When I studied terrorism in South Asia, I ran across a lot of literature on "de-radicalization." One thing I recall is that de-rad program were most successful when they were locally driven and involved religious leaders. In other words....
https://twitter.com/dandarling/status/1347923778811080705
Imams who didn't believe in terrorism were the best at teaching young men to not be terrorists. They taught a version of Islam that did not lead to violence. These programs worked better than government-run programs or attempts at "modernization" whatever that is. That means....
Applying that insight to today: Christian pastors have a special responsibility and burden. They have a unique role in "de-radicalizing" the people in their pews. They need to teach the difference between Christianity and Christian nationalism.
This will go against the grain for many pastors who prefer to avoid politics from the pulpit. With respect, you don't have that choice. If you avoid it, you tacitly communicate that the Bible has nothing to say about your congregants' political activities, no matter what they are
That sort of quietism is false--which you know because you never adopt quietism when it comes to abortion or religious liberty. Those are just causes that require Christian engagement. So too is the fight against the idolatry of politics.
If you are a Christian pastor or institutional leader wondering what this looks like or how to do it, please reach out. DM me. I'd love to start that conversation and point you in the direction of some good resources. You have an important role to play right now.
As a starter, I'll repost this report on "Faith and Healthy Democracy" I helped with over a year ago. It doesn't directly address Christian nationalism, but it does help map the political terrain. Pgs 53 and following have a few sparse recommendations:
erlc.com/wp-content/upl…
erlc.com/wp-content/upl…
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