Amanda Tyler offers guidance on dismantling Christian nationalism

(RNS) — On a Saturday morning in 2009, Amanda Tyler was in the parking lot of a grocery store in Austin, Texas, preparing for Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett’s “neighborhood clinic” when a large crowd of conservative protesters swarmed the congressman and him Employees waved “Don’t Tread on Me” flags and held signs with Rep. Doggett’s face drawn with devil horns printed on gravestones and with messages like: “No socialized healthcare.”

Tyler, who was Doggett’s district manager at the time, remembers that moment as the most intimidating of her career. The same protesters, she said, continued to stalk the congressman months later, attending various events, brandishing assault rifles and shouting about evil.

“It gave me a very up-close experience with the possible political tactics and how violent they could be,” Tyler said. “They had distorted the congressman’s face to look like a demon – so inhuman – and used symbols that felt like spiritual warfare.”

The Texas event was a turning point for Tyler, who a decade later launched the Christians Against Christian Nationalism initiative in 2019 and became executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in 2021, where she advocates for religious freedom and the separation of church and state.

The chaos and hostility that Saturday morning in Texas served as a prelude to the political intimidation tactics of January 6, 2021, according to Tyler.

“Christian nationalism was not the sole explanation for the events of January 6, but it played a crucial role in the events leading up to the siege and provided a unifying ideology for many diverse groups that day,” Tyler writes in her debut book .

“How to End Christian Nationalism,” published Oct. 22, presents itself as a roadmap for building multiracial interfaith coalitions and advancing what Tyler calls “uncomfortable” but necessary conversations — particularly for white Christians. The task of dismantling Christian nationalism, Tyler warns, is a generational effort.

“It is up to us to confront and denounce the destructive ideology that it is and the damage it is doing to our country.”

Christian nationalism is not just a theological distortion, but a dangerous ideology with real-world consequences.

In their view, Christian nationalism is not just a theological distortion but a dangerous ideology with real-world consequences. She argues that it is a movement that undermines the basic principles of Christianity and democracy. According to Tyler, the ideology promotes the idea that America was founded as a Christian nation and that to be an authentic American one must subscribe to a conservative, often Protestant, expression of Christianity. She argues that Christian nationalism distorts the gospel of Jesus, which to her represents a message of loving-kindness that is “unknowable.”

“Jesus renounced political power and instead devoted himself to a ministry directed toward those oppressed, marginalized, and otherwise harmed by that power,” Tyler writes. “It (Christian nationalism) points not to Jesus of Nazareth, but to the nation as understood by a dangerous political ideology as the object of allegiance.”

Her experiences as a lawyer and activist in Texas and Washington, DC bolster an argument that links Christian nationalism to the violent events of January 6, white supremacy, and xenophobia. Her religious background, an Austin Baptist, lends an urgency to the stakes at stake.

“It’s not a memoir, but there’s a lot of my personal story in it,” Tyler told RNS.

As Tyler describes it, her journey to end Christian nationalism began 40 years ago when she “made my profession of faith in the baptismal waters of Riverbend Baptist Church in Austin, Texas,” she writes.

“That’s just who I am,” Tyler said. “Learning about Jesus, trying to become a better Christian… This work is trying to end Christian nationalism now as a lifelong calling. “I didn’t know that at the time, I was only 7, but that’s what started me on this path.”

As their faith developed, so did their political ambitions. When she was 6, Tyler remembers watching the local city council candidates and pestering her politically inactive parents about who they would vote for. “I was a bit of an outsider, even in my own family,” she said. After hearing a Texas state senator speak on Career Day, she knew she was destined to become a lawyer.

“I raised my hand and asked him, ‘How do you become a senator?’” Tyler said. “He suggested that I study law.”

Tyler’s book takes a systematic approach and is divided into eight sections titled “Step One” through “Step Eight.” Many end with a reading and reflection exercise that incorporates biblical scriptures. “I pray that it will be a hopeful resource for people to grow the movement against Christian nationalism,” Tyler said.

In “Step One,” she presents a sociological survey designed to help readers orient themselves toward Christian nationalism. Some of the questions included: “The federal government should stand up for Christian values” and “The success of the United States is part of God’s plan.”

“I hope that people realize that this is not something that affects a select portion of the population,” Tyler said. “It’s something we’re all involved in.”

According to Tyler, Christian nationalism is an ideology that exerts its influence along a spectrum. She cites examples in American history: from the Naturalization Act of 1790, the first law in the United States to set rules for granting citizenship, to the rapid growth of the Ku Klux Klan, to the Red Scare of the 1950s, as “In God We “Trust” became the national motto.

Essentially, Tyler argues that Christian nationalism is linked to white supremacy in its promotion of exclusionary ideas of power – through race, through religion – and how these often overlap in rhetoric, goals and supporters.

“Because Christian nationalism maintains both white and Christian supremacy,” Tyler writes, “white Christians are still at the top of the caste system created in part by Christian nationalism.”

Tyler’s advocacy is rooted in personal experience and spiritual conviction – but she is not interested in doing this work alone. In January 2023, she launched the podcast “Respecting Religion” with co-host Holly Hollman. They often discuss the intersection of faith, politics and social justice with guests such as Jemar Tisby, Rev. Jay Augustine and Rev. Joseph Evans. Tyler emphasizes the need to include people of color in the work of dismantling Christian nationalism.

“Sometimes white people tend to think we have to invent and invent everything,” Tyler said. “But there are already groups doing this work — whether they call it Christian nationalism or not.”

Tyler frequently addresses her readers as “we,” suggesting that her readers are likely white, Christian, and troubled. She avoids labeling individuals as Christian nationalists. Like some studies she cites, Tyler says she wants to focus on the dynamics of ideology rather than assigning the label to a group of people.

However, it is not difficult for readers to imagine the contemporary Christian nationalist whom Tyler does not describe: Christian flags and Bible verses were visible in the images of those who stormed the capital on January 6th. However, in her book, Tyler makes it clear that the message extends far beyond the most extreme ends of the spectrum. She warns that many “of our friends, relatives and colleagues” could “fall victim” to Christian nationalist messages.

“They need people in their lives—people like you and me,” Tyler writes, “who can help them understand Christian nationalism well enough to reject it.”

This article was produced as part of the RNS/Interfaith America Religion Journalism Fellowship.