A newly released open letter signed by hundreds of progressive Christian leaders is drawing criticism from conservative Christians who say the document repeats political talking points and skews the role of faith in American public life.
The statement, titled “A Call to Christians in the United States,” warns about what the signers describe as the growing influence of “white Christian nationalism.”
The phrase “Christian nationalism” has become increasingly common in political and media discussions in recent years. Critics of the movement describe it as the belief that the United States should be governed as a Christian nation or that American identity should be tied to Christianity in ways that marginalize religious minorities.
However, many Christians and conservatives alike point out that the label is frequently misused and broadly applied to ordinary Christian participation in politics, patriotism, or advocacy for policies influenced by biblical moral convictions.
Critics say the term has become a politically loaded category that can blur distinctions between genuine extremism and mainstream Christian civic engagement.
The newly published letter argues that the ideology of “white Christian nationalism” represents a corruption of the Christian faith and a threat to American democracy.
“We are facing a cruel and oppressive government; citizens and immigrants being demonized, disappeared, and even killed,” the letter states. “What confronts us is not only an endangered democracy and the rise of tyranny. It is also a Christian faith corrupted by the heretical ideology of white Christian nationalism.”
The authors frame the statement as a call for Christians to resist political movements that fuse national identity, race and Christianity.
“Christians must not confuse American and Christian identity with whiteness, or mistake allegiance to modern-day Caesars for faithfulness to Christ,” the letter says.
Conservative Christians who responded to the letter say the document reflects a familiar pattern in public debate: using the term “Christian nationalism” as a broad critique of conservative Christian political engagement.
Some critics also object to the letter’s focus on “whiteness,” arguing that racial identity in itself is not inherently harmful and should not be treated as a moral category.
In recent years, the label has appeared frequently in media coverage, academic research and political commentary, often used to describe the influence of conservative Christian voters in American politics.
Some critics argue the term functions as a rhetorical tool to portray traditional Christian views about morality, public policy or national identity as inherently dangerous or extremist.
The debate intensified earlier this month when a CNN documentary on Christian nationalism drew criticism from Christian leaders who said the program framed mainstream evangelical beliefs as a political threat.
That controversy was examined in a recent Katy Christian Magazine article.
Letter signatories include leaders affiliated with several mainline Protestant denominations, including the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Moravian Church, Mennonite Church USA, and the United Church of Christ.
Prominent progressive evangelical voices also signed the letter, including historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a professor at Calvin University known for her critiques of evangelical political culture, and activist Shane Claiborne, founder of the Red Letter Christians movement.
The authors describe their coalition as representing “the breadth of Christian traditions and one part of our nation’s religiously plural society.”
The dispute over Christian nationalism reflects a broader cultural and theological debate about the relationship between faith, national identity and political authority.
For many Christians, involvement in civic life, including advocacy on moral and policy issues, is viewed as a natural expression of religious conviction.
Feature photo: Screenshot from a video on the website for “A Call to Christians in the United States,” acalltochristians.org
