Important thread

There’s a small terminological controversy among people way better informed than I. Here’s why I still use “Christian nationalism.”

Our Current Occupant welcoming the King of England: “Long before Americans had a nation or a constitution, we first had a culture, a character, and a creed. Their veins ran with Anglo-Saxon courage. Their hearts beat with an English faith in standing firm for what is right, good, and true.” 1/2

Just out. Hope it’s helpful! #ChristianNationalism

Before we lose our minds that Tucker Carlson and other right wing personalities are openly criticizing Trump, let’s remember how much they have to gain by doing so. I listened to a good chunk of Tucker’s podcast, the one in which he apologizes for supporting Trump.

A bit extended for an excerpt, but Sutton is making an incredibly important point. American evangelicalism as we know it is a fairly recent development, an organized and funded attempt to protect theological fundamentalism while being less sectarian. 1/3

Palantir put out the most cartoonishly evil statement possible. They’re so arrogant and self-confident they don’t seem to believe their fascistic plans can be opposed. We must get rid of Palantir altogether. twitter-thread.com/t/2045574398...

We’ve been laughing while Trump and Vance have made theological asses out of themselves. Now we know it’s a strategy—and the model is the Nazi German Church. My take—and I don’t see anyone else saying so.

Just enjoyed the deep pleasure and honor of Zooming into a senior seminar at Austin Presbyterian Seminary, led by Professors David Jensen and Donghyun Jeong. Students had read my eschatology book l, and they had absolutely the best questions. Some stumped me. Does not get better than that.

Excited to visit Linfield University this week!

He should fear Jesus more. Not because Jesus is vengeful, but because Jesus confronts us with the truth.

❗️Bloomberg leaked a transcript of a phone call between Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin on October 17, where Orban offered to help Putin. The conversation took place before a planned meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest, which was later canceled.

Context: Hegseth is a member of a CREC church (Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches), a movement led by Doug Wilson. He’s invited Wilson to preach at the Pentagon. Wilson describes himself as just to the right of JEB Stuart politically & says he’d prefer married women not be allowed to vote.

On Good Friday I often turn back to a couple of old pieces. How can a crucifixion be good news? “Through Jesus God has taken the weight of human suffering, even our capacity to inflict enormous pain upon one another, and God has brought these awful realities into the core of God's very own self.”

Honored to appear on @historyuncensored.bsky.social with @biancanobilo.bsky.social and, among others, the far superior Anathea Portier-Young. youtu.be/DgIHsLrQoj4?...

Total loss for the Trump admin on its attack against Anthropic.

Old man yelling at clouds here. We used to talk about “evidence” in our field. Now lots of folks like to use “data.” I get that there’s a rhetorical appeal to data—it sounds sciency at a time when our field is under cultural assault from many directions— 1/2

I’d be grateful if y’all would read and, if you find it helpful, share. Chip on my shoulder. 🙂

Nashville reporter has been all over the story. With investments from ultra-rich tech investors, a group of Christian nationalists is trying to take over a chunk of Tennessee, building their own micro-state regardless of what long-term residents think. He found an election night 2024 podcast…

Trump is no longer behaving like a politician whose survival depends on public opinion. He is behaving like someone who has concluded that public opinion no longer matters. open.substack.com/pub/saltypol...

Look what Heath Carter has done! Although it’s a book review, this piece is super-useful. I do think the headline here is misguided. (Authors don’t control headlines.) 1/3

Helpful summary, with a link to the full report. IMO Christian nationalism remains largely unpopular, but its adherents use organization and funding effectively to leverage things most people don’t want. That’s every level: national, state, and local.

My response to the Jonathan Larsen’s report that military officers preached dispensation premillennialism to the troops prior to our attacks. Yes, it’s disturbing. But no, Pete Hegseth would not have been behind it (as Larson notes). open.substack.com/pub/gregcare...

People get it, y’all. The charade is over. I know it’s just a poll, but these numbers don’t show up in a normal time. Amazing that many would still vote for him, but there’s no love. It’s plain to see. So. What’s he gonna do? That’s a scary question, isn’t it?

Dude loves to fire missiles but has no follow through, ya know? May peace prevail.

Confirmed by Washington Post. Two thoughts. 1 We should consider this a grave threat and act accordingly. 2 It’s also a sign of profound weakness and fear.

Confirmed by Washington Post. Two thoughts. 1 We should consider this a grave threat and act accordingly. 2 It’s also a sign of profound weakness and fear.

School of Theology student Liz Kinsey North and Lancaster alum Jesse North are doing the sacred work!

Hanna Reichel calls attention to the Confessing Church’s Darmstadt Declaration (1947). How does this statement bear upon Christian nationalism? And why not list (together) ways in which that movement echoes the Nazi imagination? I’ll start with three, just to get things rolling. 1/2

Solar exploded across Africa in 2025: apnews.com/article/sola...

Perhaps our biggest threat. It ain’t that guy. Rather, millions of people have given up on truth, value, kindness—the very things we need in order to build a sustainable culture. If we can’t value the neighbors we don’t know personally, or even the ones we do, we face a future of dysfunction. 1/2

Rubio just made a speech to the European defense community in Munich that did not mention Ukraine. Or democracy. Or US business deals with Russia. Or the administration's plans to support the European far right. But there were lots of nice words about our common civilization.

Again, why do we suppose they keep building detention centers?

Every commercial that celebrates community and joy is a small blow for democracy. That’s how we win: one chip at a time.

“Late Friday night, the Fifth Circuit adopted the extreme minority view—that the government can indefinitely detain without bond millions of non-citizens who have been here for generations; who have never committed a crime; and who pose neither a risk of flight nor any threat to public safety.”

The genius of the Musk/Thiel operation is making themselves indispensable while collecting data on everyone. Palantir and xAI take your data, while DOGE has dismantled oversight. Epstein compromised people one by one. These guys are compromising the entire population at once

This is actually the time to call for removal from office. Make the calls!

This sin of empathy BS is just bigotry in search of a theology.

How can we know that Christian nationalism revolves around narrow right wing politics rather than Christianity? Because its adherents differ massively on doctrine, worship, and piety, but they can miraculously line up on new political talking points in a split second.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11) sues his hometown paper (my employer, LNP | LancasterOnline) for defamation, arguing an editorial that described his + other GOPers' arguments last fall that Dems wanted to fund health care for illegal immigrants were a "lie." www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

I think this review says a lot about what we’re up against. There is no vitality, no life, in authoritarianism. Reminds me, frankly, of Revelation’s New Jerusalem, where everything is shiny and bright and hard and cold. You can even see through the gold. (Published an essay about that in 2009.)

Trying out my Substack. How do we recognize Christian nationalism in the assault on Minneapolis and in abuse allegations at a local Christian academy?

A follower shared the legal document earlier this week so I'm really glad that @lancasteronline.bsky.social covered this. They include everything EXCEPT a detail about perpetrator and, of course, the larger context of Dayspring. Let's have a look! 1/

I’m often asked, “What can we do?” The best answer I’ve heard: SOMETHING. As individuals we can’t do it all. So let’s reflect. Discern. I’ve identified things I’m good at and emphasize those. Beyond that, I show up when I can, give as I can, offer comfort as able. Be intentional and find SOMETHING.

We are already helping Ukraine build drones but we are nowhere near the limit. Ukrainian factories can produce more than they do now. They lack the cash. We need to flood them with funding to max out every assembly line

That guy looked and sounded feeble at Davos.