How the Church develops its response to Christian Nationalism nationally and locally will be addressed by the Revd Dr Helen Paynter in a URC-organised public lecture to take place in Manchester.
Dr Paynter will invite churches to consider how they can carefully and helpfully respond to a rising nationalistic rhetoric and activity that has wrapped itself in the trappings of Christianity in the UK.
The event, which will also be available online via Zoom, will be held at Methodist Central Hall in Manchester on Saturday 24 October, 11am-1pm. As well as a keynote address, it will include small group discussion and an opportunity for questions.
This lecture is being facilitated by members of the United Reformed Church, including from yourchurch (the URC’s online congregation) and the URC’s North Western Synod, with support from the URC’s Faith in Action team at its Offices of General Assembly.
Roo Stewart, the United Reformed Church’s Head of Public issues, says, “Christian nationalism is the idea that Christianity should have a defining role in the identity of the nation, how it is governed and what it means to belong to it, rather than Christianity being one faith tradition among others contributing to public life.
“On face value, many Christians might welcome this, but probing deeper, especially with the growing impact of Christian Nationalism in the USA in recent years, research has found associations between Christian-nationalist beliefs and a range of attitudes that can threaten social and democratic cohesion, including greater support for authoritarian attitudes, more exclusionary attitudes towards immigrants and minority groups and, in some circumstances, greater acceptance of political violence.”
He adds, “The Church’s witness to the world can be damaged when political identity becomes confused with Christian identity.
“Recognising our British context, with its own history, institutions and relationship between Christianity and national identity, it is more important than ever that the Church takes time to understand Christian Nationalism. We need to explore how it sits apart from Christian patriotism, political conservatism, concerns about immigration or even the role that Christianity has had in Britain’s history and culture.”
Dr Helen Paynter is a Baptist minister who tutors in biblical studies at Bristol Baptist College and is the founding director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence. She is highly in demand nationally to address this topic, having researched the issue for several years. Two recent books, The Church, The Far Right and the Claim to Christianity and Faithful Presence in a Fractured World, capture her most up-to-date exploration on the issue.
The URC’s Worship, Faith and Order Committee is currently developing a further response to Christian Nationalism by the denomination, but in times of deepening challenge and division the lecture organisers hope that Dr Paynter’s expert input may help our churches be places of peace and reconciliation, and builders of genuine community.
Register for a seated ticket or online ticket. The lecture is free, but donations will be invited to help cover the cost of putting on the event.