How to End Christian Nationalism
by Amanda Tyler
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Pub Date Oct 22 2024 | Archive Date Dec 09 2024
1517 Media | Broadleaf Books
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Description
"[An] energetic debut" --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"A potent tool for taking action." --JEMAR TISBY
"Read this book and take its lessons to heart." --KRISTIN KOBES DU MEZ
"An indispensable tool in renewing civic engagement and democracy." --ANTHEA BUTLER
"Timely and insightful." --ROBERT P. JONES
The essential guidebook for Christians alarmed by the rising tide of Christian nationalism yet unsure how to counter it.
Christian nationalism is a powerful and pervasive ideology, and it is becoming normalized. From Amanda Tyler, lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign, comes How to End Christian Nationalism, your vital companion for countering this dangerous ideology. Tyler draws on her experiences, conversations with pastors and laypeople, research, Scripture, her Baptist convictions, and her work as a constitutional law expert to help us confront Christian nationalist fervor.
You'll learn how to distinguish Christian nationalism from the teachings of Jesus and to demonstrate how the former perpetuates white supremacy. This book also unpacks key truths we can share with others: Patriotism is not the same as nationalism. Religious freedom means little if it's not for everyone. Christians follow a gospel of love, not the idol of power.
Here, you'll find stories of what Christians are doing to resist Christian nationalism in their churches and communities, plus ideas for your own work. From strategies for faith-rooted organizing to guidance for holding hard conversations with loved ones, Tyler offers practical ways to protect faith freedom for all. With precision and compassion, Tyler offers cogent arguments for the separation of church and state, a timely call to action, and an urgent case for replacing a twisted, fearful version of faith with one that is good and right and true. We've all seen what Christian nationalism can do. Now is the time for Christians to reckon with its harm. Now is the time to end it.
Advance Praise
“[An] energetic debut....Tyler effectively sounds the alarm on the rising threat of Christian nationalism and its harms to both the church and the country.”
—Publishers Weekly
"White Christian nationalism is the greatest threat to democracy and the witness of the church in the United States today. But we are not powerless, and How to End Christian Nationalism is a potent tool for taking action."
—Jemar Tisby, New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise
"Amanda Tyler gives all Americans—but especially serious Christians like herself—the means of constitutional, theological, political, and psychological self-defense against the toxic ideology of white Christian nationalism. Anyone who has wondered about the relationship between this surging fanaticism and what happened on January 6 should look no further."
—Jamie Raskin, US representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district
"How to End Christian Nationalism is the perfect book for anyone confused about Christian nationalism and wondering what they can do about it. All American Christians who love their country would do well to read this book and take its lessons to heart."
—Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne
"Amanda Tyler is a powerful sister who has led Christians in a movement to counter the religious nationalists who do so much evil in God's name. May this resource help others learn from her experience and wisdom."
—William J. Barber II, co-chair of Poor People's Campaign and author of White Poverty and other books
"An indispensable tool in renewing civic engagement and democracy in America in these polarizing times. With the rise of theocratic and authoritarian organizations, How to End Christian Nationalism is a foundational text for anyone who cares not only about America's past but about its future."
—Anthea Butler, author of White Evangelical Racism and Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought and chair of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania
"To achieve our potential as a country, we must welcome the contributions of people of all faiths and none, and strengthen the bonds between them. To do that, we must defeat the scourge of Christian nationalism. This book will show you how."
—Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America and author of We Need to Build
"With the precision of an attorney and the practicality of an organizer and advocate, Amanda Tyler helps us see what we can do to defeat the biggest threat to American democracy today: white Christian nationalism. This timely and insightful book does more than just sound the alarm; it passionately lays out a call to action."
—Robert P. Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy
"Essential reading for those of us who seek to follow Jesus in the Way. Amanda Tyler is clear, focused, learned, and passionate in defining Christian nationalism as the threat it is—to democracy and to the faith of Jesus—and providing a map to end the grip it has on too much of our nation. White Christians are a key audience here, but Christians of every ethnicity can learn from this important text."
—Jacqui Lewis, senior minister and public theologian at Middle Collegiate Church
"Amanda Tyler seamlessly weaves history with modern statistics and polling data to illustrate how Christian nationalism perverts Scripture into a tool to build power and justify political violence. The book offers a sound prescription for challenging the extremist ideology that has infected America's politics in a particularly critical time."
