Just as Christian nationalism is gaining prominence with the latest example being the US defence secretary Peter Hegseth’s favourite theological pundit Doug Wilson declaring women should not have the vote, comes a message from Sydney’s Archbishop Kanishka Raffel.
He turns to 1 Peter to provide an alternative view of our place as Christians in the world.
We may yet have persecution and suffering coming our way, rather than worldly triumph.
If you are anything like this writer, it’s likely already the case, but I am not complaining.
Christian nationalists in the United States advocate a recipe of Christian identity baked with political and cultural conservatism, together with American national pride. A Venn diagram would see Christian nationalism having a big overlap with fundamentalism, white supremacy, and the more literal forms of the Seven Mountain Mandate movement within Pentecostalism and its reformed cousin called dominionism.
Theocracy – the idea that ministers or Priests should run the government in the name of God – is the Christian nationalism taken to an extreme
The Other Cheek cannot claim that the Archbishop has delivered this message to oppose Christian Nationalism. Certainly not. But it is fair to point out the contrast between seeing Christians as candidates to take over the world and viewing our lives through the prism of 1 Peter.
Raffel’s piece on sydneyanglicans.net has the appropriate title “Peter’s guide to suffering Christianly.”
Raffel begins with the perspective that Peter says that Christians, ordinary Christians, will be slandered and opposed for living as Christians.
“Peter seeks to equip his readers with a variety of perspectives on their suffering for Christ’s sake,” Raffel writes. “First, this kind of suffering ‘tests’ our faith (4:12) like steel refined in fire. Impurity is burned off, and the steel strengthened.
“Likewise, rejection for Christ’s sake builds trust in the Lord who gave himself for us, and perseverance in faith. It may be painful, but it is not purposeless.
“Second, Peter says, ‘But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed’ (4:13).
Raffel explains what participation in the suffering of Christ,” a phrase that puzzles many Christians, means. “It doesn’t mean that there is joy in suffering. Christians are not masochists, and there is nothing here to justify the self-harming practices of pagan religion, which did, over the years, find its way into some expression of Christianity.
“The word participation means “fellowship, or “sharing”. In all the time from the resurrection of Jesus to his return, the gospel is preached and the church is built, as people believe. Until the full number of God’s people are gathered in by the gospel, the church will continue to suffer.”
Just as Jesus was rejected, we can expect the same. “So when Christians experience rejection or isolation because they bear the name of Christ – they can rejoice in this – they have union with the Lord who himself suffered, and who suffers with them until the revelation of his glory. Until the consummation of the age, when he will gather all his people and wipe away every tear. “
Now, possibly parting company with Archbishop Raffel, or at least going a little further than him, surely there is a disconnect between seeking to be in charge of society, or to have greast influence.
It is true that there have been empires that have operated in the name of Christ, but whether they were truly following him is very open to question.
But in speaking to Australian Christians Raffel is surely correct to expect that Christians enforcing a thorough-going Christian program on all of Australia is unlikely to say the least. The US may be a very different case, and a different story.
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There’s a significant overlap with the MAGA movement in general.
Whether there is a big Christian base to a MAGA-type movemnet in australia is a continuing are of interest. It’s here but how big is it?