Ken Oliver's Blog (6)

Christian Nationalism #5  

The Reconquista – The Beginning

I am old enough, and have been a part of the Evangelical world for long enough, that I am now struggling with understanding what exactly (or even in-exactly) is an “Evangelical.”  In an earlier post I gave a short overview of the history of Evangelical social engagement starting with the 1940’s.  The difference between early 20^th century Fundamentalism and mid-20^th century…

Christian Nationalism #4

Five Principles for Discerning the News - cont'd

(Principles 3 – 5)

In my early blog post, I talked about the first two principles.  Now I will continue with #3,#4, and #5.

3. The enemy is never a monolith.

One of the myths that exist in any situation of conflict is the over-estimation of the opponent.  I remember some years ago when…

Christian Nationalism #4

Five Principles for Discerning the News

(Principles 1 – 2)

I recall a meeting with a community organizer many years ago.  On her wall was a framed Hagar The Horrible cartoon.  The caption said: “Allies come and go, but a good Enemy will last a life-time.”  I remember that because in the world of political organizing you need a good enemy.  However, what is pragmatic for politics is…

The Lie

In my previous post, I said that I would talk about next steps to restore a Christ-centered orthodoxy to Evangelical Christianity and rid us of the scourge of Christian nationalism.  This is the first step – we must confront the loss of truth.  

In Ephesians, Paul admonishes us to speak the truth in love.  This has two parts: 1) a commitment to truth, and 2) a commitment to love.  Following this guide, I want to say that I love Evangelicals.  They are…

Christian Nationalism - Part 2

Should we engage society?

In my last blog post I talked about the theological error of Christian nationalism, and its danger to Christianity because it undermines evangelism and attempts social reform through the use of power.  Having stated what I think is wrong, I feel the need to suggest a way forward.  The next couple of blogs will address that.

First, should Christians be concerned with social reform?…

Today, especially in the wake of the events of Jan 6 in our nation’s capital and the aftermath, there have been many thoughtful things written about the dangers of Christian nationalism.  One writer said: “The split we are seeing is not theological or philosophical. It’s a division between those who have become detached from reality and those who, however right wing, are still in the real world.”  I disagree.  I believe that the problem is theological, and the healing can only happen when we…