There has been a recent rise in religious and political leaders who have embraced the ‘Christian Nationalist’ label. In fact, most adults who live in the United States falsely believe that America’s founders intended the country to be a Christian nation, and 45% of adults who live in the United States today believe that it should be a Christian nation. This subsect of Christianity thinks that a civil war is imminent.
Bradley Onishi, a former Evangelical minister, once identified as a Christian nationalist. He began to deconstruct his faith while in the graduate theology program at Oxford. In his book “Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism — and What Comes Next,” he uses a mix of political and personal history to help understand the psyche of the extreme right wing.
How did the religious right eventually become the violent white Christian nationalism movement? What are the foundational components of the worldview that have forced some of these conservative communities to believe a civil war is pending? Can the history of the religious movement show what role Christian nationalism will play in the coming years?
Guest: Bradley Onishi, author of "Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next"
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*This interview was recorded on Monday, January 30