Christian Nationalism Gaining Pace in the US

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The troubling rise of Christian Nationalism is gaining pace in the United States.

Today, 29% of Americans believe that “the federal government should declare the United States a Christian nation,” and propose using traditionally American means, from their own stockpiles of arms to a rigged Supreme Court, to impose a Christian set of values on Americans that are equally informed by culture and faith.

Everyone is invited to join us this Fall as we tackle this important issue.

American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom

Critically acclaimed author and constitutional attorney Andrew L. Seidel looks at some of the key Supreme Court cases over the last decade to show how a hallowed legal protection, freedom of religion, has been turned into a tool to advance privilege and impose conservative Christianity on others. His book of the same title hits shelves in September. This will be one of his first book talks. Seidel, who works at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has been in this fight for more than a decade.

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Christian Nationalism and Gun Violence

Christianity, like all religions, contains multitudes--be it peace or violence. Contemporary Christian nationalism, however, has fully embraced a rhetoric of violence and control, and this ideology has spread to incorporate a sacralization of guns. Advertisements, religious sects, religious imagery--the idea of an AR-15 as a holy weapon--bleed into the championing of gun violence itself as a tool of holy war, from TikTok to sermons. Looking at a handful of contemporary American examples, we will explore the problem of Christian nationalism and gun violence in America.

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Theistnormativity: Developing Language for the Marginalization of Atheists

In the United States, theistic language is regularly incorporated into political discourses and rituals. The national motto "In God We Trust" and the phrase "under God" in the pledge are key examples of this language. Such language encourages the public to view themselves as a theistic collective and nontheists as outsiders with polls regularly showing that people associate belief in God with Americanism. Nontheists are regularly pressured to perform theism and hide their atheistic beliefs and identities. So much so that, for many nontheists, such behavior is considered "normal." This points to the way that theistnormativity is ingrained in U.S. culture. Recognizing and bringing attention to the pervasiveness of theistnormativity and its relationship to the equally prevalent Christonormativity is an important step in helping to explain the atheist experience in the United States and address the growing threat of Christian nationalism.

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Please join us in empowering students who hold secular values to grow and connect with other like-minded students. Together, we prepare these students to be leaders in their communities promoting the separation of religion and government, as well as working towards the creation of policies and laws that are based in reason, compassion, civility, and equity for all.

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