Christian nationalists typically do not pique many individuals’ attention. However, recent events demonstrate the threats they pose to American democracy, proving that they should be at the forefront of American attention.
The movement gained momentum during the Trump administration but has long served as a white-identity movement in American politics. Generally, Christian nationalists believe that the United States once was, and must once again become, a Christian nation. The Pulitzer Center identifies the Proud Boys, QAnon, Trump prophets and MAGA extremists as closely identifying with Christian nationalist ideologies, although they do not explicitly align with the Christian nationalist movement.
Stephen Ujlaki, an LMU screenwriting professor and former dean of the School of Film and Television, is spotlighting the group in his upcoming film, “Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy.”
Ujlaki argues that although the group hides behind the guise of faith, the Christian nationalist movement is more rooted in racism than their love of God.
“The religious right-wing did not get together to fight Roe v. Wade. The leaders got together to fight integration because they all had segregated academies,” said Ujlaki. “After Brown v. Board of Education, they could not get their tax-exempt status if they discriminated. They were so angered by that, that they decided they were going to get into politics and change the Supreme Court to get what they wanted, which of course did happen 40 years later.”
As Ujlaki put it, “There’s a movement that’s actually trying to destroy our way of life.”
“A lot of people wonder why the country has become so divided … there’s so much hatred and people not speaking to each other, and faith in institutions has disappeared. This divisiveness was not random, this was part of the plan,” said Ujlaki.
Ujlaki says that repealing a woman’s right to choose was merely a “taste of Christian nationalism.” If this is only the beginning, what else can we expect?
Christian nationalists believe in the Seven Mountain Mandate, a concept popularized by Bill Johnson and Lance Wallnau in their book Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate. The movement calls on Christians to infiltrate and conquer the seven foundational American institutions to gain control over society. These pillars include family, religion, entertainment, media, education, business and government.
By transforming these sectors, Christian nationalists believe they can transform society. They start to overtake institutions at the local level, in pursuit of creating change at the state and national level.
Their most apparent overthrow at the local level is their involvement in education reform. Christian nationalists storm city council meetings to limit education on racial discrimination, gender and sexual identities, all in an attempt to fight a one-sided war against “wokeness.”
“They’re not a majority, but because they cause such a ruckus and are so violent, they scare people and they get into power at a local level,”said Ujlaki.
Christian nationalists have collectively achieved some success in their movement at the state level. There was an estimated 121 proposals in state legislatures in 2023 targeting access to educational materials.
Arguably, the most confusing aspect of the Christian nationalist movement, is that it is not Christian at all. “Christian nationalism has nothing to do with Christianity,” said Ujlaki. “In fact, it’s the exact opposite of what Jesus spoke about in the Gospels. Reverend [William J. Barber II], one of the main people in our film says, ‘They may have their Trump but they don’t have Jesus.’”
Former president Donald Trump holding a Bible in front of a church to flaunt his Christian identity, while promoting policies that do not align with Christian values, is paradoxical in nature. Uljaki noted that these blurred lines are in an effort to deter people from engaging in politics and voting.
“Hopefully, [the film] will get people to realize, wait a minute, these people are actively trying to destroy a democracy that has survived and been a beacon for the world for over 200 years. I should do something about this. I should get involved,” said Ujlaki.
“Hopefully, [the film] will get people to realize, wait a minute, these people are actively trying to destroy a democracy that has survived and been a beacon for the world for over 200 years. I should do something about this. I should get involved,” said Ujlaki.
Ujlaki predicts that if Americans check out of the election this November, it will be a massive step towards theocracy.
“If you want to know what’s going to be happening if Trump and [Christian nationalists] get in power, look at what’s happening in Iran. Look at Russia. Look at theocracies. Look at places [that are under the total control of autocrats]. It’s an autocratic, theocratic movement. If you want to know what’s going to be happening if Trump wins, look to see what’s happening in those places,” said Ujlaki.