I’m So Bored With the USA: The Rise of Christian Nationalism 

“Stained glass windows keep the cold outside while the hypocrites hide inside” 

Religion is, or at least in my opinion should be, about peace, tolerance and respect, and understanding of others. 

In recent years many have become enraged by the actions of sects of Muslim’s intent on overthrowing unbelievers. More recently there has been the excesses of extreme Jewish people seemingly equally intent on wiping out Muslims. 

By comparison, Christianity seems peaceful, but appearances can be deceptive. 

In 1204, during the Fourth Crusade, Crusaders ransacked and destroyed most of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. 

This is now seen as a turning point in medieval history. Reports of Crusader looting and brutality horrified the Orthodox world; relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches were wounded for many centuries afterwards. 

These, and likely other events, can all be placed under the heading “extremism”, and aren’t reflective of the majority of Muslims, Jews, or Christians.   

“When fascism comes to America, it won’t be wearing jackboots. It will be wrapped in the stars and stripes and carrying a Bible.” 

“When fascism comes to America, it won’t be wearing jackboots. It will be wrapped in the stars and stripes and carrying a Bible.” 

This quote is often credited to George Carlin, but research shows that is was written by Sinclair Lewis, in his 1935 novel “It Can’t Happen Here.” 

The rise of Christian nationalism has coincided with the rise of Trump, whose administration appears to see “civilisation” as a white and western property, threatened by Black and Brown people, regardless of whether they were born here or have recently arrived. “Civilisation”, as it has often been over the past two centuries, is in Trump’s case, a racist and white supremacist concept.  

Coupled with this interpretation of civilisation is the rise of the religious right. 

In the UK, two senior Reform members, Danny Kruger, the party’s head of policy, and James Orr, a senior adviser to Nigel Farage, are devout Christians who came to religion in adulthood and have trenchant views on social issues such as abortion and the family. 

Kruger also sit on the advisory board of a right-wing thinktank called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, led by Philippa Stroud, a Conservative peer who is deeply religious.  

Another member is Paul Marshall, the hedge fund millionaire who owns GB News and the right-wing Spectator magazine. Marshall was described by a friend as a devout Anglican who “is strongly opposed to Christian nationalism and any kind of politicisation of faith”. 

Religion – specifically evangelicalism, the movement often involving born-again Christians who push for Bible teachings to be adopted – has in recent decades been one of the defining elements of right-wing politics in the US. Its followers form the bedrock of Trump’s support. Is the UK heading in the same direction? 

There are some links. Orr has hosted the VP Vance at his family home, and is also involved in the National Conservatism movement, which has connections to the US religious-populism world. 

Numerically, polls shows that close to 25% of US adults are evangelicals, in the Uk it is barely a tenth of that. 

 ‘Islam represents all that is evil, while Christianity represents all that is good’

Politically, whilst US evangelicals are right-wing; C.75% approve of Trump. In the UK, a poll by the Evangelical Alliance (“EA”) suggests that, for all the prominence of people such as Kruger and Marshall, labor has the most followers with 26%, Reform and the LibDems are level on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18% and the Greens 12%. 

This follows through into their priorities, with support for more generous welfare payments, but concerted alarm about plans to legalise assisted dying. 

Evangelicalism does exist in parliament, including cross-party prayer group meetings. But it is a phenomenon also of the left, with the likes of Kruger balanced out by Tim Farron, the LibDem former leader, and the labor MP Rachael Maskell. 

Maskell is very open about how faith shapes her politics, notably on issues such as poverty. She lost the party whip for a period due after rebelling on welfare and other issues. 

There is, however, a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on US ideas of religious nationalism.  

A recent proponent of this is Tommy Robinson, whose newfound faith mirrors that seen in other European far-right groups, who are shifting the emphasis of their political messaging from ethnicity to religion. In its most nationalist guise, this new racism views Christianity as synonymous with whiteness, with other religions, especially Islam, portrayed as existential threats. This interpretation effectively means people are either supportive of Christianity, or working to destroy it. 

