Christian nationalism is not biblical and poses a threat to the gospel and the Church’s witness, delegates heard at the annual Assembly of Delegates of the Swiss Evangelical Alliance (Schweizerische Evangelische Allianz/SEA), held in May 2025.
Speaking at the event was Jeff Fountain, former European director of Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and current director of the Schuman Centre for European Studies in Amsterdam. In his keynote address, Fountain challenged the rising influence of Christian nationalist ideologies, arguing they distort the teachings of Jesus and compromise the integrity of the Christian faith.
The SEA organized a public discussion titled “Holy Nation!? A critical examination of nationalist politics under Christian guise,” where Fountain warned that conflating Christian identity with national identity leads to a politicized version of Christianity that prioritizes power over discipleship.
“Christian nationalism is a political ideology that mixes Christian identity with national identity,” said Fountain. “It claims that a particular nation (like the U.S.) was founded by Christians, should be governed by ‘Christian principles,’ and often implies that being a ‘true’ citizen is tied to being a (certain kind of) Christian. It usually focuses heavily on restoring or protecting what it sees as a Christian cultural heritage.”
Fountain conceded that it seemed reasonable to restore Judeo-Christian heritage in the secularized West. However, he warned against the dangers of combining faith with political power. This “mixing” is “currently evident in various leaders who use Christian rhetoric specifically to strengthen their position of power,” according to an update by the SEA.
At the event, Fountain advised delegates to pay close attention to the fruits of such behavior: “Does it produce charity and service to one’s fellow human beings—or does it belittle others in order to exalt oneself?”
Fountain acknowledged the ongoing public debate about whether Christian nationalism is really Christian, but he argued that many theologians and Christian leaders opposed this perspective.
He outlined points in the Bible to support this opposition. Firstly, Christianity is “at its core” about allegiance to Jesus Christ, not any earthly nation (Philippians 3:20 says, “our citizenship is in heaven”). Secondly, Jesus often rejected political power and nationalism (in John 18:36 He says, “My kingdom is not of this world”). Thirdly, the New Testament captures a vision of the church as both multi-ethnic and of global accord, and “not tied to any one country or ethnic group (Revelation 7:9).”
“Critics say Christian nationalism often twists Christianity into a tool for political power, rather than following Jesus’ teachings about humility, service, and love of neighbor—including outsiders and enemies,” said Fountain.
“On the other hand, some people who support Christian nationalism believe they are being faithful by protecting God’s role in public life, or defending moral values they believe come from Scripture.”
Fountain summarized the view by saying that whilst Christian nationalism borrows the language of Christianity, “many would argue it is more about politics and culture than about authentic Christianity as taught by Jesus.”
At the SEA meeting, he also gave an overview of recent responses by different Christian groups to Christian nationalism. He pointed out that many major denominations have “strongly rejected it.”
Examples given were the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in the U.S. Although conservative from a historical perspective, the SBC has “passed resolutions warning against confusing the church’s mission with political activism or nationalism,” Fountain said.
Another example is the condemnation of Christian nationalism by the National Council of Churches in the U.S., including major denominations such as Methodists and Presbyterians, calling it “a distortion of the gospel.” Fountain also highlighted another example of objections by Roman Catholic leaders to tying faith to nationalism.
Evangelical leaders, however, were more divided in their views. Leaders such as Russell Moore, former head of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and Bible teacher and author Beth Moore, have opposed Christian nationalism with a warning that it risks turning the faith into a “civil religion” for the U.S. rather than simply following Jesus.
“Christian nationalism is not just a political problem; it’s a theological problem. It treats the gospel as a means to an end—political power—rather than the end itself,” said Russell Moore, as quoted by Fountain.
“I am compelled to say, as clearly as I know how, that mixing political ideology with the gospel of Jesus Christ corrupts the gospel and insults the cross,” stated Beth Moore, also as quoted by Fountain.
At the same time, Fountain pointed out that “other evangelicals have embraced Christian nationalist rhetoric, seeing it as a defense against what they feel is growing secularism or anti-Christian sentiment in society.”
Fountain referred to the fact that a grassroots Christians Against Christian Nationalism movement had been founded in 2019 by the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. He said the movement had been supported by thousands of clergy and lay people.
