On February 17th, Pete Hegseth invited Doug Wilson to speak during the monthly worship service at the Pentagon.

Doug Wilson, who runs his church up north here in Idaho, is a leading voice in a distinct theological and political movement that has openly advocated for repealing the 19th Amendment, removing women’s right to vote, restricting the vote to male “heads of household,” enforcing rigid, hierarchical gender roles, wants to enforce a hardline stance against same sex marriage, and openly advocates for the United States to move away from democracy and into a theocracy.

In public interviews, including one with CNN, Wilson and his associates have defended the idea that women should not vote independently of their husbands, claiming it erodes both thefamily structure and our country. 

Wilson has also made widely criticized statements about American slavery, arguing it was not fundamentally racial in nature and at times describing it as containing elements of mutual affection or benefit. These are not minor theological footnotes. They are claims that rewrite painful chapters of American history and minimize the brutality inflicted upon Black Americans.

Yet whenever anyone raised concerns about Christian nationalism, the pushback is predictable. Many will say that Christian nationalism is just a talking point we’ve made up or that “Christian nationalism is just Christians who love their country.”

No, loving one’s country is not the issue. The issue is a clearly identifiable movement represented by figures like Doug Wilson, Joel Webbon, Pete Hegseth, and others who seek to reorder American democracy around a narrow, sectarian vision of power. They define what it means to be “Christian” and what it means to be an “American” in extremely narrow terms, and if you do not fit those terms, you don’t belong here in their eyes.

This is not fringe anymore. When Doug Wilson was interviewed by CNN and his staff advocated repealing the 19th Amendment, Pete Hegseth shared that interview on his official account as Secretary of Defense. That should send chills down every American spine, regardless of party. Hegseth has also written a book called “American Crusade” where he explicitly advocates his Christian nationalist beliefs. It was published in 2020.

And this is why support among Christian nationalists for measures like the so-called SAVE Act should also concern us deeply. The proposal would require documentary proof of citizenship such as a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. Nearly half of Americans do not possess a passport. Passports cost money and time. Birth certificates can be difficult to obtain, particularly for the elderly, the poor, married women who have changed their names, and rural Americans. No matter their political affiliation.

The justification? The repeatedly debunked claim that non-citizens are voting in large numbers. Study after study has shown that such cases are exceedingly rare. On top of this, it’s already difficult to get eligible voters to show up for our elections. So, to impose sweeping new burdens on millions of eligible voters based on a baseless and often racially charged conspiracy theory is not promoting election integrity, it is voter suppression dressed up in patriotic language.

Policies that make it harder for working-class Americans, seniors, and marginalized communities to participate in democracy are not “pro-family.” They are not “pro-freedom.” They are not even conservative in the classical sense. They are anti-democratic.

This is being done in the name of Jesus.

When prominent Christian nationalists attempt to shape the country in their own image, they do so while invoking Christ. If Christians, especially pastors and faith leaders, remain silent, this movement will define our sacred faith in the public square for generations to come.

I have been speaking out about Christian nationalism long before 2016 arrived. Not because it was popular. Not because it was partisan. But because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a tool of domination.

The Church must not trade its prophetic voice for proximity to power.

Christian Nationalism is an ideology that claims a nation is meant to be explicitly Christian in identity, law, and political power and that the state should actively privilege Christianity over other religions (or non-religion).

Christian Nationalism treats the nation as God’s chosen instrument, fusing religious identity with national identity so tightly that being a “true” citizen is implicitly (or explicitly) tied to being Christian.

Christianity is about following Christ; Christian Nationalism is about using Christ to enforce a nation’s power agenda.

I believe in the separation of church and state as a Christian, not because I’m against Christianity, but because I know the history of Christianity.

It is because I have studied all about the tremendous harm that is caused whenever the church crawls into bed with the empire. The crusades, inquisitions, genocides, slavery, and subjugation of women, and persecution of people who don’t believe the way “the church” demands, all done in the name of “preserving our Christian faith.”

Whenever a government mandates Christianity, it ceases to be a matter of faith pursued by human freewill and therefore it ceases to have anything to do with Jesus and just becomes another tool to oppress people that are seen as “outsiders” by those in power.

I invite you, regardless of political affiliation, to pay attention. To ask hard questions. And to refuse to let the name of Jesus be weaponized against people, against democracy, and the legacy of the Christian faith itself.

Doug Wilson interview: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/politics/video/christian-nationalist-doug-wilson-pam-brown-digvid​

Pete Hegseth’s book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crusade

On the Save Act: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/save-act-would-hurt-americans-who-actively-participate-elections​

A Christian defense for the separation of church and state: https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/posts/a-christian-defense-for-the-separation-of-church-and-state ​

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