Christian Nationalism, demonology and eschatology

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?


-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com

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