Bishop Wright urges the House of Bishops to call out “idolatry, blasphemy and heresy.”

On the recent 60th anniversary of a seminal moment in American civil rights, Atlanta Bishop Rob Wright spoke on “Christian Nationalism and Christian Witness” to the approximately 140 members of the House of Bishops. He urged this governing body to stand up to totalism just as David did to Goliath, only with five modern “stones” that every Jesus follower can carry.

The House of Bishops is part of the bicameral government of The Episcopal Church, which is set up like the US Congress. The House of Bishops is like the US Senate, and with the House of Deputies forms the General Convention. The presiding bishop (Sean Rowe) is president of the General Convention. All bishops of The Episcopal Church, active or retired, have voice, seat, and vote in the House of Bishops.

Bishop Wright spoke on March 21, 2025, as the House of Bishops weeklong meeting in Nauvoo, Ala., wrapped up. The date coincided with the anniversary of March 21, 1965 escorted civil rights march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in support of voting rights.

Following is the text of his presentation:

Christian Nationalism and Christian Witness

I’ve been thinking about the threat of Christian nationalism for some time now. And after lots of reading and reflection on the subject, and after listening to and giving a few addresses on the topic myself, here’s an observation.

Addresses on this subject mostly read like the Bible’s description of Goliath and his weaponry: “He was nearly ten foot tall. A giant. Covered in bronze armor. The tip of his spear weighed 16 pounds and his chest armor alone weighed 125 pounds.” He was so formidable David’s brothers froze in fear. Wouldn’t you?

Detailed descriptions of adversaries can intimidate and paralyze sometimes, but in David’s case, the description of the giant emboldened and mobilized him.

My purpose today is to mobilize not paralyze, to energize an effective witness to Jesus of Nazareth individually and organizationally, given the reality of Christian nationalism.

To name a demon

Since this is a theological reflection, let’s begin with the fifth chapter of Mark’s gospel, where Jesus casts demons out of a man from the Gerasenes. He casts out the demon while asking the demon a question, “What is your name?” We remember the demon’s name was “legion.”

It seems, part of casting out a demon is also naming it. In that spirit we must say Christian nationalism is not just a a quasi-religious and political phenomenon, it’s also a spiritual force that seeks to hijack the identity of Jesus of Nazareth and possess his church. We should say then, Christian nationalism is demonic and its name is legion!

While the term Christian nationalism is relatively new, it’s a set of beliefs, practices and policy goals which are fundamentally at odds with the gospel but presented as harmonious with the gospel and as having been with us from the church’s beginning. From Constantine’s formalization of Jesus’ little movement until now, in many lands and languages and in varied forms, Christian nationalism has opposed the aims and purposes of God while harming human beings.

It’s demonic because it does violence to the transnational, trans-ethnic vision and volitional bond of water and spirit Jesus inaugurated on Ascension Day. It’s demonic because it seeks to sanctify the unholy trinity of fear, power-lust and falsehood for its appeal, development, maintenance and promotion.

It’s demonic because Christian nationalism has succumbed to the devil’s last temptation of Jesus: the offer to exchange devil worship for control of worldly kingdoms. It’s demonic because, “Christian nationalism is an apocalyptic call to a shrinking cohort to defend a fading vision of America as a white Christian nation.”

Christian nationalism is not an imperfect or evolving rendering of Jesus’ life and teachings, neither should it be characterized as simply a difference of theological or political interpretation or emphasis. Christian nationalism is a deceitful rendering of Jesus’ teaching for the purpose of manipulation and the increase of mammon. This is not a fringe movement as the data shows. This is a deeply embedded, well-funded, strategic, compellingly argued appeal.

Pope Francis, speaking directly to the bishops of the United States, has called this strain of nationalism “myopic, extremist, resentful and aggressive.” The “Christian” in Christian nationalism is not so much about a religious faith as an ideologically driven identity, even though religious beliefs are cleverly deployed to support its ideological stance on certain political and social issues.. Therefore Christian nationalism is theologically illegitimate and must be called by its proper names: idolatry, blasphemy and heresy.

