Supporters of each major U.S. parties are inclined to claim that their presidential candidate is the “real” Christian, or the “better” Christian, or just the “true” Christian.
For a Majority of white evangelical ProtestantsTrump is the great Christian. Christians for Kamala, a newly formed group of self-described Christians supporting the Democratic candidate, say her campaign is the “compassionate heart of Jesus and his teachings.”
But most American adults agree that religion ought to be separate from governmentThis widespread belief is a cornerstone of spiritual freedom. Scholar for religious freedomI even have examined the complex and ever-evolving role of faith in American politics. I argue that while the Christian character of each candidate is being discussed in all places this election yr, religious freedom, one in all the elemental freedoms of American democracy, will not be.
The case of Ezra Stiles Ely
The history of spiritual freedom in America is stuffed with stories that instructive for our present momentOne of those instructive lessons comes from the early Nineteenth century.
The Second Great Awakening was an intense period of spiritual renewal. Evangelical Christians sought to reform American law and policy to reflect what they believed to be true Christianity. According to legal scholars Geoffrey R. StoneAt that point, the claim was made that the “The United States is a “Christian nation” first seriously took root.”
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A notable personality from this era is the Presbyterian pastor of Philadelphia. Ezra Stiles ElyOn July 4, 1827, the Yale-educated pastor announced his infamous call for the “foundation of a Christian political party” within the run-up to the 1828 presidential election.
Ely's speech, The duty of Christian suitors to elect Christian rulersis a Nineteenth-century version of what we now call “Christian nationalism.” In it, Ely sets out his distinctly Christian vision of who should function political leader and the way they need to govern.
Before an Independence Day audience at Philadelphia's Seventh Presbyterian Church, Ely declared: “Every ruler should be a professed and sincere friend of Christianity. He should know and believe the doctrines of our holy religion, and act in accordance with its precepts.” Ely also advocated for “a new kind of union, or, if you will, a Christian party in politics.”
Ely concluded his sermon by urging Christians to “be conscious of our sacred duty to our Divine Lord, and not to admit rulers who are not known to be openly Christians without our consent and co-operation.”
Criticism in defense of spiritual freedom
While Ely attempted to unite Christianity and American politics, there have been also voices that opposed this move. Religious freedom was latest to the young nation. But its supporters recognized its importance for American democracy.
On February 7, 1828, a pamphlet entitled Sunday School Union or Union of Church and State was placed on the desk of each member of the Pennsylvania Senate. The pamphlet contained excerpts from Ely's speech through which he argued for the connection between Christianity and politics. Ely's speech was also the topic of debate in several Nineteenth-century newspapers, including the Harrisburg Chronicle and the Pennsylvania Reporter.
Notable amongst these voices was Massachusetts-born and Harvard-educated Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story.
In a speech delivered in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1828, Story boldly declared his support for religious freedom. He explained: “Religious freedom is a birthright of man. Governments have no authority to impose penalties for differences of conscience. And to worship God according to our own beliefs is not only our privilege but our duty, our absolute duty, from which no human court can absolve us.”
“Wherever there is religious freedom,” he argued, “it will first or last bring with it and establish political freedom.”
Politics and American Democracy
America isn’t any longer the identical because it was in the course of the Second Great Awakening, however the role of Christianity in political life seems as alive as ever.
The regular decline in church attendance has not led to a diminished presence of Christianity in American public life. In the general public sphere, strong appeals to Christianity slightly than to a shared democratic heritage remain.
Former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump recently explained“We have to bring our religion back. We have to bring Christianity back to this country.”
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito praised the religious beliefs of residents,“People with deep religious convictions are less likely to succumb to prevailing ideologies or trends and are more likely to act in accordance with what they believe to be true and right. Civil society can count on them as engines of reform.”
A Survey 2023through which the nonprofit, nonpartisan research and education organization PRRI surveyed greater than 22,000 adults, found that about 3 in 10 Americans supported or held Christian nationalist views. Christian nationalists are inclined to “view political struggles through the apocalyptic lens of revolution and support political violence.”
In my opinion, the mix of Christianity and politics within the United States undermines American democracy. Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Libertya distinguished public voice, explains how Christian nationalism undermines each Christianity and American democracy. In her 2024 book,How to finish Christian nationalism“,” writes Tyler, “Christian nationalism represents the greatest threat to religious freedom in the United States today and a clear and present danger to our constitutional republic.”
While debates concerning the Christian virtues of candidates could also be essential to Christian communities, religious freedom is very important to American democracy. The answer to Christianity and politics will not be more Christianity, but more democracy. And religious freedom is the important thing.
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