"Who do you say I am?"

An exploration of pseudotheology found within white Christian nationalism.

Located in Washington DC, the United States Capitol Building is where the Senate and the House of Representatives meet to discuss, debate, and deliberate national policy. In addition, they develop a consensus by which laws can be crafted for the country^[1]. This is considered the 'seat' of US democracy for the citizens of the United States and has been called the 'temple of democracy' signaling its sacredness within the American government. After losing his bid for re-election as President of the United States, Donald John Trump incited a mob of right-wing extremists to attack the nation's capital on January 6th, 2020. Among the members of the mob were 'The Three Percenters', an American and Canadian anti-government militia that advocates gun ownership rights and resistance to government structures. Also, in attendance where 'The Proud Boys' a terrorist organization identified by Canada and New Zealand for its previous attackson citizenry. It is an exclusively male North American far-right neo-fascist organization that promotes and engages in political violence in various countries.^[2] Sharing this extreme ideology and mixing within these groups was another subset of extremism: Christianity, or at least a dark version of it:

"The sea of people was punctuated throughout by flags. Mostly variations of American flags and Trump flags. There was Gadsden flags^[3]. It was clear the terrorists perceived themselves to be Christians. I saw the Christian flag directly to my front, and another had 'Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president.' Another, 'Jesus is king,'" said D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges who was violently attacked by the mob on January 6th.^[4]

Figure 1 Gadsden Flag^[5]

As the insurrectionist’s violence unfolded people displayed flags containing the image of Jesus, chanted "Jesus saves" and held impromptu worship sessions and prayers in Jesus' name in the Senate chamber after the breach. This is antithetical to many values cherished and supported by Americans and Christians who witnessed violence in Christ's name that day. The January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was a hodgepodge of conflicting symbols both political and Christian leading many unchurched wondering if this was mainline Christianity in action.^[6] However, for Yale sociologist Philip Gorski, the scene was instantly recognizable as an extreme form of white Christian nationalism. ^[7]

White Christian nationalism is an ideology based on a story about America and Canada whose narrative developed over three centuries. For white Christian nationalists Canada and the United States are believed to have been divinely blessed and given the mission of spreading religion, freedom, and civilization throughout the world.^[8] While the United States saw these adherents in full force on January 6th the Canadian people experienced its own homegrown Christian extremism in the form of the Freedom Convoy.

Figure 2 Freedom Convoy “church”

Several months after the Ottawa convoy occupation, far-right convoy-linked groups were increasingly looking like Christian evangelical "revival" like those found in America’s white Christian nationalistic movement. These groups promote extreme Christian nationalist rhetoric, combining Christian identity, Canadian nationalism, and right-wing political beliefs. A convoy-adjacent group took over a deconsecrated church in Ottawa and wanting to transform it into a church for its group forming its own theology and drawing creative inspiration for its logo from The White Tree of Gondor found in JRR Tolkens' Lord of the Rings novels.^[9] The Revival Reformation Alliance as it is called is associated with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement and has been criticized for promoting homophobic and anti-abortion messaging. The NAR claims to be a movement of apostles and prophets to "tear down demonic strongholds and plant and establish the Kingdom of God on earth". To further examine the methods by which Christian white nationalism presents its challenges to churches in Canada and the United States, this paper will examine the writings of early church fathers such as St. Irenaeus and others who faced similar challenges in their time to provide insights into how to combat this form of heresy and promote a more inclusive and proper view of Christianity.^[10]

Figure 3 “White MAGA Jesus”

A flawed theology, a twisting of scripture, and improperly formed Christology show that these beliefs and theories are strongly at odds with established theologies and issues at various points in our shared church history. However, it's in these moments that we see motivated Christian thought leaders interceding to protect proper education while admonishing these offending communities. Once such thought leader was St. Irenaeus of Lyon an early church figure born in the first half of the second century and a fervent protector of apostic theology^[11]. He was a priest in Lyon during Marcus Aurelius' persecution and was concerned about Gnostic theology concerned it would affect Christian thought. He wrote a letter to Pope Eleuterus concerning Montanism, a gnostic movement at the time to bring much needed attention to this incorrect and dangerous teaching.^[12]

