Christian nationalism is gaining ground in the United States
On Sunday, September 21, nearly 100,000 people attended a memorial service for Charlie Kirk, a right-wing Christian political activist who was shot and killed at a Utah university 11 days earlier. The six-hour ceremony, broadcast to more than 90 countries, was marked by tributes to Charlie Kirk and his tireless work as an evangelist and Christian public speaker.
Several members of Donald Trump's administration spoke about their Christian faith and values. Kirk's pastor, Rob McCoy, preached the gospel and eventually invited those who would receive salvation in Jesus Christ to rise. Many did. There was a revival atmosphere at State Farm Stadium in Glendale , Arizona.
What happened next made it clear to me that this was not a revival meeting: Nine soldiers with guns, the American flag, and the banners of the U.S. Army , U.S. Marines, Navy , Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and POW/MIA (Prisoner- Of - War / Missing in Action) entered the stage and made a guard of honor while the national anthem was sung and the Stars-and-Stripes waved both physically and on giant TV screens. The crowd cheered and chanted in unison: USA, USA, USA.
Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, gave a powerful half-hour speech about her love for Charlie and her support for what he stood for. With a tearful voice, she finally said that she forgave the young man who shot Charlie. A powerful moment, and again strong applause from the stands. This was Christian thinking and deeply evangelical. Erika made Jesus' words on the cross her own: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Stephen Miller is the White House deputy chief of staff and is considered the chief ideologue of the MAGA movement. His speech was not marked by Christian forgiveness. He spoke of winning the final victory over the enemies on the left, and that the tears over Charlie's death have now become a flame that burns in our hearts, with a righteous intensity that our enemies do not understand. Again cheers, excited shouts and applause from a responsive audience. The widow and the chief ideologue were both greeted with ovations. Charlie's work has borne fruit. It started small but look around you now, Miller said.
This is Christian nationalism. The good society is created when the citizens are happy in their country and want to live peacefully, under God’s blessing, with people who believe differently than they do. Christian nationalism demands dominance and that all fields, such as education, laws and courts, should reflect Christian principles. It also refers to opponents as enemies who must be defeated.
Martin Luther established the Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms, which divides existence into a spiritual and a secular regiment. Luther believed that the two have different tasks but are God's good arrangements. The church should not rule the state and the state should not rule the church, but both cooperate for the good of man.
Now we have a situation in the US where the far right is mobilizing against the far left. As I write this, it is reported that right-wing activist Laura Loomer wants to silence the left. “I want President Trump to crush the radical left,” she told the Norwegian daily VG during the memorial service in Glendale. The left has for years championed a cancel culture, where all voices that are not politically correct must be silenced.
President Trump himself has long talked about using the Justice Department to prosecute his political enemies. FBI Director Kash Patel included in his book, Government Gangsters from 2023, a list of 60 people, whom he called members of The Deep State, and who he is willing to use the FBI to get at. Attorney General Pamela Bondi believes that Kash Patel is the right person to lead the FBI now.
Evangelicals in the US are frightened by the left 's brutal attack on Christian values in areas such as human dignity and traditional family values. The right speaks their language and promises victory and dominance over hostile forces. A good friend, with a long career as a university professor in the US, estimates in an email to me that 80% of evangelicals in the US now support Trump. They may win over the left, but they lose democracy.
The world order that the United States has stood as guarantor for since 1945 is gone and will not return.
As a Christian socially engaged person, it is therefore important for me to argue for a Christian view of society, where all people have equal value, because we are all created in the image of God. This means that everyone has the right to be heard, regardless of opinions, and where the losing side in elections enters into constructive dialogue with the winners to find the best solutions for our country. In the turbulent times we are now experiencing, we must also find like-minded people internationally. I believe that the European People's Party (EPP), which is now the largest party in the EU Parliament with 26% of the seats, will be important when it comes to ensuring that Christian values in politics do not turn into Christian nationalism in our part of the world.
This op-ed has previously been published in the Norwegian dailies Fædrelandsvennen on September Dagen on October 1st.
