Christian Nationalism and Catholic Social Teaching

In this episode we look at Christian nationalism and what light Catholic Social Teaching might shed on this convergence of religion and national assertion, and we take a brief look at two recent US Catholic news stories – the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the "one nation under God" theme selected by the 2026 National Eucharistic Congress – and ask if either of these stories relate to the idea of Christian nationalism.  

Here are notes and references:

1. Commanders Accused of Framing Iran War as Biblical Mandate
2. At Pentagon Worship Service, Hegseth Casts Iran Conflict as Violent Holy War Against God’s Enemies - Brian Kaylor - Mar 25, 2026
3. Pope Leo at Palm Sunday Mass - March 29, 2026, Pope Leo decried political leaders who invoke religious beliefs to justify conflicts or nationalist policies - December 18, 2025, and Pope Leo criticized the surge of nationalist political movements in the world - June 8, 2025
4. Article referencing Andrew L. Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry, authors of “Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States,” published 2020.
5. Review of "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," making the case that Christian Nationalism has become the de facto view of Christianity among the general population, contributing to the disaffection with real Christianity
6. Quotes from Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
7. Authentic Christianity vs. Christian Nationalism - July 2, 2023 - blog of Pastor John Whitsett
8. Against Christian Nationalism: A Catholic Response to Stephen Wolfe - August 19, 2024 by Br. Anthony Maria Akerman, O.P. - includes nationalism/patriotism quotes from Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Pius XI
9. From the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church: Principle of the Common Good, Principle of the Universal Destination of Goods, and Principle of Solidarity
10. Not feeling celebratory as America turns 250? Read John Courtney Murray’s work - Will Cohen - June 17, 2026 - insight from a theologian who died in 1967
11. America Needs a Better Gospel Than Christian Nationalism - May 20, 2026 - perspective from evangelical Russell Moore
12. US bishops’ consecration of nation to Sacred Heart of Jesus affirms ‘our reliance on God’ - Kimberley Heatherington - May 13, 2026
13. Why the bishops are consecrating the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski - Jun 10, 2026
14. National Eucharistic Congress says use of ‘one nation under God’ is about ‘spiritual renewal’ - Gina Christian - April 21, 2026
15. Podcast website with full transcripts for this episode and all other episodes

Transcript

Welcome to “Headline News and Catholic Social Teaching,” where we take a brief look at stories in the news, not from a left or right political perspective, but through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching.  I’m your host, Tom Mulhern, and I hope that this podcast will help us grow in our love of God and love of our neighbors.

In this episode we look at Christian nationalism and what light Catholic Social Teaching might shed on this convergence of religion and national assertion, and we take a brief look at two recent US Catholic news stories – the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the "one nation under God" theme selected by the 2026 National Eucharistic Congress – and ask if either of these stories relate to the idea of Christian nationalism.  

So, this term "Christian nationalism" has been in the news recently in particular because of statements made by US military and political leaders about the war in Iran.  

Shortly after the Iran war started, it was reported that a commander told non-commissioned officers that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that President Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.”  The Pentagon has not commented on this report, but a nonprofit called the Military Foundation for Religious Freedom says that it received more than 200 similar complaints from military members from multiple branches of the US military in the early going of the Iran war.

During a prayer service held at the Pentagon on March 25, 2026, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth framed the Iran conflict as a violent holy war against God's enemies.  He cited passages from the Bible, praying that God would pour out righteous wrath by helping “break the teeth” and kill the “wicked” enemies “who deserve no mercy” and should be “delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them.”

There have been similar "prayers" from Hegseth and other US officials in recent months, expressions that go well beyond praying for the safety and protection of our troops.

Pope Leo appeared to have this kind of nationalistic prayer in mind in his homily on Palm Sunday, March 29, just a few days after the Pentagon prayer service.  The Pope stated “Jesus is the King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”

This has been a recurring theme for Pope Leo. Back in December 2025, he spoke of political leaders who invoke religious beliefs to justify conflicts or nationalist policies, calling it a form of blasphemy. 

And early in his pontificate, in June 2025, Pope Leo criticized the growing number of nationalist political movements in the world and prayed for reconciliation and dialogue — reinforcing his desire to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace.

Using God's name and Bible passages to justify war is one example, but Christian nationalism turns out to be a fairly broad concept, with characteristics that for most adherents exist on a spectrum rather than a clear yes/no, either/or.

Those who have studied and written about it identify several characteristics of those inclined toward Christian nationalism, including:  a conviction that the United States is a Christian nation, the notion that Christian values should prevail in civic life, the idea that there does not need to be a separation between church and state (as long as Christians are in charge), and the belief that the United States has been ordained by God to play a critical role in salvation history.

Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, has defined Christian nationalism as a “political ideology and a cultural framework that seeks to merge American and Christian identities. She says that "Christian nationalism suggests that ‘real’ Americans are Christians and not just any kind of Christian, but Christians who hold a particular set of fundamentalist religious beliefs that often align with certain conservative political positions.”

John Whitsett, a Protestant pastor and commentator, says that "Christian nationalism is the belief that America is defined by Christianity and the government should take steps to keep it that way."  He goes on to say "Christian nationalists believe America is the “new Israel”—that God has raised her up, placed a divine calling upon her, and assigned her a preferred and providential place among the nations of the world."

