This list was created by Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn. This list is not intended to be comprehensive, but to offer a variety of ways for individuals and congregations to deepen our understanding of Christian Nationalism and its dangers and to equip ourselves to resist it.
* marks resources especially recommended!
Getting Started
February 2024 Webinar with Robert P. Jones, Andrew Whitehead, Jemar Tisby, and Katherine Stewart, discussing findings from the Public Religion Research Institute’s 2023 American Values Atlas study
September 2024 article from Time, by Robert P. Jones, “Trump’s Christian Nationalist Vision for America” (excerpt from book referenced below “The Hidden Roots…”)
May 2021 article from TIME, by Andrew Whitehead, explaining the basics in context
September 2022 article from TIME, by Andrew Whitehead, touching on 3 threats of CN
August 2021 article from Medium, by Chris Tackett, providing a simplified summary of the “Christian Nationalism scale” created by Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry
Christian Nationalism 101 by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood, in Word & Way (most of article behind paywall; subscription totally worth it!)
*“White Nation Under God” – Five-session video podcast by Jemar Tisby with guests
Episode 1 – What is White Christian Nationalism
Episode 2 – How WCN Threatens Democracy, with Philip Gorski and Samual Perry
Episode 3 – WCN and the January 6, 2021, Insurrection, with Andrew Seidel
Episode 4 – How Christians Can Resist WCN, with Amanda Tyler
Episode 5 – How I Escaped the Web of WCN, with Chuck Armstrong
Telling Jefferson Lies, a podcast from Professor Warren Throckmorton devoted to debunking the pseudo-history of notorious Christian Nationalist “historian” David Barton (which is used by many WCN government officials).
*October 2023 article from Sojourners, by Noah Berlatsy, with an important “outsider” perspective on why dismissing WCN as “not Christian” isn’t as helpful as we might hope.
October 2024 article in Mother Jones, by Keira Butler, on the New Apostolic Reformation, “the greatest threat to US democracy you have never heard of,” in the words of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Great for Congregations and/or Preachers
*“American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church” by Andrew Whitehead. Very accessible, introductory-level book with discussion guide.
See Jemar Tisby’s “White Nation Under God” podcast above. Each episode is about an hour, so if your gatherings are only an hour long, you might want to split the videos in half to leave time to discuss in each session.
Three article series with discussion questions from Diana Butler Bass at The Cottage (her Substack newsletter).
“Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor” by Caleb E. Campbell
*For Preachers in Particular – “Heretic Adjacent” the Substack blog of Derek Penwell, devoted to resources to help folks unpack WCN, including preaching helps.
Scholars and Commentators to Follow
Some of these scholars’ books are listed below, but you can find much more of their material by visiting their various biography pages, linked below.
Anthea Butler, scholar of religion
Angela Denker, pastor and journalist
Philip Gorski, sociologist of religion
David Gushee, ethicist
Robert P. Jones, writer and founder of PRRI
Kristen Kobes Du Mez, historian
Samuel Perry, sociologist of religion
Jemar Tisby, historian
Andrew Whitehead, sociologist of religion
Books and Other Resources
Documentaries
“God & Country” – Directed by Dan Partland, produced by Rob & Michelle Reiner and Steve Okin, this film features many of the prominent scholars and commentators addressing these issues today.
“Bad Faith” – This film features Rev. William Barber II and many other prominent pastors, scholars and leaders, addressing how WCN became such a force in our society.
Disciples Peace Fellowship curated a collection of sermons from the first national effort to coordinate pastors to preach against Christian Nationalism, on World Communion Sunday 2022.
Christians Against Christian Nationalism has webinars, podcasts, articles, and many other Resources on their website. You can also follow them on Instagram and TikTok.
Books Specifically Addressing WCN
“Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States” by Samuel L. Perry and Andrew L. Whitehead (more academic than Whitehead’s more recent book)
“How to End Christian Nationalism” by Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign.
