From “American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays The Gospel and Threatens The Church” by Andrew L. Whitehead
White Christian nationalism writes a “deep story” in which “we” deserve power and “they” do not. Deep stories are powerful because they give people ready-made narratives rooted in culture that provide organization and structure to the world around them. They are effectively the lenses through which we see and interpret our social worlds. The deep story of white Christian nationalism defines who is a “good” American and a “good” Christian. It clearly identifies the enemies and the threats to our country. It provides a specific interpretation of US history, including how the nation should understand itself today. It also imagines the ideal future for the United States and a blueprint for how to achieve those ends.
White Christian nationalism creates a world that works to the advantage of one group while marginalizing others. It legitimizes and even sanctifies the advantages of the in-group, providing them with a divine explanation for their advantage. This is an effective (and sinister) move, as it eliminates accountability for how those advantages create hardships for others and removes any responsibility for repairing what is broken. Those with privilege can merely chalk up their wins to God’s favor and their losses to attacks from evil in their midst.
To ensure that their vision of the world comes to fruition, those who embrace the deep story of white Christian nationalism must have more political, social, and cultural power than their perceived enemies. They view power in the hands of the “right people” – which most often means white, natural-born, politically and religiously conservative Christians – as inherently righteous. And here is a crucial point: the idol of power in Christian nationalism is a power employed for selfish reasons to benefit the in-group.