From a Catholic perspective, the problem with Christian nationalism is the nationalism part, and how that distorts the Gospel message.  We saw that in Pope Leo's comments that I just mentioned.  Earlier popes had similar things to say, contrasting nationalism with patriotism.

Pope St. John Paul II, in his book Memory and Identity: Personal Reflections, said:  “Whereas nationalism involves recognizing and pursuing the good of one’s own nation alone, without regard for the rights of others, patriotism, on the other hand, is a love for one’s native land that accords rights to all other nations equal to those claimed for one’s own."

And Pope Pius XI, in Ubi Arcano, said that patriotism, “love for country,” becomes gravely disordered when it descends into “nationalism,” forgetting that “all men are our brothers and members of the same great human family."

The problem with nationalism, then, whether it's American nationalism or any other country's nationalism, is that it is simply not compatible with some of the basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching.  

It violates the principle of the common good, which calls us to go beyond our own interests and strive for what is good for everyone, not just for ourselves or our nation.  It ignores the principle of the universal destination of goods, which is the idea that the goods of creation are for the whole human race, including present and future generations, and not just for whoever is the most powerful at the moment.  And it disregards the principle of solidarity, the idea that we are all one human family and that “loving our neighbor” extends beyond our national borders.

Now, reflecting our religious beliefs in how we engage with political and civic life is something we should do, whatever our beliefs, and indeed Catholics and those who lean toward Christian nationalism tend to agree on a number of social goals, things like supporting marriage, lowering divorce rates, limiting abortion, providing public education in a way that respects religious beliefs, and so on.  However, we can work for a Christian moral influence on public policy without linking Christianity to nationalism.

Now, I've only scratched the surface of Christian nationalism here, simply to make the point that nationalism is fundamentally at odds with Catholic Social Teaching.  I have not addressed the question of whether America is (or ever was) a Christian nation, and the related question of whether America should be a Christian nation.  Those are important questions and I've provided links to some interesting perspectives in the notes, but I don't see a clear answer to these questions in Catholic Social Teaching, so I'm not going to comment on them.

However, I do want to comment on two recent US Catholic news stories, and ask if they have anything to do with Christian nationalism.

First, the US Catholic Bishops, during their recent spring meeting, came together to consecrate the United States to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Why did they do that?  And does it represent Christian nationalism?

Well, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami provided a good answer to those questions in an article included in the notes.  He said "In linking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with the devotion to the Sacred Heart, the bishops invite us to reflect with gratitude on the blessings God has bestowed on our nation but, at the same time, devotion to the Sacred Heart demands that we consider how we might foster truth, justice and charity in American life." He went on to say "Thus, our celebrations around the Fourth of July will foster a constructive and forward-looking patriotism as opposed to a divisive, exclusionary, blind nationalism."

The other news item is connected with the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which is a 2,200 mile walk up and down the East Coast that just ended in Philadelphia on July 5.  Nine pilgrims accompanied the Blessed Sacrament the whole way, with many others joining in for various sections of the walk and for the public events — including Masses, Holy Hours, sacred music concerts, talks and charitable activities — that took place all along the way.

This was sponsored by a nonprofit named the National Eucharistic Congress, which has been working with the US bishops to foster a revival of Eucharistic devotion.  It's been an inspiring and effective public expression of Catholic faith in a secular society.

The theme chosen for this year's pilgrimage was "One nation under God."  Now, in a highly polarized environment, this theme is interpreted by some as an expression of America having favored status in the eyes of God, which as we've seen is one of the characteristics of Christian nationalism.

However, the National Eucharistic Congress issued a statement on April 21 explaining its use of this theme and title, saying “The ‘One Nation Under God’ pilgrimage is a united prayer of petition to God on behalf of our country and for peace in the world. It is not about political statements, but about spiritual renewal.”

They provide a good explanation, one I'm certainly willing to accept.  However, my quibble is that, if you have to issue a statement explaining your use of the phrase "One Nation Under God," perhaps a different theme and title would have made for better communication.

I offer this mild critique because it seems that, for many people in the United States, their perception of Christianity at the moment is very much colored by Christian nationalism, and it's a negative perception.  Well, that just becomes an unfortunate barrier to evangelization, because they're not rejecting real Christianity, they're rejecting a politicized and distorted caricature of Christianity.

That's not to criticize the sincere Christian beliefs of those who are inclined toward Christian nationalism.  They are our brothers and sisters, they share our belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and we can certainly build on that.

Because, as Christians, we share in the reality that, ultimately, our allegiance is not to the United States or to any other worldly power, but rather to God and to the kingdom proclaimed by Jesus Christ.  May we remember that in prayer this day and every day.

Well, that's all for this episode of “Headline News and Catholic Social Teaching.”  If you found it worthwhile, I invite you to share it with others.  If you’d like to make a comment or send me a message or pose a question, there’s a link in the notes to do so.

And I hope and pray that, in some small way, this episode might help us live our lives guided by the Holy Spirit through the teachings of the Church.  

Thank you for listening.