PCA votes to form committee to investigate Christian nationalism

The Presbyterian Church in America has voted to form a committee to study the nature and influence of Christian nationalism within the theologically conservative denomination.

During the business session on Thursday afternoon, a commissioner from the Central Florida Presbytery requested that the assembly approve all overtures with 95 votes in their favor from the committee.

In response to this, several overtures, including two centered on the issue of studying Christian nationalism, were voted on and approved in a vote of 1,708 in favor and only 28 opposed.

Overture 3, titled "Erect Ad Interim Committee on Christian Nationalism" and coming from the Arizona Presbytery, called for the creation of a committee to "study the relationship between Christian Nationalism, Theonomic Reconstructionism, and similar viewpoints deemed necessary by the committee."

"Further, the committee shall advise on whether these viewpoints and formulations are in conformity with the system of doctrine taught in the Westminster Standards or where they may diverge from the system of doctrine," the overture added.

"Further, the committee shall write a report that gives pastoral guidance when addressing congregations, new members, and future officers of the PCA."

Overture 4, titled "Erect Ad Interim Study Committee on Christian Nationalism" and submitted by the South Texas Presbytery, noted that there has been debate within the PCA about "the relationship of church and state that has occurred under the broad term of Christian Nationalism."

"[T]here has been disagreement and confusion regarding what these various viewpoints actually teach; these variations have caused confusion, division, and dissension among the congregants of PCA churches and disturbed PCA pastors and officers," the overture explained.

"Further, the committee shall advise on whether these viewpoints and formulations are in conformity with the system of doctrine taught in the Westminster Standards or where they may diverge from the system of doctrine."

A third overture, likewise calling for a committee to study the matter, known as Overture 47 and coming from the Great Lakes Presbytery, was passed at a Thursday evening session in a vote of 1,008 to 333. 

The term "Christian nationalism" has been a topic of much debate in modern American politics, with it often being identified as the merging of Christian belief and American patriotism.

Christian conservatives have argued that the term "Christian nationalism" is simply a smear against Christians who engage in advocacy for conservative causes. During a multi-panel event hosted by The Christian Post last August, panelists offered their thoughts on the rising buzzword in the 2024 election.

Bunni Pounds, who served for 16 years as a political consultant to members of Congress before starting the political advocacy group Christians Engaged, notes that "Christian nationalism" is almost always used in the media to refer to the advocacy of conservative Christians but is never used in the context of progressive Christians whose religious beliefs are inspiring their political advocacy. 

"We are always talking about Evangelical right and us getting out the vote around our pro-family, pro-life values, but we're not having conversations about the progressive Left using churches to activate Christian voters," she said. 

"So the Christian nationalism label gets labeled on Evangelical, Bible-believing Christians who are pro-life and pro-family, and none of the other Christians get labeled anything," Pounds added. "And so that's that's the issue, right? We're not talking about them mobilizing voters, but we're getting labeled for our voter mobilization effort."

Progressives, including Baptist Joint Committee Executive Director Amanda Tyler, have denounced Christian nationalism as "at odds with the core tenet of Christianity — that is, that Jesus Christ is Lord" and is "pervasive throughout American society."

"Christian nationalism demands ultimate loyalty to political power rather than God. And therefore can become idolatrous," Tyler told The Christian Post in a 2021 interview.

Professor and author Owen Strachan wrote a column in 2021  in which he said that the claim that "a militantly racist body of extremist 'white' fundamentalists waits just beyond the city gates to take back America" was "downright silly."

"The vast majority of Christians I know supported such candidates in past days because they are ardently pro-life, pro-religious liberty, anti-big government, anti-progressive agenda, and pro-free market. They do not have anything close to an evil vision of America that would ruin the lives of people of color," wrote Strachan at the time. 

"Nor do they wish to impose a ferocious theocracy on any who dare disagree with them. Instead, they want people of all kinds to be free, prosperous and able to worship God."

Originally published by The Christian Post