The Myth of a Christian Nation

Last updated

The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church
The Myth of a Christian Nation.jpg
Author Greg Boyd
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Zondervan
Pages208
ISBN 0310267307

The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church is a 2007 book by theologian Greg Boyd on the relationship between politics and Christianity. Following the book's release, Boyd, who was already a noteworthy theologian before the book's publication, gained national attention after the New York Times published a front page cover article on the book and Boyd's rejection of the religious right. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] He also discussed the book on The Charlie Rose Show and in the CNN documentary God's Warriors . [7] [8] The book was also discussed widely in publications such as Christianity Today and The Christian Century . [9] [10]

Contents

Background and summary

Boyd wrote the book in the wake of pressure he felt as a senior pastor to endorse George W. Bush and other conservative candidates, as well as other conservative causes, from the pulpit. [11] During the 2004 United States Presidential Election year, many Christian evangelicals publicly supported the reelection of George W. Bush, and ended up playing a major role in his re-election. [12]

As early as the 1990s, Boyd had become seriously concerned about the politicization of Christianity in North America. Boyd was especially disturbed by the way in which Evangelical Christians had come to align themselves with right-wing politics and the Republican Party. [13] Instead of endorsing Bush for president, he delivered a sermon series entitled "The Cross and the Sword" calling on Christians to take a more humble approach toward politics, arguing instead that Christians should be careful not to align themselves with any particular political ideology, party, or candidate and should instead focus on following Jesus and embodying the values he taught. [14] Boyd then authored Myth of a Christian Nation to further explicate his views on the subject. [15] [16] [17]

Boyd's book challenges the theology of the Christian right and the theory of American exceptionalism, as well the claim that America is a "Christian Nation". [18] He instead argues that America is flawed and imperfect just like any other nation, and that the United States mirrors all other nations, or "kingdoms of the world" as the book calls them. He then contrasts the ethics and foundations of the "kingdoms of the world" with Jesus' teaching of the kingdom of God. [19] Boyd argues that Christians owe their full allegiance to the Kingdom of God and must reject the coercive, violent, and unjust methods and means used by the kingdoms of the world. Christians, he believes, have no duty to "Take America Back for God" or to even be involved in the political sphere, and should not use politics as a means of transforming society. [20] [21] Boyd's next book, The Myth of the Christian Religion: Losing Your Life for the Beauty of a Revolution, expands on many of the themes and topics discussed in The Myth of a Christian Nation. [22]

Josh Dies, vocalist of the band Showbread, is a fan of Boyd and referenced the book in a song with the same title. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvary Chapel Association</span> Evangelical association of Christian churches

Calvary Chapel is an international association of charismatic evangelical churches, with origins in Pentecostalism. It maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Piper (theologian)</span> American pastor and writer (born 1946)

John Stephen Piper is an American Baptist theologian, pastor, and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Piper taught biblical studies at Bethel University for six years (1974–1980), before serving as pastor for preaching and vision of Bethlehem Baptist Church (Converge) in Minneapolis for 33 years (1980–2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Laurie</span> American author and pastor (born 1952)

Greg Laurie is an American evangelical author, pastor and evangelist who serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, based in Riverside, California. He also is the founder of Harvest Crusades. Laurie is also the subject of the 2023 film Jesus Revolution, which tells the story of how he converted to Christianity and got his start in ministry in the midst of the Jesus movement.

Christian reconstructionism is a fundamentalist Calvinist theonomic movement. It developed primarily under the direction of R. J. Rushdoony, Greg Bahnsen and Gary North and has had an important influence on the Christian right in the United States. Its central theme is that society should be reconstructed under the lordship of Jesus in all aspects of life. In keeping with the biblical cultural mandate, reconstructionists advocate for theonomy and the restoration of certain biblical laws said to have continued applicability. These include the death penalty not only for murder, but also for idolatry, open homosexuality, adultery, witchcraft and blasphemy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Campolo</span> American sociologist and pastor