“They argue that Christian nationalism ‘threatens both our religious freedom and our democracy,’” Fountain pointed out.
“Christian nationalism seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy,” reads an official statement on the Christians Against Christian Nationalism website. “Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian.”
Fountain argued that “there’s a broad and growing consensus across many Christian groups—even among people who might disagree politically—that Christian nationalism is not faithful to the gospel, and actually threatens the church’s spiritual mission.”
Fountain reassured delegates that Christian nationalism is not a large aspect of the political spectrum in Switzerland, yet small groups do “promote elements of it.”
He pointed to the “most notable” as the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU), deeming it “a minor Protestant fundamentalist party that blends Christian identity with nationalist rhetoric.” The party, founded in 1975, opposes cultural events if they run counter to Christian morality.
Fountain cited the example of the EDU wanting to stop Switzerland from hosting the Eurovision Song Contest because some performances were a “celebration of satanism and occultism.” The party has also attracted support from right-leaning groups such as the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) on certain issues. However, Fountain concedes this “support is typically issue-specific and does not indicate a widespread embrace of Christian nationalism.”
Other Christian-focused parties in Switzerland, which as a country is increasingly secular in outlook, do not advocate for Christian nationalism but rather for social democracy and Christian democracy, according to Fountain. He lists these as the Evangelical People’s Party (EVP) and The Centre (formed from the merger of the Christian Democratic People’s Party and the Conservative Democratic Party).
“In summary, while elements of Christian nationalism exist in Switzerland through small parties like the EDU, it remains a fringe movement without significant political traction,” Fountain concluded.
Two local Swiss politicians spoke at the SEA event in response to Fountain’s views, giving different perspectives on the nationalism issue: EVP National Councillor Marc Jost and Bernese EDU Grand Councillor Samuel Kullmann.
Kullmann agreed with the view that it is dangerous to mix faith with power. Even so, he believed Christian politicians should evoke Christian values in the process of lawmaking, as appropriate.
“It is an illusion to think that it will be good if only Christians were in power everywhere,” said Jost, appealing to the ethic of humility. “Because every human being is fallible.”
Jost welcomed the prospect of different ideas and opinions being expressed and stated that Christians should not hide their values in public arenas of debate.
Others “on the podium” were the Rev. Kati Rechsteiner, historian Christian Scheidegger, and the president of the umbrella organization Freikirchen.ch, Peter Schneeberger, who also took part.
“No one saw a Christian nation as a desirable goal,” the SEA news update concluded. “Instead of dominating, Christians should serve following the example of Jesus Christ.”
***
Timeline: Christian Nationalism in the U.S. ( as presented by Jeff Fountain)
1950s – “In God We Trust” and “Under God”
After World War II and during the Cold War, there was a big push to show America as a religious (Christian) nation against “godless Communism.”
1954: Congress adds “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance.
1956: “In God We Trust” becomes the official motto of the U.S.
This era tied Christianity and patriotism together more tightly, but it wasn’t yet “Christian nationalism” in the modern sense.
1970s–1980s – Rise of the “Moral Majority”
Evangelical leaders like Jerry Falwell Sr. helped form political groups that said America needed to return to “biblical values.”
They mixed conservative Christian beliefs with national political goals (on issues like abortion, prayer in schools, etc.).
This started connecting Christian identity with specific political platforms.
1990s–2000s – Christian symbols in politics
Court fights over things like Ten Commandments monuments, nativity scenes, and school prayer fueled a narrative that Christians were being “pushed out” of public life.
Some Christians started to believe that reclaiming political power was part of their faithfulness to God.
2010s – Rise of populist movements
Political leaders began openly talking about Christianity and America being under threat.
Christian nationalism grew stronger as a response to cultural changes (like growing racial diversity, LGBTQ+ rights, religious pluralism).
Books and movements began promoting ideas like “America was founded as a Christian nation” and needed to be “restored.”
January 6, 2021 – Capitol Riot
Christian symbols (like crosses, “Jesus Saves” banners, and Christian flags) were very visible among the crowds storming the U.S. Capitol.
This shocked many Christian leaders into publicly speaking out against Christian nationalism for the first time in a major, united way.
Today
There’s now an intense national debate within churches about Christian nationalism — with many pastors warning that it’s a major threat to both democracy and the Church’s witness.