Irenaeus, in his role as Bishop of Lyons, wrote a five-volume treatise titled Adversus Heresies or Against Heresies (ca. 180).^[13] In this treatise, he exposed the tenets of various heretical sects and set forth the doctrines of orthodox faith in contrast with the teachings of the heretics. Irenaeus attached to the defects in logic seen in the traditional task of a Gnostic speaker, to overcome crisis and restore social harmony^[14]. The rhetoric of orthodoxies given by Irenaeus defines and protects the boundaries of ideological and socially cohesive groups. Gnostic rhetoric is a shining forth of Being, an unveiling of truth, rather than being philosophical, epistemic, or even doxastic. Against Heresies is Irenaeus' most significant work that refutes Gnosticism with Scripture and logic recalling the threads of early systematic theology. Against Heresies was written to criticize cults that moved away from authentic Christian faith and as result, he strongly disagreed with the beliefs of the Gnostics and Marcionites. Particularly, he sought to disprove what he considered to be incorrect interpretations of scripture by Gnostics like Valentinus that he felt were contrary to the scriptures themselves.^[15]

Irenaeus twice says he knew Polycarp of Smyrna recounting how he used to sit and converse with him. To further his connection, he also recounts his manner of life as well as his appearance, and the talks he gave to the people. By hearing Polycarp preach, Irenaeus believed he was linked to the apostolic age through the Apostle John, thereby cementing his connection to Jesus' original teaching. He firmly believed that his role as bishop was to be above all a teacher, a publicly accredited witness to apostolic teaching.^[16] He went further to say that the two most glorious apostles Peter and Paul kicked off the succession at Rome but were not themselves bishops yet acknowledging their status as teachers. Irenaeus heavily leverages Paul's theology specifically the structural significance of creation motifs in his theology deploying Paul in the formation of a biblical creation theology. Irenaeus is an effective reader of Paul^[17], and his texts are used to answer specific questions in his theology with Eusebius mentioning him as well, echoing his view on traditions.^[18] However, he frames him less as a bishop than as a teacher, possibly showing the various roles Irenaeus occupied in the community during his missional work.

Gnosticism is a general term for various esoteric doctrine systems, which were rife in the Greco-Roman world from before Christ's birth until several centuries later. Marcion was one of the most prominent pseudo-Christian leaders, though his system differed considerably from Gnosticism.^[19] For Irenaeus the eternal problem of theology is to reconcile God's transcendence and goodness with this world's dependence on God and the existence of evil. For the Gnostics, the supreme God was unknowable, entirely aloof from matter, and matter was the root of evil. In some respects, Irenaeus' outlook is similar to that of the Gnostics. However, he believes that the Word and Spirit of God have filled the gulf between God and the world. Matter was incapable of salvation or corruption, but was nevertheless good, created by God, and part of man. Irenaeus and the Christian Gnostics agree that God the Father is the supreme God, who is invisible, incomprehensible, and unapproachable. The Gnostics believed that God was not the supreme God, but the demiurge, and the source of evil. Marcion elaborated on the distinction between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament.^[20] He also explained how God intervened to save mankind by using the demiurge's Messianic plans and turning them to His own ends. Irenaeus says that Christ is the Son of God, that He is the Word of God, that He gave matter its solidity, and that He is the link whereby we have access to the transcendent Father.

In his pivotal work, Against Heresies Irenaeus offers contemporary readers a solution to combat the pseudo-Christian gnostic thought currently plaguing politics and faith in both the United States and Canada, that being the tool of systematic theology.^[21] Using his focal points of scriptural fact, logic, and reason we can identify many of the failures currently prevalent in these communities today. If we apply Irenaeus' approach to God's goodness in the material world, we begin to observe much of the negativity associated with these pseudo-Christian groups falls away as their belief tends to center around the wrathful Creator as found in Old Testament readings. If we use Irenaeus' lens as seen through his theology, we come to see the white Christian nationalistic view of God as completely incorrect and quizzically absent of the 'goodness' of the Creator and ignores the new covenant of Christ Jesus. This brings white Christian nationalism into a very Gnostic space, and frames God as a demiurge, and the source of evil. This is at odds with Irenaeus' desire to reconcile God's transcendence and goodness with this world's dependence on God. While the white Christian nationalistic view of a wrathful God focuses on Old Testament scripture it seems to completely ignore the prophet Ezekiel's promise of a new covenant:

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)^[22]

When Christ Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world Ezekiel’s' "new spirit" came into the world and is a pivotal moment in the faith of Christians worldwide. However, unlike Irenaeus approach, it is the white Christian nationalists who have a twisted vision of Jesus, his mission and purpose in the world. Using Against Heresies as our lens we can see the outlines of gnostic thought in these modern pseudo-Christian communities. This is as if cherry picking scripture while projecting this vision of Jesus albeit in the mirror darkly^[23], it’s this identification as a crucial first step in the corrective measures needed to correct the course and admonish these flawed communities, and their brand of Christianity.