Anthony Campolo is an American sociologist, Baptist pastor, author, public speaker and former spiritual advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton. Campolo is known as one of the most influential leaders in the evangelical left and has been a major proponent of progressive thought and reform within the evangelical community. He has also become a leader of the Red-Letter Christian movement, which aims to put emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. Campolo is a popular commentator on religious, political, and social issues, and has been a guest on programs such as The Colbert Report, The Charlie Rose Show, Larry King Live, Nightline, Crossfire, Politically Incorrect and The Hour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Wallis</span> American activist and Evangelical writer

James E. Wallis Jr. is an American theologian, writer, teacher and political activist. He is best known as the founder and editor of Sojourners magazine and as the founder of the Washington, D.C.-based Christian community of the same name. In 2021, Wallis joined Georgetown University as the inaugural Archbishop Desmond Tutu Chair in Faith and Justice. He also leads the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown. Wallis is known for his advocacy on issues of peace and social justice. Although Wallis actively eschews political labels, he describes himself as an evangelical and is often associated with the evangelical left and the wider Christian left. He worked as a spiritual advisor to President Barack Obama. He is also a leader in the Red-Letter Christian movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. James Kennedy</span> American pastor, televangelist, and writer (1930–2007)

Dennis James Kennedy was an American Presbyterian pastor, evangelist, Christian broadcaster, and author. He was the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from 1960 until his death in 2007. Kennedy also founded Evangelism Explosion International, Coral Ridge Ministries, the Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, the Knox Theological Seminary, radio station WAFG-FM, and the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, a socially conservative political group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Keller (pastor)</span> American pastor and author (1950–2023)

Timothy James Keller was an American Calvinist pastor, preacher, theologian, and Christian apologist. He was the chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City, which trains pastors for service around the world. He was also the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and the author of The New York Times bestselling books The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (2008), Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God (2014), and The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (2008). The prequel for the latter is Making Sense of GOD: An Invitation to the Skeptical (2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Bell</span> American author and pastor

Robert Holmes Bell Jr. is an American author, speaker, playwright, musician and former pastor. Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan, and pastored it until 2012. Under his leadership, Mars Hill was one of the fastest-growing churches in America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Positive Christianity</span> Nazi movement which fuses racial purity and Christianity

Positive Christianity was a religious movement within Nazi Germany which promoted the belief that the racial purity of the German people should be maintained by mixing racialistic Nazi ideology with either fundamental or significant elements of Nicene Christianity. Adolf Hitler used the term in point 24 of the 1920 Nazi Party Platform, stating: "the Party as such represents the viewpoint of Positive Christianity without binding itself to any particular denomination". The Nazi movement had been hostile to Germany's established churches. The new Nazi idea of Positive Christianity allayed the fears of Germany's Christian majority by implying that the Nazi movement was not anti-Christian. That said, in 1937, Hans Kerrl, the Reich Minister for Church Affairs, explained that "Positive Christianity" was not "dependent upon the Apostle's Creed", nor was it dependent on "faith in Christ as the son of God", upon which Christianity relied, rather, it was represented by the Nazi Party: "The Führer is the herald of a new revelation", he said. Hitler's public presentation of Positive Christianity as a traditional Christian faith differed. Despite Hitler's insistence on a unified peace with the Christian churches, to accord with Nazi antisemitism, Positive Christianity advocates also sought to distance themselves from the Jewish origins of Christ and the Christian Bible. Based on such elements, most of Positive Christianity separated itself from traditional Nicene Christianity and as a result, it is in general considered apostate by all mainstream Trinitarian Christian churches, regardless of whether they are Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Boyd (theologian)</span> American pastor and theologian

Gregory A. Boyd is an American theologian, pastor, and author. Boyd is Senior Pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota and President of Reknew.org. He is one of the leading spokesmen in the growing Neo-Anabaptism movement, which is based in the tradition of Anabaptism and advocates Christian pacifism and a non-violent understanding of God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Life Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado)</span> Megachurch

New Life Church is a charismatic evangelical non-denominational multi-site megachurch based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Bakker</span> American pastor, author and speaker (born 1975)

Jamie Charles "Jay" Bakker is an American pastor, author, and speaker. He is the son of televangelists Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunday Adelaja</span> Ukrainian pastor of Nigerian descent

Sunday Adelaja is the founder and senior pastor of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, an evangelical-charismatic megachurch and a Christian denomination in Kyiv, Ukraine.

