Re: Christian Nationalism, demonology and eschatology

On 7/16/2022 2:48 AM, Steve Hayes wrote:
> On 14 Jul 2022 John W. Morehead wrote on Facebook
>    ·
> "There have been many good studies of Christian nationalism from the
> perspectives of sociology, political theory and others. Great stuff,
> and needed, but I'm hoping theologians can come alongside scholars and
> study the influence and significance of demonology and eschatology to
> Christian nationalism."
> 
> I thought that looked like an interesting and important topic for
> discussion, because Christian Nationalism was the underpinning of the
> apartheid policy of the Nationalist government in South Africa from
> 1948 to 1994, and I was pretty certain it was demonic.
> 
> But it turned out that John Morehead had something else in mind, and
> he clarified it thus:
> 
> "What I am hoping to see in the future because I don't think it has
> been done yet, is for social psychologists and those working in
> political science to team up with theologians and those in religious
> studies to study how Christian nationalism is impacted by beliefs in
> active demons in one's political opponents, and in connection with
> their end-times beliefs."
> 
> I don't think the two approaches are incompatible, and perhaps it
> might be important to compare them and at least at some points to
> consider them together.
> 
> The core nature of Christian Nationalism was most concisely expressed
> by B.J. Vorster in 1942, when he said:
> 
> "We stand for Christian Nationalism, which is an ally of National
> Socialism. You may call the anti-democratic system dictatorship if you
> like. In Italy it is called Fascism, in Germany National Socialism,
> and in South Africa Christian Nationalism."
> 
> B.J. Vorster became Minister of Justice of South Africa in 1961, and
> over the next 5 years worked hard to transform South Africa into a
> police state. In 1966 he became Prime Minister.
> 
> Now Christian Nationalism has cropped up in North America (and also in
> Russia and Ukraine) and there has been plenty of analysis of it in the
> media from the point of view of psychology and political science, but
> very little from a theological point of view.
> 
> The same was true in South Africa in the apartheid era.
> 
> Most criticisms of apartheid from Christian bodies were based on the
> injustice attendant on its implementation. And the Christian
> Nationalist response was basically that you can't make an omelet
> without breaking eggs. The good end justified the occasional use of
> bad means.
> 
> It was not until 1968, twenty years after the beginning of the
> apartheid era, that Christian Churches began a serious *theological*
> examination of the presuppositions and assumptions on which the policy
> of apartheid was based -- Christian Nationalism itself. The result was
> "A Message to the People of South Africa" from the newly-formed South
> African Council of Churches.
> 
> Previously, although Christian bodies had not examined the theological
> basis of apartheid,  individual Christians had done so. Some had
> criticised the theory, the ideology, of apartheid, and shown that it
> was incompatible with the historic Christian faith. One of those was
> Trevor Huddleston, whose book "Naught for your comfort" has a
> theological critique of apartheid. He even mentions eschatology: For
> more on Huddleston, see here:
> 
> <https://khanya.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/talves-from-dystopia-v-sophiatown-and-ethnic-cleansing/>
> 
> As for demonology, I think the best illustration of the difference
> between the demonology of Christian Nationalists themselves, and the
> demonology of those who believe that Christian Nationalism is itself
> demonic can be seen in the contrast between two works of fiction.
> 
> The demonology of Christian Nationalists can be seen in the works of
> Frank Peretti, whose "principalities and powers" are physical, blood
> and flesh, in contrast to Ephesians 6:12.
> 
> The demonology of those who see Christian Nationalism itself as
> demonic can be seen in the fiction of C.S. Lewis, whose "Cosmic
> Trilogy", especially the last book of the trilogy, "That Hideous
> Strength", describes the autonomous spiritual power of a faceless
> bureaucracy and technocracy.
> 
> Is anyone interested in discussing this further?
> 
> 
I am interested in reading you discussing it with yourself, if that 
makes sense.