Establishing that White Christian Nationalism (WCN) is a theology of heresy its application and interactions with its church members are equality eschewed. How Christians ought to treat one another was a directive given by Jesus found in John's gospel:

"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”^[24]

"Love one another" wasn't just a directive for day-to-day living, but also a way for followers of Christ Jesus to identify one another. John reiterates this concept in his first letter (1 John 3:14; 4:20) and throughout the New Testament, Jesus emphasizes love as the primary sign of Christian faith. In this context, he is referring to the love that exists between those who claim to be His disciples. Looking at early portions of this gospel, we find that in the early evening, Jesus humbled Himself and washed His disciples' feet (John 13:2-5). This example of service provided by Jesus was intended to serve as a model for his disciples to follow (John 13:12-17). Jesus indicated in an earlier verse that this command to love falls under the same umbrella: we are to love as Jesus loved (1 John 3:16; Ephesians 5:25). The command was a renewed and reemphasized version of one previously given by God 'the Lord' (Matthew 22:36-40). No aspect of the Christian faith can be dismissed, though some are more pressing than others. This verse expresses the gold standard for Christian belief and is a metric we will use to address pastoral care and missional work found in white Christian nationalism.^[25]

Irenaeus saw and promoted Christ love as witnessed by the Apostle John in his missional and pastoral care. Through Polycarp Irenaeus believed he was linked to the apostolic age through the Apostle John.^[26] He would not only have been familiar with the commandment to love but may have felt a zealous desire to fulfill it through his pastoral care and missional works. Eusebius of Caesarea wrote about missionaries from the apostolic period to the fourth century, including the Didache a group of prophet-like evangelists who served as itinerant preachers^[27]. Bishops, teachers, philosophers, and monks were involved in intercultural mission work, though it was not their primary vocation. Irenaeus was appointed after a community had been evangelized and some church semblance had been planted, and yet he was also a cross-cultural missionary. Irenaeus became bishop of Lyons around AD 180, though he probably arrived as a missionary earlier. He served among a diverse group of Christians living in the diaspora, and probably interacted with local Gallic culture. Irenaeus was an outsider in a Latin-speaking populace, steeped in Hellenistic philosophical and rhetorical culture. He experienced severe persecution in 177 CE, but returned to Lyons and began a ministry of overseeing a persecuted, fledgling community of faithful believers.^[28]

Irenaeus's theology believes that the gospel is translatable, and that the same message can be communicated across cultures. He defends the Septuagint translation and maintains that the same message of the Hebrew Scriptures was preserved by the Septuagint and confirmed by the apostles. As a Hellenistic academic Irenaeus himself was an outsider to the Latin speakers and the Gallic societies yet motivated by love he crossed barriers to share the Good News. Irenaeus understood what needed to be done to share the gospel. Irenaeus took Jesus' commandment to love and built his ministry upon that, growing in language and culture to meet people where they were while honoring their unique cultural contexts^[29]. Indeed, Irenaeus took it upon himself to learn the language, culture, and communication of the 'other' that allowed him to connect with others in deeper, meaningful ways.

White Christian nationalism (WCN) does not use Christ's love directive to inform its missional/pastoral works, whereas white Christian nationalism's political theology is framed by cruelty and 'othering' of nonconforming individuals.^[30] This viewpoint removes Jesus’ love directive from the equation. Instead, it focuses on political sociology, collective behavior, and social identifiers such as race, gender, class. It focuses more on a central authoritative figure, usually a male, white religious, or political figure.^[31] One such figure is Grace Church pastor, Ron Tucker who during a recent church service delivered a sermon on Romans, but instead railed about antifa, Black Lives Matter, critical race theory, feminism, gun laws, abortion, and promoted the baseless claim that the Capitol riot was a hoax. Tucker founded Grace Church in 1978, but these days he uses his time in the pulpit to unleash a torrent of right-wing grievances and stoke fears of an imminent "Marxist takeover". But according to some of his congregants, it's a stark departure from his old preaching style. Members of Grace Church identified Tucker's radicalization during around Donald Trump's presidency. He started ranting about critical race theory and referring to the COVID vaccine as the "mark of the beast" both right wing philosophies and ideologies oddly lacking in biblical foundations.^[32]