John S. Dickerson is a Christian pastor, author and a nationally awarded American journalist. He has written essays and opinion columns for USA Today, CNN, The New York Times Sunday Opinion Page, and the religion pages of The Washington Post

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Jeffress</span> Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas

Robert James Jeffress Jr. is an American Southern Baptist pastor, author, radio host, and televangelist. He is the senior pastor of the 14,000-member First Baptist Church, a megachurch in Dallas, Texas, and is a Fox News Contributor. His sermons are broadcast on the television and radio program Pathway to Victory, which is broadcast on more than 1,200 television stations in the United States and 28 other countries, and is heard on 900 stations and broadcast live in 195 countries.

<i>Jesus for President</i> 2008 book by Chris Haw and Shane Claiborne

Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals is a 2008 book co-written by the evangelical authors Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw, two important figures in New Monasticism. The book asserts that the countercultural themes in the ministry of Jesus, such as those of self-denial, are ignored by American Christians because they have become accustomed to exercising Christian privilege and are unwilling to give it up.

Evangelical theology is the teaching and doctrine that relates to spiritual matters in evangelical Christianity and a Christian theology. The main points concern the place of the Bible, the Trinity, worship, Salvation, sanctification, charity, evangelism and the end of time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Locke</span> U.S. Baptist pastor

Gregory Duane Locke is an American non-denominational evangelical Protestant pastor. He is the founder of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.

References

  1. ↑ Goodstein, Laurie (July 30, 2006). "Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Muravchik, Joshua. "The American Spectator : Mourning the Fourth of July". Spectator.org. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Jim Wallis: 'The Myth of a Christian Nation' - God's Politics". Blog.beliefnet.com. October 26, 2006. Archived from the original on November 28, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Gregory Boyd | The Centrality and Supremacy of Jesus Christ". Daviddflowers.com. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  5. ↑ Vander Hart, Shane (January 3, 2011). "Wayne Grudem vs. Greg Boyd: Christian View of Civil Government". Caffeinated Thoughts. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Greg Boyd, Megachurch Anomaly". Church Marketing Sucks. August 2, 2006. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  7. ↑ "A conversation with pastor Gregory Boyd". Charlie Rose. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Dr. Greg Boyd on CNN "God's Warriors" segment". YouTube. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  9. ↑ Smith, James K. A. (October 5, 2006). "Replacing Rallies with Revivals". Christianity Today. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  10. ↑ Sittser, Gerald L. (July 11, 2006). "The Myth of a Christian Nation". The Christian Century. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Gregory Boyd on "The Myth of a Christian Nation" Part 1/3". YouTube. February 25, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  12. ↑ Gershon, Livia (February 9, 2016). "Understanding the Evangelical Vote". JSTOR Daily.
  13. ↑ "CNN.com - Transcripts". Transcripts.cnn.com. December 15, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  14. ↑ "The Cross and the Sword". Woodland Hills Church. June 7, 2006.
  15. ↑ Goodstein, Laurie (December 31, 1969). "Pastor rejects the 'bully pulpit' - Americas - International Herald Tribune". The New York Times.
  16. ↑ "The Cross or the Sword? - Features - Christian living". Christianity.com. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Church History " Woodland Hills Church". Whchurch.org. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  18. ↑ Muravchik, Joshua (May 31, 2011). "The American Spectator : Religiously 'Conflicted' Over Memorial Day". Spectator.org. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  19. ↑ "The Myth of a Christian Nation". Barclay Press. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Book review - 'The Myth of a Christian Nation' " Anderson Independent Mail". Independentmail.com. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Greg Boyd Resources from". Jesus Radicals. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Greg Boyd Tackles The Myth of the Christian Religion". YouTube. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  23. ↑ "Myth of a Christian Nation Song Lyrics | Showbread Lyrics | Christian Music Song Lyrics, Christian Music | NewReleaseToday". www.newreleasetoday.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.