—Mary B. McCord, executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection
Marketing Plan
- National and online publicity campaign to news media covering religion in the election, Christian media, and social justice media
- Christian advertising
- Social media and digital campaign targeting progressive Christians and mainline denominations
- Organizational outreach utilizing author's extensive connections
- Influencer and endorser outreach and mailing
Congregational outreach
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781506498287 |
PRICE | $27.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 244 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
How to End Christian Nationalism by Amanda Tyler, founder of @endchristiannationalism is another brief book to add to our growing library of books regarding the subject of American Idolatry. The movement and media in her "Christians Against Christian Nationalism" group review and update the tenets of the 2020 book "Taking America Back For God" by Andrew Whitehead. This is to define what CN is, to determine what its ideals are, and how much someone agrees with the ideas of CN. The ultimate book on the subject is Tim Alberta's "The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory," which was one of Barack Obama's books of 2023. That book is 512 pages, though, and that isn't for everyone. It includes a lot of his personal experience and is part dissertation and part memoir, written by a journalist.
There is a lot of confusion as to what Christian Nationalism actually IS. When people know more about it, they are much more likely to reject it than to embrace it. Tyler defines CN as "a political ideology and cultural framework that seeks to fuse American and Christian identities. It suggests that “real” Americans are Christians and that “true” Christians hold a particular set of political beliefs. It seeks to create a society in which only this narrow subset of Americans is privileged by law and in societal practice."
This new debut book is 244 pages, and has more of a focus on solutions. I learned a lot reading this book, which is saying something, since I have read most books on this subject. Tyler focuses more on politics and constitutional law, the difference of opinion in how Americans interpret the relationship between the church and the law.
As a Christian, it bothers me quite a bit at how this movement mocks and mimics Christianity, co-opting the language of my faith to advance a political agenda. I learned that most atheists and agnostics, when pressed about their criticisms of Christianity, they almost always describe this particular ideology. That is bad news. This is something most of these books don't emphasize enough... the ideology is loud and frankly, can make Christianity look bad. How sad is that?
I learned that it is better to refer to this as an ideology rather than refer to a person as a "Christian Nationalist" because that ties them to it as an identity as if it cannot be changed. Rather, how much someone agrees with this ideology exists on a spectrum. I learned "separation of church and state" is an American invention.
The title is incredibly ambitious, it makes a promise that is hard to keep, but acknowledges this is a problem that won't be solved in our lifetimes. It started in 300 AD under Constantine and it was ultimately the framework of Adolf Hitler and the KKK. So it isn't new, nor exclusively American. We can't end the ideology everywhere, but we must, on a micro level, work to break down some of the most dangerous views in our own families and neighborhoods. It is up to each of us to confront and call it out as destructive and for the damage that it is causing our country.
Thank you to @netgalley and @broadleafbooks for the ARC. Book to be published October 22, 2024.
I found this quite an interesting read! Amanda Tylers's 244 page book on Christian nationalism has lots of great information, but focuses a lot more on offering solutions and I really appreciate that. Sometimes this subject can feel infuriating and very doom and gloom- and I am so pleased that she offered up solutions.
If you are new to the ideas of Christian nationalism this is a fantastic starting point! Amanda gives her own personal experiences to this book as well and I found that helpful.
I would recommend this book to anyone who feels frustrated by the ideology of Christian Nationalism or is curious to learn more.
Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.
#NetGalleyARC #NetGalley
I got an early copy of Amanda Tyler’s new book, How to End Christian Nationalism. Tyler is the executive director of the BJC and the lead organizer of their Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. I have long followed her work and was lucky enough to get to spend some time with her last year when I was named as a BJC Fellow.
Of course my Christianity plays a huge part in my civic participation and in the decisions I make about what issues are important to me. But Christian nationalism is when those beliefs become, rather than personally-held values, a way to legislate a version of morality. When we see Christian nationalism, we often see one very narrow set of morals or beliefs being legislated. In our society it is crucial that we stand for religious freedom for all, and Tyler has written a book that helps us see how to do that across several areas of American life.
She does of course explain Christian nationalism very clearly and why it is dangerous, and then gives clear areas where it is important to advocate against Christian nationalist values. She encourages us to denounce violence, commit to the separation of church and state, and (my favorite chapter) protect religious freedom for all in public schools. She cites experts and personal experience as she explains a path forward. This would be a great book for a group discussion or for a church to work through - Christian nationalism is a huge part of American Christian culture and unpacking it is important work.
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