Is White or Christian Nationalism or White Christian Nationalism Heresy?

Should the American Church Classify White Nationalism, Christian Nationalism, or White Christian Nationalism as Heresies?

The question of whether American churches should declare White Nationalism, Christian Nationalism, or White Christian Nationalism as heretical is deeply significant given the increasing visibility of these ideologies in public discourse. Historical precedent exists in the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) of South Africa, which explicitly declared apartheid a heresy. This precedent suggests no theological barrier prevents American churches from taking similar stances against ideologies that distort core Christian doctrines through racial or nationalist claims.

American churches have every theological justification to formally declare White Christian Nationalism (and related racialized ideologies) heretical and indeed have a moral and spiritual responsibility to do so clearly and publicly.

Historical Context:

The Dutch Reformed Church played a critical role historically in developing theological justifications for apartheid, using Scripture to rationalize racial segregation. Over decades, significant internal and external theological debate occurred about whether apartheid was compatible with Christian teaching.

Official Declaration:

In 1986, the Dutch Reformed Church initially recognized that apartheid was flawed but stopped short of declaring it heretical, calling it only an “error.” However, in a landmark move in 2019, the General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa officially declared apartheid a heresy, explicitly stating it was in direct conflict with fundamental biblical teachings about human equality and dignity.

Why Apartheid Was Declared a Heresy:

The church recognized apartheid explicitly contradicted the biblical doctrine of human beings created equally in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), as well as the New Testament’s message of unity and equality in Christ (Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 2:11–22). Apartheid was explicitly condemned for distorting core Christian principles of justice, reconciliation, and love.

Implications:

By declaring apartheid heretical, the church acknowledged a profound theological error and moral failure, prompting repentance and a commitment to racial justice and reconciliation. This declaration reinforced the broader Christian consensus that doctrines promoting racial discrimination explicitly contradict biblical teachings and qualify as heresy.

Relevance to White Christian Nationalism:

Like apartheid, White Christian Nationalism explicitly combines racial supremacy with theology, making similar claims about racial identity and divine favor. Thus, following the precedent of the Dutch Reformed Church’s declaration, any theological ideology advocating racial segregation or supremacy similarly constitutes a heresy.

I. Definitions and Key Terms

White Nationalism promotes racial separation or white supremacy primarily through secular arguments and rarely invokes explicit theological justification.

Christian Nationalism asserts Christianity should dominate a nation’s public life and policies, explicitly conflating religious and national identities, though not necessarily emphasizing race.

White Christian Nationalism explicitly merges racial supremacy with theological doctrines, asserting divine sanction for racial hierarchy and national identity.

These distinctions are crucial for theological classification as heresy.

II. Criteria for Identifying Heresy

Historically, heresy involves teachings substantially diverging from core orthodox Christian doctrines, typically by:

• Distorting biblical teachings about God, Christ, humanity, and salvation.
• Contradicting fundamental doctrines of human equality in God’s image.
• Introducing non-biblical criteria, such as race or nationality, for inclusion in God’s kingdom.

III. Comparative Theological Analysis

Case Study of Apartheid (Established Precedent)

The Dutch Reformed Church declared apartheid heretical because it distorted biblical teachings affirming equality and unity (Genesis 1:27, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 2:11–22). This offers a template for evaluating American ideologies:

• White Nationalism: Primarily racial without theological arguments; morally reprehensible but typically not doctrinally heretical.
• Christian Nationalism: Problematic due to conflating Christianity with nationalism, risking idolatry; doctrinally erroneous, though less explicitly racial.
• White Christian Nationalism: Directly parallels apartheid by explicitly linking racial superiority to theological justifications, clearly qualifying as heretical.

IV. Theological and Biblical Grounds for Declaring Heresy

The Bible explicitly condemns racism and ethnocentric divisions:

• Genesis 1:27 affirms humanity equally created in God’s image.
• Galatians 3:28 proclaims equality transcending ethnicity.
• Acts 17:26 emphasizes shared human origin.
• Revelation 7:9 portrays God’s multicultural and inclusive kingdom.

These passages unequivocally demonstrate the incompatibility of racial supremacy and nationalism with genuine Christian doctrine.

V. Practical and Historical Precedent for American Churches

Churches globally have previously condemned racial and nationalist distortions:

• World Council of Churches and Vatican II explicitly rejected racism.
• Prominent American Christian leaders (Russell Moore, Jemar Tisby, Kristin Du Mez, Beth Moore) publicly identified racialized theology as anti-Christian.
• Scholarly consensus increasingly identifies White Christian Nationalism as inherently heretical.

VI. Addressing Possible Obstacles in American Churches

Despite theological clarity, several factors may prevent immediate declarations:

• Cultural and political influence complicating clear denunciation.
• Fear of internal division or loss of membership and financial support.
• Decentralized authority in American Protestantism lacking centralized doctrinal statements.

VII. Recommended Path Forward

American churches should:

• Officially declare White Christian Nationalism explicitly heretical, clearly articulating theological rationale.
• Engage in robust theological education addressing racism, nationalism, and racialized theology.
• Model repentance and reconciliation similar to the DRC’s approach, openly acknowledging complicity and fostering restorative justice.

Conclusion

The Dutch Reformed Church’s declaration demonstrates the feasibility and necessity for American churches to declare White Christian Nationalism as heresy. Clearly defining ideologies, grounding declarations in Scripture and historical precedent, and proactively addressing institutional obstacles enable churches to decisively oppose doctrines incompatible with authentic Christian faith, preserving theological integrity and moral credibility.