‘this new racism views Christianity as synonymous with whiteness, with other religions, especially Islam, portrayed as existential threats’

For these converts, Christianity is a reaction to their perception that Islam represents all that is evil, while Christianity represents all that is good.  

Robinson latest stunt was a carol concert to “put the Christ back into Christmas” attracted only C.1,000 people, somewhat less that estimated 110,000 who attended September’s “unite the kingdom” rally.  

Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, warned of the potential “weaponisation” of events, and said the Church of England must be “absolutely clear” that the true Christian message was one of compassion and welcome to all. 

The Rev Arun Arora, bishop of Kirkstall and co-lead bishop on racial justice for the C of E, said: “We must confront and resist the capture of Christian language and symbols by populist forces seeking to exploit the faith for their own political ends.” 

He said that Robinson’s conversion to Christianity in prison was welcome but did not give him “the right to subvert the faith so that it serves his purposes rather than the other way round” 

Another convert is Nick Tenconi, the head the UK outpost of Turning Point, a right-wing student group set up by the late US activist Charlie Kirk, which includes social media messaging about the country needing to “return to Christ” alongside anti-Islam and anti-migrant content. 

A recent example of their newfound prominence was the Turning Point-allied Christian nationalist group called King’s Army marching in formation wearing branded black tracksuits through Soho, a location seemingly chosen as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community. 

At present this seems a niche element in UK politics. Danny Webster, the head of advocacy at the EA, said: “In the UK you do have some Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it tends to more often be a sort of Christian nostalgia, linked to our historic identity with the church that people feel may have been lost.” 

However, as with Trump’s intent to civilise Europe, the US Christian right increasingly active in Britain. Since 2020, the US legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (“ADF”) has more than doubled its spending in Britain, and increased the size of its UK-based team fourfold. ADF was an architect of the overturning of Roe v Wade. 

In recent years, a number of conservative Christians in the UK have been taken to court for illegally praying in abortion clinic “buffer zones”, which protect those visiting or working at abortion clinics from harassment. On multiple occasions, these Christians have been offered legal support by ADF’s UK branch. This is part of its “long-term strategy to shift public opinion around abortion”, the New York Times reported. In an attempt to link this to our already incendiary culture wars, the ADF refers to this as “free speech issues”, in an attempt to push religious arguments against abortion on to the national stage. 

‘Right-wing politicians have been quick to take-up the call, with Nigel Farage calling the UK’s 24-week abortion limit “utterly ludicrous”’

Right-wing politicians have been quick to take-up the call, with Nigel Farage calling the UK’s 24-week abortion limit “utterly ludicrous”. In a sign that this is gaining traction, a survey found that less than 50% of men aged 16-34 believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared to 82% of men aged 55-77.  

This might seem of irrelevant in the overall scheme of things, but, in the US in the 1970s, the New Right movement, which combined conservative hardliners and conservative Catholics, realised abortion could be tied to various perceived social ills, such as women’s liberation and the civil rights movement. Their target was not only to limit abortions, but to use abortion as a means of unifying disparate camps on the right and legitimising other socially conservative policies. 

ADF UK is extending its reach, securing Farage a seat at the high table on several occasions: thanks to its interventions, in September he was able to give a nearly three-hour public appearance before the House judiciary committee in Washington DC describing the “awful authoritarian” situation for free speech in the UK.  

It is, however, not all one-way, some Christians realise that their faith is being abused. In October, Neville Watson, the only black branch chair of Reform UK, defected to the Christian People’s Alliance, a small independent party. He did so because he was shocked by the strong presence of Islamophobia at the “unite the kingdom” rally, and said that they were advancing “an ideology that is not Christian”.  

The US example shows  how religion, any religions, can be twisted to suit peoples agenda.  