Canada has also suffered from WCN ideology as seen during the protests against COVID pandemic lockdowns that eventually led to the formation of a pseudo-Christian faith community.   White Christian nationalists occupied Ottawa during the "Freedom Convoy" which combined American-style white evangelicalism with Canadian nationalism to declare themselves the only authentic Canadians. The Canadian truckers' "Freedom Convoy" blocked national borders and occupied the central core of Ottawa, but their concept of freedom lacked dialectical analysis.^[33] They were often described as a working-class movement, but there was no acknowledgement of how capitalism shapes working-class Canadian struggles.^[34] The Freedom Convoy truckers were a group of protesters gathering to protest social conditions but taking on US-style Christian extremism. They were vulnerable to right-wing conspiracy theories, and received more funding from US right-wing sources than from Canadian sources showing that WCN could be a US export. A spin-off group called The United People of Canada had taken possession of a deconsecrated church on St. Patrick Street and had been draping crimson banners down the building's exterior and painting the front doors bright red to match yet the theologian contained within was not geared toward directives given by Jesus to protect the weak, support the poor or love neighbour as self, instead the purpose of the 'church' was only to propagate right-wing political values.^[35]

White Christian nationalism is an anti-Christian movement and reflects a Christology unfamiliar to mainline Christians promoting a twisted vision of Jesus not found in scripture. There is a dark echo of WCN persecution that may contribute to the decline currently experienced in many North American churches. American Protestant churches declined by 5 million members from 1990 to 2000, and half of the churches did not add new members for the two years preceding 2007. One factor in this decline is the integration of some WCN ideologies. Pew Research Center conducted a survey of 12,055 U.S. adults to gauge Americans' views on church and state relationships. The survey is weighted to represent the U.S. adult population. While the United States Constitution states that the country shall have no official religion, Christians continue to make up a large majority of U.S. adults. Some Americans long for a more religious and explicitly Christian country, but many Americans do not accept these views. For example, two-thirds of adults say the Constitution was written by humans, not necessarily God's vision. According to Pew's study, incorporating Christian faith and government is not desirable or biblically sound; rather, it exploits the truth, beauty, and power of Christ Jesus to manipulate and control others.^[36]

As contemporary Christians it is not only proper but imperative to look to the past to early church figures such as Irenaeus of Lyons for direction, support, and solutions. Much like today the early church that Irenaeus was called to support serves as an uncomfortable reflection of our modern church. This is where heresies, erroneous theology and poor reflections of biblical Christ run rampant. It is Irenaeus' wisdom that should be replicated, studied, and implemented. This is for he was dedicated to presenting the gospels' truth and beauty while combating the heresies of his time. As he did, we should change ourselves to change the world around us and do so with the lens of love. This renewed lens of love will help the church remain strong, relevant and lifesaving as it was in its early days. By keeping our eyes continuously fixed upon the life, mission, and teachings of Christ Jesus we fulfill his directives, and commandments. So that we may find ourselves in a greater ability to protect and preserve Christology against a group longing to co-op Jesus for their own desires. The mission and protection of the early church as seen in the life of Irenaeus of Lyons shows us a man dedicated to the preservation of the gospel and is where our corrections should be focused: on protecting the truth and beauty in the New Testament within our communities and in the world.

---

^[1] Architect of the Capitol, “U.S. Capitol Building | Architect of the Capitol,” www.aoc.gov, n.d., https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/buildings-grounds/capitol-building.

^[2] January 6th Commission, “Select January 6th Committee Final Report and Supporting Materials Collection,” GovInfo, December 22, 2022, https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report?path=/GPO/January%206th%20Committee%20Final%20Report%20and%20Supporting%20Materials%20Collection.

^[3] Figure 1

^[4] Oriana Gonzalez, “D.C. Officer Testifies: ‘It Was Clear the Terrorists Perceived Themselves to Be Christians,’” Axios, July 27, 2021, https://www.axios.com/2021/07/27/capitol-riot-terrorists-christians-police-attack.

^[5] Rob Walker, “The Shifting Symbolism of the Gadsden Flag,” The New Yorker, October 2, 2016, https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-shifting-symbolism-of-the-gadsden-flag.

^[6] January 6th Commission, “Select January 6th Committee Final Report and Supporting Materials Collection,” GovInfo, December 22, 2022, https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report?path=/GPO/January%206th%20Committee%20Final%20Report%20and%20Supporting%20Materials%20Collection.

^[7] Philip Gorski, FLAG and the CROSS : White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. (S.L.: Oxford Univ Press Us, 2022).

^[8] Philip Gorski, FLAG and the CROSS : White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. (S.L.: Oxford Univ Press Us, 2022).

^[9] “Freedom Convoy-Affiliated Group Being Evicted from Ottawa Church,” Ottawa, August 18, 2022, https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/freedom-convoy-affiliated-group-being-evicted-from-ottawa-church-1.6032319.

^[10] Press Progress, “The ‘Freedom Convoy’ Is Turning into a Christian Nationalist Revival Movement,” Press Progress, August 26, 2022, https://pressprogress.ca/the-freedom-convoy-is-turning-into-a-christian-nationalist-revival-movement/.

