CNN recently aired a documentary examining what the network describes as the growing influence of “Christian nationalism” in America. The hour-long special, which premiered Feb. 22, is drawing criticism from Christian leaders who say the network portrays ordinary believers and traditional Christian convictions as political extremism.

 

During a segment previewing the special, CNN anchor Pamela Brown said she had been working on a “special project” examining what she describes as the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States.

 

“I’ve been working on a special project examining the growing influence of Christian nationalism in America,” Brown said.

 

She defined Christian nationalism as an ideology “rooted in the belief that our country was founded as a Christian nation and that our laws and institutions should reflect Christian values.”

 

The documentary focuses in part on the assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in September 2025, which Brown described as a pivotal moment for the movement. Kirk was widely known as the founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization that has become influential among young voters.

 

“Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and prominent Christian nationalist, was assassinated,” Brown said during the segment. “It became a rallying call for those who believed in his message.”

 

The report also featured commentary from Matthew Taylor of Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, who argued that Kirk’s memorial service illustrated what he described as a cultural shift among American Christians.

 

Taylor said “a large segment of American Christians are being activated by these ideas, radicalized by these ideas … and that they need to stand up for Christians’ rights.”

 

The documentary also explores the growth of classical Christian education and Christian communities seeking to integrate faith more fully into family life, education, and civic engagement. Some segments raise concerns about the influence of classical Christian schools, which emphasize Christian theology, classical literature, and Western history as the foundation of their curriculum.

 

Such schools, however, aim to teach students the foundations of Western civilization through the lens of Christian theology, classical literature, and traditional moral philosophy, a model of education that has deep historical roots in the development of American and Western institutions.

 

CNN’s reporting included time embedded with a Christian community in Moscow, Idaho, where pastor Douglas Wilson has become a prominent voice advocating for greater Christian engagement in culture, education, and public life.

 

The term “Christian nationalism” has become a subject of intense debate in recent years. Some academics use the phrase to describe movements seeking closer ties between Christianity and American civic institutions, while others argue the label is often applied broadly to Christians who simply advocate for public policies informed by their faith.

 

CNN has long been fixated on the political influence of Christianity in American life, including earlier documentary reporting on evangelical political movements and religious activism.

 

Many believers point to the network’s framing as part of a broader trend in mainstream media that increasingly portrays traditional Christian beliefs and civic engagement as a political threat.

 

Pastor Allen Jackson of World Outreach Church in Tennessee criticized the documentary as “misguided” and “functionally dishonest,” arguing that it misrepresents people of faith and ignores the historic role Christianity has played in shaping American culture and institutions.

 

Critics also note the irony that the documentary uses the assassination of Kirk, a prominent Christian activist, to illustrate the supposed dangers of Christian political activism.

 

As debates over religion and public life continue to intensify, CNN’s portrayal of Christian activism as a potential source of radicalization is likely to further deepen an already contentious national conversation about faith, culture, and politics in America.

 

Feature photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons