The rise of Christian nationalism in America presents one of the most urgent spiritual crises facing the Catholic Church today. Yet many Catholics—including some bishops and priests—have embraced this ideology without recognizing its fundamental incompatibility with the Gospel message.
The Temptation of Power
When Satan offered Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world" in exchange for worship, Christ's response was unequivocal: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve" (Matthew 4:5-8). This temptation scene reveals the eternal danger of conflating divine authority with earthly power—the very foundation of Christian nationalism.
Today's "White" Christian nationalism has found a comfortable home in the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, where some Catholic laypeople and clergy have traded the universal message of Christ for the promise of political influence. This represents a profound betrayal of Catholic teaching and the Gospel itself.
What the Early Church Teaches Us
The New Testament and early Christian communities offer clear guidance on this issue:
Universality over exclusivity: The New Testament broke down barriers between Jew and Gentile, declaring "there is neither Greek nor Jew" in God's kingdom
Service over dominance: Jesus washed his disciples' feet and called them to serve, not rule
Love of neighbor: The Gospel command extends to all people, regardless of nationality or race
Prophetic witness: Early Christians critiqued empire and power, rather than seeking to control it
The early Church's radical inclusivity stands in stark contrast to the exclusionary vision of Christian nationalism.
Catholic Social Teaching vs. Christian Nationalism
Using Cardinal Joseph Cardijn's See-Judge-Act method, we must examine this crisis clearly:
SEE: The Current Reality
Christian nationalism has infiltrated Catholic spaces despite being fundamentally opposed to Catholic Social Teaching. Many Catholics lack understanding of their own Church's social doctrine, leaving them vulnerable to political ideologies wrapped in religious language.
JUDGE: The Incompatibility
Christian nationalism fails basic Catholic principles:
It prioritizes national identity over human dignity
It excludes rather than welcomes the stranger
It seeks political dominance rather than Gospel witness
It promotes fear and division instead of love and unity
ACT: The Catholic Response
Catholics must:
Reclaim authentic Catholic Social Teaching
Resist the temptation of political power over Gospel fidelity
Build bridges across cultures and religions
Prophetically challenge unjust systems
The Danger of Religious Nationalism
Christian nationalism is "Christianity as the fox in sheep's clothing"—it uses religious language to pursue fundamentally secular goals of power and control. This ideology:
Transforms faith into a tool for political dominance
Creates an idol of the nation that competes with the worship of God
Justifies exclusion and discrimination against religious minorities
Undermines the Church's mission as a universal body
When taken to its extreme, it has been linked to violence and the rejection of pluralism—outcomes that should horrify any genuine follower of Christ.
A Call to Authentic Discipleship
The choice before Catholics is clear: Will we follow Christ's example of sacrificial love and radical inclusion, living the gospel message or will we bow before the idol of Christian nationalism? Worshipping the empire over the kingdom of heaven?
As Andrew Whitehead demonstrates in "American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church," this ideology represents a fundamental betrayal of Christian faith. It offers the kingdoms of this world in exchange for abandoning the Kingdom of God.
The Catholic Church must be a bridge between cultures and religions, not a fortress defending one nation's supposed Christian identity. Our calling is to proclaim the Gospel to all countries—not to make one nation a gospel unto itself.
Conclusion
Christian nationalism is idolatry, pure and simple. It places the nation above God, power above service, and exclusion above love. Catholics who embrace this ideology have forgotten that our citizenship is in heaven, not in any earthly kingdom.
The path forward requires courage: the courage to reject false promises of political power, to embrace the Church's universal mission, and to follow Christ even when it conflicts with nationalist loyalties.
We must choose whom we will serve. As Catholics, that choice should never be in doubt.