I don’t pretend to be an expert on religion, and I am unclear as to how the Christian right perceives Catholicism. However, Leo XIV, the “American pope”, has received the support of the US conference of Catholic bishops and the clergy and grassroots activists of the Catholic church, who are emerging as the leader of country-wide resistance to Trump, leading the fight against his policies on inequality, immigration and civil rights. 

‘Perhaps, the Pope can mobilise opposition to Trump. No else seems able to…..’

In a statement they said: “We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanising rhetoric and violence”. They cited the tactics of immigration and customs enforcement (“ICE”) agents, saying they deplored the “climate of fear” created by Trump’s policies, the profiling of vulnerable citizens, shocking conditions in detention centres and lack of access to pastoral care. 

The views they express should underpin how all governments might seek to deal with immigration: “We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good.”  

The Pope has becoming increasingly outspoken in opposing Trump’s “inhuman” policies. Earlier this month, he demanded ICE rethink its demonisation of migrants – more than 2 million “illegal aliens” have been involuntarily removed this year and record numbers detained, official figures indicate. He criticised US strikes on suspected drug smugglers off Venezuela, warning violence would fail, and challenged Trump’s climate-crisis denial, telling Cop30 that God’s creation is “crying out” for action. 

This resistance is based around the emerging “Christian left”; from New Jersey to California, parish priests and pastors have led local protests, boycotts and initiatives to counter ICE’s depredations.  

Circa 22% of US adults identify as Catholic and more than 40% are immigrants or the children of immigrants. Many of them are likely to be the targets of ICE agents, and C. 3-million black Catholics are experiencing attacks on their voting rights act and the weakening of civil rights protections. 

The church has also launched assaults on Trump’s signature fiscal legislation, accusing him of “unconscionable” cuts in healthcare and food assistance, and unjustifiable tax breaks for the better-off. “Catholic teaching compels the faithful to uphold human dignity. It is hard to conceive of the law as promoting the sanctity of every life when it cuts key programs for the needy and expands tax cuts to the wealthy,” wrote Wheaton College professor of public theology Esau McCaulley. 

Catholics, like other US religious groups, are far from united in opposing Trump. He won 55% of Catholic votes last year, although support has since dropped sharply.  

Trump and his ilk are becoming more dictatorial, and are not frightened to coopt religion for their own ends. The Catholic church has a long reach, and a global following which gives them considerable influence should they chose to exercise it. 

Perhaps, the Pope can mobilise opposition to Trump. No else seems able to….. 

“I’m free you’re free
I’m free I want you to touch me” 

‘I had written much of this piece a few weeks ago, but held back as I feared it would offend people. But, having reconsidered the situation, I concluded that co-opting religion, and religion for people’s own political agenda was more offensive.

The Pope, especially an American one, has considerable influence. I would imagine that hard-right Christians have some bizarre take on Catholicism and regard them as heretics to be burnt at the stake.

Whilst it doesn’t have the same level of following in the UK, it is disturbing to see people such as Robinson and Farage jumping on the bandwagon. Robinson surprises me, whereas Farage doesn’t, little seems to be beneath him.

Lyrically, we start with “Religion” by Public Image Ltd..

We finish by paying tribute to Primal Scream who, at their recent Roundhouse gig, showed a video of a swastika in the centre of a Star of David that was then superimposed over eyes of images of political figures, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US president, Donald Trump. The film was projected behind the band as they performed the song Swastika Eyes.

Images of the destruction in Gaza were also shown on screen. The video concluded with the words: “Our government is complicit in genocide.”

As we used “Swastika Eyes” to end the article entitled “Is there an actual labor voter anymore?”, we will play out with “Come Together”

Perhaps we should enjoy what’s left of 2025, as next year will be worse!

Philip.’

@coldwarsteve

Philip Gilbert is a city-based corporate financier, and former investment banker.

Philip is a great believer in meritocracy, and in the belief that if you want something enough you can make it happen. These beliefs were formed in his formative years, of the late 1970s and 80s

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