 20th Century dominance of Christian Democrat parties in much of Europe including The Netherland’s, Germany and Italy, there was a darker side to his legacy too. In South Africa, the Dutch Reformed influence on apartheid cannot be ignored. Indeed, a later Prime minister and at the time, politician within the National Party, Bj Vorster stated in 1942:
“We stand for Christian Nationalism which is an ally of Nationalism 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.£
This appears to be the origins of the term “Christian Nationalism”. It was later to be used pejoratively in the early years of the 21st Century before being picked up more positively by Stephen Wolfe in his book “In Defence of Christian Nationalism.”
All of this matters because first of all, Christian Nationalists are right to argue that their movement is not completely novel and has precedent within the church. However, this requires two further observations. First that the Reformers and the Dutch Reformed of Kuyper’s time would not have recognised the current association with political nationalism on the far right that is in vogue as reflecting their understanding that Christ is Lord over everything.
Secondly, they cannot have their cake and eat it so to speak. They must also account for the failings of the Christian confessional state and engage with the critics of that time, notably the Baptist dissenters who experienced severe persecution at the hands of Christian nations for the sake of freedom of conscience.
[1] King, Everyman’s conscience, 9.
[2] King, Everyman’s conscience,10.
[3] King, Every man’s conscience, 18.
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