Understanding Christian Nationalism and Christian Zionism
I’m on vacation so not writing a full newsletter this week. But there’s a Zoom call this coming Friday, at our usual time. Our guest will be Yale sociologist Philip Gorski, co-author of the new book, The Flag and The Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy. I heard Philip speak on the book a while back and quickly realized how little I knew about both Christian Zionism, the belief that God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people, and Christian nationalism, the belief that God gave the United States to white Christians. The Flag and the Cross is a deeply illuminating book, and deeply troubling. I’m excited to talk to Philip about it this Friday. As always, paid subscribers will get the link this Wednesday and the video the following week.
Other Stuff:
In Jewish Currents (subscribe!), Naftuli Moster excoriates progressive politicians in New York for failing to defend the principle that ultra-Orthodox Jewish children deserve a secular education.
Last week, I discussed AIPAC’s massive financial intervention in this year’s congressional campaigns on “Democracy Now!”
A Fox News anchor asks a former CIA director about US meddling in foreign elections—and they both burst out laughing.
I came across a fascinating documentary about Matzpen, the radical socialist, anti-occupation organization that existed in Israel from the 1960s to 1980s. For those who prefer reading to watching, Shaul Magid wrote a great review last year of a new book about the organization.
I really like this statement about free speech co-authored in 2017 by Professors Cornell West and Robert P. George.
On the occasion of what would have been his 104th birthday, AJ+ reminds viewers about those truths about Nelson Mandela that the American media tends to ignore.
See you on Friday,
Peter
" Christian nationalism, the belief that God gave the United States to white Christians"
A typically American centric point of view. There are many countries in the world in which Christianity is the official religion and/or state church. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_state
With regard to Nelson Mandela, there is nothing in the statements he has made that anyone should be concerned with as they are true and pragmatic. If it causes you concern then you should examine why you are concerned, that concern may be based on being spoon fed what to believe or one’s assumptions about your own country’s behaviour.