A Conversation on Christian Nationalism

As DePauw’s historic Mendenhall lecture comes from within the Christian tradition, we believe this is a crucial time for faith communities to reflect critically about how theology shapes the way we actually live in the world. This one-night symposium will explore the phenomenon of Christian nationalism, particularly in American history and culture. Some of the questions we will consider include: How is Christian nationalism defined and invoked in our public discourse? What is the role of Christian nationalism in public life and polity right now (deep into an election year)? Is Christian nationalism primarily a theological identity, or a political one? How does Christian nationalism challenge the ideal of pluralistic democracy? How are people drawn to Christian nationalism, and how do those who are not talk across the divide? How do questions of race and ethnicity factor into the conversation? Andre Henry is an award-winning singer-songwriter, the bestselling author of All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep, a trusted global voice on nonviolent struggle for social progress, a creative truthteller, and a “tomorrow-maker.” Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri; and the author of eleven books, including Sinners In the Hands of a Loving God, When Everything’s on Fire, and The Wood Between the Worlds. Pamela Cooper-White, MDiv, PhD, LCPC is the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professor Emerita of Psychology and Religion and Dean Emerita, Union Theological Seminary, New York, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of New York, and a licensed psychotherapist. She is an award-winning author, most recently of The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide. Andrew L. Whitehead, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Association of Religion Data Archives at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IUPUI, and one of the foremost scholars of Christian nationalism in the United States. He is the author of American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church, and lead author of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States—along with Samuel Perry. is an associate professor of sociology and co-director of the Association of Religion Data Archives.