The Reign of God is an indictment of Christian Nationalism, but what does it say to the Christian Left?

I’m convinced Christian Nationalists lack faith in the Reign of God, but that shouldn’t keep us from political engagement.

In Anabaptism, the Reign of God, the subject of Jesus’ inaugural address in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17, and Luke 4:14–30) is a crucial part of our theological framework. We believe that God reigns now and will reign forever. The political powers in this world are ultimately accountable to God, as God orders them. Anabaptists avoid commitments to political office or the military for this reason. We trust in the power of God to liberate and save the world.

The Reign of God was at hand in the time of Jesus, and it was fully inaugurated in the crucifixion of Jesus. His promise of freedom from whatever trouble we face in the world is fully realized today in his resurrection, ascension, and in the descent of the Spirit on Pentecost. Jesus’ power is found in his weakness, in his willingness to suffer alongside us, and in his promise of a new way of being in the world.

It is, of course, challenging to trust in the Reign of God in the face of the world’s horrors. I can understand why the emerging Christian impulse is to try to make the United States, in particular, a Christian nation. I understand the motives behind Christian Nationalism. They are rooted in fear, which gives rise to the notion that gaining power in this world will mean safety.

The version of Christianity that Christian Nationalists like JD Vance, for example, want to codify in American politics is one that sees women as not entitled to the same rights as men, and sees non-white people as outsiders who should be deported. His views oppress queer people by making their very existence and affirmation a crime. Their vision for the U.S. is an ethnically homogenous state, with little if any room for diversity. I reject this deformed version of Christianity.

Part of the Christian National impulse is a belief that the work of God through Jesus Christ is not enough to save us. What will save us is legally codifying the aforementioned values. As wicked as they are, this lack of faith in God is also a significant problem. God doesn’t need God’s reign codified in the U.S. The U.S. and its actions will be judged by God, and the U.S. is not an agent God is using to enact a plan for salvation. The work of salvation is already complete and finished.

Rather than having power over us, Jesus came to dwell with us, humbled himself in submission and reverence to God, and that informs how we engage politically. As much of an indictment as the Reign of God is to Christian Nationalism, I think that progressive Christians must consider the implications that the Reign of God has for our own political activity.

I share the concern of many of my peers over the prospect of another Donald Trump presidency. Not only is his advancement of Christian Nationalism an affront to the Reign of God, it is a genuine threat to democracy. Trump promises to usher in a reign of consolidated political power used for his own purposes and the victims of that consolidation are those vulnerable people without power. Even just this week, Trump floated the idea of unleashing the U.S. military on citizens after election day. A Trump presidency is dangerous and must concern all of us.

I think it is in the interest of all people of conscience to ensure Trump doesn’t gain power again. But is that advocacy, and practically the support of a Harris presidency, a similar affront to the Reign of God? Are progressive Christians acting like the Christian Nationalists when they engage politically for a freer and more just society? I think this is a question worth wrestling with, but it is lazy and disingenuous to suggest that any political activity whatsoever displeases God. Christians advocating for the dignity and protection of the most vulnerable is the opposite of what Christian Nationalists want to do. The vision for a pluralistic country where the most vulnerable are cared for is a far cry from the white Christian enthostate of Vance and Trump.

Given the chance to free the oppressed and liberate the captives, Christians must engage politically to meet the demands of the Gospel. That means voting and acting for change. That doesn’t make us Christian Nationalists who want a Christian nation, it makes us servants of the most vulnerable, which we are called to be.

Where we might be convicted, however, is in the assurance that a Harris presidency would be salvific in that way Christian Nationalists believe a Trump presidency would be. Most Christian supporters of Kamala Harris don’t anoint her as their “chosen one,” as Trump proclaimed himself to be. We should never elevate Harris or any other candidate to a godlike status. We can and should keep asking how our faith in her might compromise our faith in God.

Harris—although clearly preferable to Trump—Is far from perfect, and the Democratic Party cannot save us. Our assurance of salvation comes from Jesus. In no way does that mean we should stand idly by, in fact, the individuals who are safest when we do that, are usually collecting and shoring up their power in ways that minorities can’t. Many White Anabaptists are free to stand idly by because their wealth, their race, and their gender protect them. Their lack of political engagement is false because their very bodies and social positions are politically engaging on their behalf. Whiteness and wealth is as much of an affront to the Reign of God as Christian Nationalism is.

Our faith in God’s reign in the world can be realized in our collective solidarity as individuals. Our politics, the selfless politics that Jesus embodied, are best expressed in our united opposition to systems of death and oppression. Rather than politically advocating for Christian power, Christians are best when we politically engage to reduce Christian hegemonic power, and instead simply advocate for the most vulnerable.

The antidote to Christian nationalism is a cruciform, or cross-shaped, political action. Advocating for the liberation of the most vulnerable points us in a specific direction on many issues, including war, capitalism, racism, women’s rights, and queer dignity. While I am certain a Harris administration would move us in the right direction, the Christian desire for liberation isn’t completed exclusively in her election. Indeed, the work of God through Christians will remain, even if she is elected. We might continue to be Christ’s body in the world, regardless of who wins the election. The forces of death we face are stronger than any administration can be, and we have faith that we will prosper over them because of the Reign of God. The Reign of God, an indictment of Christian Nationalism to be sure, is also what fuels our political action, as we strive to extend and reveal God’s reign in the world today.