Understanding Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of the State
The Center for Transforming Engagement invites you to our annual Virtual Summit.
White Christian nationalism is shaping congregations, communities, and public life in ways many Christian leaders can feel, but may not always know how to name.
This seven part video series is designed to help pastors, priests, bishops, and formation leaders respond with theological clarity, historical grounding, and practices that form people away from fear, nationalism, and the misuse of Christian faith in public life.
Meet Your Speakers
Session: What Is White Christian Nationalism and Why Clarity Matters Now
Presented By: Dr. David P. Gushee
In a cultural landscape where “Christian nationalism” is frequently debated but often misunderstood, establishing a shared language is essential. Dr. David Gushee will carefully define white Christian nationalism, clearly distinguishing this ideology from healthy patriotism and faithful civic engagement.
By exploring the underlying human forces—such as fear, cultural threat, and perceived loss—that fuel its traction, this session will equip you to understand why theological clarity is a pastoral necessity, not just a political one. You will leave with a grounded, non-reactionary framework to responsibly teach your congregation, avoiding caricature while naming the true moral consequences for the church.
Session: A Theological Diagnosis: When Christianity Is Co-Opted by Power
Presented By: Rev. Dr. Angela Parker
When faith is co-opted by power, core Christian commitments like the incarnation, kenosis, neighbor-love, and the kingdom of God are often distorted. Rev. Dr. Angela Parker will guide leaders in identifying the specific theological moves that undergird white Christian nationalism, addressing how scripture is frequently misused to sacralize violence, borders, and hierarchy.
This session provides the tools to offer a faithful theological counter-witness, helping you articulate exactly why this ideology is fundamentally a discipleship issue rather than merely a political debate.
Session: History Matters: Race, Religion and the Christian Imagination in the U.S.
Presented By: Dr. Ron Ruthruff
Disrupting the myth of innocence requires an honest look at our past. In this session, Dr. Ron Ruthruff traces the deep historical relationship between Christianity, whiteness, and U.S. national identity. We will explore how this legacy deeply shapes our present reality across systemic, organizational, interpersonal, and intra-psychic levels of human relationships.
By inviting leaders into a posture of historical humility and introspection regarding how we perceive the “other,” this session offers a crucial lens that deepens empathy and actively resists simplistic, polarized narratives.
Session: State Power, Violence, and the Gospel: Discernment in a Time of ICE and Enforcement
Presented By: Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee
Current events surrounding immigration enforcement and state violence demand a morally serious response from church leaders. The Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee will reflect on the relationship between the state’s use of force and Christian ethics, offering practical theological tools to help congregations process fear, anger, grief, and complicity.
You will learn how to model truthful, courageous speech without inciting panic or fear-based rhetoric, ultimately helping your community stay grounded, faithful, and humane in divided times.
Session: The Long History Behind the Border
Presented By: Dr. Joel Aguilar
To root our pastoral responses in truth rather than reaction, we must understand the historical conditions driving contemporary migration. Dr. Joel Aguilar will trace the history of U.S. involvement in the Americas – including Cold War politics, anti-communism, commerce, and foreign policy- and examine how immigration, borders, and belonging function as racialized constructs shaped by power rather than nature.
By stepping into a broader hemispheric imagination, leaders will gain a geopolitically honest framework that challenges narrow nationalist narratives, resists scapegoating, and deepens pastoral compassion.
Session: From Ideology to Formation: Discipling People Out of Christian Nationalism
Presented By: Dr. Chuck DeGroat
Information and argument alone rarely change hearts deeply shaped by fear and identity rigidity. Moving from analysis to formation, therapist and theologian Chuck DeGroat brings clinical precision and deep pastoral care to the task of discipling people away from Christian nationalism.
This session will offer concrete, formative practices that leaders can implement in preaching, small groups, and formation spaces to reshape moral imagination and belonging. You will discover pastoral strategies that support genuine transformation rather than relying on shame or expulsion.
Session: Faithful Leadership in a Time of Unveiling
Presented By: Dr. Keny Felix
Navigating this cultural moment of unveiling and reckoning requires profound courage and a grounded witness. Dr. Keny Felix will address the very real costs of silence alongside the risks of speaking out, offering profound wisdom for leaders facing institutional pressure, fatigue, and fear.
By encouraging a faithful posture rooted in hope, repentance, and repair, this closing session is designed to call you back to your core purpose, leaving you with a renewed sense of vocation for leadership in fractured times.