On Christian Nationalism: Critical and Theological Perspectives, edited by David M. Gides and Joan Braune. Routledge, 2026. Routledge Studies in Fascism and the Far Right. 406 pages. $46.39 ISBN 978-1032805665

Abstract

Anthropologist Kim Shively reviews On Christian Nationalism: Critical and Theological Perspectives, edited by David M. Gides, a theologian, and Joan Braune, a philosopher. Nineteen authors contribute essays on four topics: defining Christian nationalism, trends in the United States, international and comparative analyses, and theological responses to Christian nationalism. Christian nationalism is a platform for grievance, the contributors argue, and the theme of loss runs throughout the book: nostalgia for an imagined social history and loss or perceived loss of White privilege, with its attendant racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, sexism, and homophobia.