VOICES: Randall Balmer

Christian Nationalism and American Democracy

The popularity of Christian nationalism, the notion that the United States is and always has been a Christian nation, is based on a flawed reading of history and a misinterpretation of the First Amendment, America’s best idea. Why has Christian nationalism emerged in recent years, and what can be done to counteract it?

Randall Balmer, an Episcopal priest, is the John Phillips Professor of Religion at Dartmouth College. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including Solemn Reverence: The Separation of Church and State in American Life, and his commentaries appear in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Santa Fe New Mexican and newspapers across the country.