^[11] Sara Parvis and Paul Foster, Irenaeus : Life, Scripture, Legacy (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012), 354–400,.

^[12] James R Payton, Irenaeus on the Christian Faith : A Condensation of against Heresies (Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2011).

^[13] Sara Parvis and Paul Foster, Irenaeus : Life, Scripture, Legacy (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012), 354–400,.

^[14] Dale L. Sullivan, “Identification and Dissociation in Rhetorical Exposé: An Analysis of St. Irenaeus’Against Heresies,” Rhetoric Society Quarterly 29, no. 1 (January 1999): 49–76, https://doi.org/10.1080/02773949909391137.

^[15] Dale L. Sullivan, “Identification and Dissociation in Rhetorical Exposé: An Analysis of St. Irenaeus ‘Against Heresies,” Rhetoric Society Quarterly 29, no. 1 (January 1999): 49–76, https://doi.org/10.1080/02773949909391137.

^[16] Sara Parvis and Paul Foster, Irenaeus: Life, Scripture, Legacy (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012), 354–400,.

^[17] P. Zamarovský, “Cosmos, Time and Creation (Remarks to the Philosophical, Theological and Physical Conceptions of Creation),” Acta Polytechnica 50, no. 6 (January 6, 2010), https://doi.org/10.14311/1303.

^[18] J Stevenson and William H C Frend, A New Eusebius : Documents Illustrating the History of the Church to AD 337 (London: Spck, 2002), 114–16.

^[19] Paul Saieg, “Lived Theology: Spirit, Economy, and Asceticism in Irenaeus and His Readers,” Vigiliae Christianae 73, no. 3 (May 23, 2019): 297–332, https://doi.org/10.1163/15700720-12341403.

^[20] Dale L. Sullivan, “Identification and Dissociation in Rhetorical Exposé: An Analysis of St. Irenaeus ‘Against Heresies,” Rhetoric Society Quarterly 29, no. 1 (January 1999): 49–76, https://doi.org/10.1080/02773949909391137.

^[21] James R Payton, Irenaeus on the Christian Faith: A Condensation of against Heresies (Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2011).

^[22] Leland Ryken and Philip Graham Ryken, The Literary Study Bible: ESV: English Standard Version, Containing the Old and New Testaments (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Bibles, 2007).

^[23] Philip Gorski, FLAG and the CROSS: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. (S.L.: Oxford Univ Press Us, 2022).

^[24] Leland Ryken and Philip Graham Ryken, The Literary Study Bible: ESV: English Standard Version, Containing the Old and New Testaments (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Bibles, 2007).

^[25] Raymond Edward Brown, An Introduction to the Gospel of John (Anchor Bible, 2003).

^[26] Sara Parvis and Paul Foster, Irenaeus: Life, Scripture, Legacy (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012).

^[27] James Stevenson, A New Eusebius : Documents Illustrating the History of the Church to AD 337 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, A Division Of Baker Publishing Group, 2013).

^[28] Edward L Smither, Mission in the Early Church: Themes and Reflections (Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2014).

^[29] William B. Oglesby, “Pastoral Care and Counseling in Biblical Perspective,” Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 27, no. 3 (July 1973): 307–26, doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/002096437302700303.

^[30] Peter Kivisto, “The Politics of Cruelty,” The Sociological Quarterly 60, no. 2 (April 3, 2019): 191–200, doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2019.1593060.

^[31] Philip Gorski, FLAG and the CROSS : White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. (S.L.: Oxford Univ Press Us, 2022).

^[32] Tess Owen, “Christian Nationalism Drove These People out of Their Churches,” Www.vice.com, July 18, 2022, https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7vew9/christian-nationalism-churches.

^[33] Christine Mitchell, “How White Christian Nationalism Is Part of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protests,” Nationalpost, February 7, 2022, https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/how-white-christian-nationalism-is-part-of-the-freedom-convoy-protests.

^[34] Christine Mitchell, “How White Christian Nationalism Is Part of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protests,” Nationalpost, February 7, 2022, https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/how-white-christian-nationalism-is-part-of-the-freedom-convoy-protests.

^[35] Press Progress, “The ‘Freedom Convoy’ Is Turning into a Christian Nationalist Revival Movement,” Press Progress, August 26, 2022, https://pressprogress.ca/the-freedom-convoy-is-turning-into-a-christian-nationalist-revival-movement/.

^[36] Pew Research Center, “In U.S., Far More Support than Oppose Separation of Church and State,” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, October 28, 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/10/28/in-u-s-far-more-support-than-oppose-separation-of-church-and-state/.