*“Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism” by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood (click here for small group study guide from publisher)
“The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power” by Brian Kaylor
“The Seven Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism: A Call to Action” by Carter Heyward
“The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy” by Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry
“The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy” by Jim Wallis
“Red State Christians: A Journey into White Christian Nationalism and the Wreckage It Leaves Behind” by Angela Denker
“American Heresy: The Roots and Reach of White Christian Nationalism” by John Fanestil, Methodist clergy and historian
“Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies” by David Gushee
“The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide” by Pamela Cooper-White (Episcopal priest and pastoral psychotherapist)
Books on Closely Related Topics
“The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future” by Robert P. Jones (focused on the Doctrine of Discovery and its impact on our current context; Jones’ earlier books are good resources on racism and the church in the United States)
“White Evangelical Racism: the Politics of Morality in America” by Anthea Butler
“The Politics of Evangelical Identity: Local Churches and Partisan Divides in the United States and Canada” by Lydia Bean
“Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation” by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
“Living in the Shadow of the Cross” by Paul Kivel
“Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right” by Anne Nelson
“The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith” by Michael D. Emerson and Glenn E. Bracey II
Resources Specific to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
GA-2341 – Resolution “Calling the Church to Oppose Christian Nationalism” passed by the 2023 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Discussion Guide on GA-2341 – Resolution “Calling the Church to Oppose Christian Nationalism”
Alexander Campbell’s “Address on War” from 1848, as read into the Congressional Record in 1937 (“Christian nation” discussed around paragraph 10)
“Bowing Toward Babylon” by retired Disciples pastor Rev. Craig M. Watts, specifically addresses practices like having national flags in sanctuaries
Organizations to Partner With
You don’t need more emails, but connecting with these folks will be worth it!
*Sign the Christians Against Christian Nationalism statement and join the movement.
The Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty started the Christians Against Christian Nationalism initiative.
Faithful America tracks current manifestations of WCN and mobilizes local clergy and other people of faith to counter that narrative in targeted localities. They also create numerous petitions about related issues of religious pluralism.
The Public Religion Research Institute has done and is doing the most comprehensive, consistent research on trends in acceptance or rejection of WCN.
Word & Way is a Baptist-originated online magazine offering frequent, high-quality coverage of WCN issues, some by Disciples authors.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that educates on nontheism and promotes the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State is dedicated to defending the separation of church and state, and to protecting the foundational American principle of freedom of religion — including the right to believe or not believe — for all.
Going Deeper
Report on Christian Nationalism and the January 6, 2021 Insurrection from Christians Against Christian Nationalism, and webinar from the report’s release
Findings from PRRI’s 2023 American Values Atlas study
Research Report on Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism to American Democracy and Culture, from PRRI
Report from the Kairos Center: All of U.S.: Organizing to Counter White Christian Nationalism and Build a Pro-Democracy Society – from an interfaith, multicultural community organizing perspective, action-oriented
Biography of Curator
Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn is an ordained clergyperson in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), who has pastored small-membership churches for over twenty years. She has served in various roles beyond the congregation, including 8 years on the Executive Committee of Disciples Peace Fellowship. She was the instigator of a resolution “On Rejecting Christian Nationalism” that was approved by the Regional Assembly of the Christian Church in the Pacific Southwest in October 2022. She has also led workshops and book discussions on the issue for the Region.
Rebecca was the lead organizer of a nation-wide effort to encourage pastors to preach against White Christian Nationalism on or around World Communion Sunday, October 2, 2022. She was the primary author of “Calling the Church to Oppose Christian Nationalism,” a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in July 2023. She co-led two workshops on the issue at that gathering as well.
Rebecca is available as a consultant and workshop leader. Her workshops tend to be interactive, encouraging, and aimed at motivating people to find how they can get involved in addressing the problems we discuss. They can also be tailored to your specific audience with a little preparatory conversation. You can reach her at revrlittlejohn@gmail.com.