Nationalism
Does Romans 13 Condone Government Violence? (podcast)
Category: ReKnew Podcast
Tags: Military, National Idolatry, Nationalism, Non-Violence
Greg deconstructs problematic interpretations of Romans 13. Episode 649 http://traffic.libsyn.com/askgregboyd/Episode_0649.mp3
Podcast: Do You See a Difference Between Patriotism and Nationalism?
Category: ReKnew Podcast
Tags: Government, National Idolatry, Nationalism
Greg separates the wheat from the chaff in this allegiance-busting politically provocative episode. http://traffic.libsyn.com/askgregboyd/Episode_0380.mp3
A Kingdom Not of This World
Category: General
Tags: Israel, Kingdom of God, Nationalism
In the previous post, I introduced how Jesus directly taught against the favored nation status of Israel, an theme that runs throughout his ministry. For example, Yahweh’s Sinai covenant with Israel was rooted in a…
Jesus and the “Favored Nation”
Category: General
Tags: Israel, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Nationalism
Topics: Enemy-Loving Non-Violence
Nationalism lies at the heart of the Old Testament narrative. This concept is intimately wrapped up with the law-oriented covenant God made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai, for at the heart of this covenant…
Reinterpreting the Law, Violence and Nationalism of the OT
Category: General
Tags: Law, Nationalism, Old Testament, OT Violence
Topics: Biblical Interpretation
The law of the OT was intended to serve a negative object lesson. This finds its clearest expression in Paul. To begin, Paul interpreted Jesus’ death on the cross largely in sacrificial and substitutionary terms….
God’s Non-Violent Ideal in the OT
Category: General
Tags: Cruciform Theology, Nationalism, Non-Violence
Topics: Enemy-Loving Non-Violence
While God condescended to working within the violent-prone, fallen framework of his people in the Old Testament—as I argue in Crucifixion of the Warrior God—the OT is also full of references to how God worked…
Rekindling an Old Debate: How to be a Christian Citizen
Category: General
Tags: National Idolatry, Nationalism, Politics
Back in 2008 Greg joined Shane Claiborne and the now deceased Chuck Colson with host Krista Tippet on NPR’s On Being program to debate what it means to be a Christian citizen. Given the current…
Jesus and Nationalistic Violence
Category: General
Tags: Cruciform Theology, Kingdom of God, Nationalism, Non-Violence, Peace
Topics: Enemy-Loving Non-Violence
Throughout the Old Testament, we find Israel spoken of as God’s “chosen nation.” The Israelites were to be a nation of priests whom God wanted to use to unite the world under him (Ex 19:6)….
Politics & the Kingdom of the World
Category: General
Tags: Kingdom of God, Kingdom of this World, Nationalism, Political Idolatry, Politics
Instead of aligning any version of the kingdom of this world with the kingdom of God—as is common in American Christianity—kingdom-of-God participants must retain a healthy suspicion toward every version of the kingdom of this…
Making America an Idol
Category: General
Tags: America, Kingdom of God, National Idolatry, Nationalism
I write as a kingdom person in the context of America, presently the dominant empire in the world. In that light, I’d like to address the fact that my calling is to resist nationalism even…
Remembering the Myth During Election Season
Category: General
Tags: America, Myth of a Christian Nation, Nationalism, Politics, Religious Idolatry
Given the current political furor in America right now, we thought we would post an extended quote from Greg’s book The Myth of a Christian Nation. This book was originally a reflection on Christian political engagement…
Jesus’ Different Kind of Nation
Category: General
Tags: Blessing, Israel, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Nationalism, New Humanity
Topics: Ethical, Cultural and Political Issues
God called Abraham to form a unique nation by which “all peoples of the earth will be blessed.” The unique call of the descendants of Abraham was to become a nation of servant-priests whom God…
5 Distinctions of God’s Kingdom
Category: General
Tags: Kingdom Living, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of this World, Nationalism
Topics: Following Jesus
Jesus said that his kingdom was “not from this world,” for it contrasts with the kingdom of the world in every possible way. This is not a simple contrast between good and evil. The contrast…
The Radically Distinct Kingdom of God
Category: General
Tags: Enemy Love, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of this World, Nationalism, Violence
Topics: Enemy-Loving Non-Violence
Yesterday, we posted a video where Greg mentioned the radical distinction between the kingdom of God and the governments of the world. The following explains this distinction further. Nothing is more important to the cause…
Nations and Violence
Category: Sermons and Video Clips
Tags: Nationalism, The Sword, The Work of the People, Violence
Topics: Enemy-Loving Non-Violence
In this video by The Work of the People, Greg shares why there is no such thing as a Christian nation. Nations are not the kind of things that turn the other cheek, love their…
God’s “Ways” and “Thoughts” are Higher
Category: General
Tags: Covenant, God, Israel, Nationalism, Transcendence
Topics: God
Verse: Isaiah 55
Isaiah 55:8-9 is one of the more often quoted passages in the Bible. It reads: … my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher…
Should Christians Recite the Pledge of Allegiance?
Category: Q&A
Tags: America, Myth of a Christian Nation, Myth of a Christian Religion, Nationalism, Politics
Topics: Ethical, Cultural and Political Issues
A number of years ago I attended a basketball game at a Christian school. Just before the game everyone was asked to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance. So I stood, placed my hand…
Is America Uniquely “Under God”?
Category: General
Tags: America, Myth of a Christian Nation, National Idolatry, Nationalism, Theocracy
Topics: Ethical, Cultural and Political Issues
As a rallying slogan for our civil religion, the proclamation that we are “one nation under God” arguably serves a useful social function, for it gives many Americans a sense of shared values and vision….
Lighten Up: America is NOT the Kingdom of God
Category: General, Lighten Up
Tags: Idolatry, Kingdom, Nationalism
For some thoughts from Greg on the 4th of July and the Kingdom of God, see The Birth of Two Kingdoms: A Fourth of July Reflection. And now for one of the most ridiculous examples of confusing…
As We Approach the 4th
Category: General
Tags: America, David D. Flowers, Idolatry, July 4th, Nationalism, Pledge of Allegiance
zen Sutherland via Compfight This is the time of year when we start hearing loud bangs at night and you have to ask yourself the following multiple choice question: Was that bang: a car backfiring?…