Totalism

Which begs the question: what is deploying, supporting and enlarging Christian nationalism? Who does it serve? The short answer is totalism. As Walter Brueggemann reminds us, “Whenever it can, social power will tend as soon as possible to totalism.” Some call it “neo-imperialism.”

Totalism is that political system where government has total power. Totalism provides for the monopolization of imagination and technology by a few wealthy elites, where alternative thinking provokes intolerance contempt and even violence. And where the judicial branch of government is constrained or compromised. Under totalism, there is a chosen land, a chosen race and a chosen king to the exclusion of all the unchosen.

In totalism, God serves no function except to bless all the supports and supporters of totalism. Reinhold Neibuhr wrote, “The nation is always endowed with the aura of the sacred, which is one reason why religions, which claim universality, are so easily captured and tamed by national sentiment.” Listen to Neibuhr’s choice of words again: religion is captured and tamed by national sentiment! What might that mean for the people in this room who took vows to “guard the faith”?

In totalism, the liturgy and sacraments of the church exist only to produce a limp personal piety. In totalism, Moses wouldn’t be a deliverer and disrupter of an abusive social, political and economic system; he would be the head chaplain to Pharoah. What has helped totalism make its new gains? Some folks argue that the answer is located in a particular political personality. But that answer doesn’t take into consideration a myriad of overlapping and interlocking national and global preconditions.

Like the demons in Mark 5, the preconditions are “legion.” In no particular order, some of those preconditions are the increased complexity and velocity of modern life, the blurry line between the virtual and reality, extreme wealth disparity, population migration, environmental volatility, scarcity of natural resources, hyper-partisan politics and the fear of white genetic annihilation. Add to that list the epidemic of loneliness across all age groups, the disintegration of trust in formal authority, the aversion to accuracy and nuance concerning world and American history, the irrelevance of the institutional church and the staggering biblical illiteracy in the church. Throw all of that together and more and you have the perfect environment for totalism, Christian nationalism, and their heralds.

What do we know? We know, facing new waves of vulnerability, people scramble for security. We remember the newly emancipated Hebrews’ words when faced with the responsibilities of freedom, who said, “Egypt wasn’t that bad, at least we had free fish and plenty of leeks and onions.” I could go on like this but it would only be a more vivid description of Goliath and his weaponry. The point here is, we are presently engaged in a “civil cold war” over who Jesus is and what it means to be his follower! Listen to Brueggemann again, “We have arrived at a moment, where there is no more middle ground. Either we sign on uncritically to totalism or, we take on the task of dangerous oddness that exposes contradictions and practices alternatives.”

A dangerous oddness

Let’s talk about this “dangerous oddness.” I love this phrase. To my mind it is synonymous with what it means to be an effective witness. Dangerous because exposing contradictions and practicing alternatives is dangerous to the status quo. And, dangerous for those individuals and organizations who would take up this approach and work.

It’s odd because, to paraphrase Dr. [Martin Luther] King [Jr.], to follow Jesus will make you “maladjusted” to the world as it is. Odd, to paraphrase St. Paul, because we were never meant to be conformed to this world anyway. It is in the dissonance with the world that we “prove the good and please God.” When David prepared for battle, he didn’t use the usual weaponry. It’s funny that both the Philistine warrior and King Saul agreed on one thing, that David’s approach to warfare was odd. David used what he was accustomed to, a slingshot and five smooth stones.

Speaking metaphorically, what five stones are you relying on to be an effective witness at such a time as this? Here are five that come to mind for me.

Stone 1: Clarity and Communication

Halfway through the 17th chapter of 1 Samuel, David is bringing lunch to his brothers at the battlefield when he accidentally hears Goliath berate God and Israel. This is when he gets clear and he communicates. Stone number 1 is clarity and communication.

David does the three things every effective witness must do: be clear about the nature and purposes of God. Be clear about the force and illegitimacy of the enemy of God and communicate God’s alternative to empire.

Clarity and communication are critical because they fend off disorientation, despair and euphemism, where fearful or avoidant silence only encourages those seeking to manipulate the faith. There is a point where silence becomes collusion. Jesus was not apolitical as some would prefer him to be, neither was he a political partisan. The pioneer and perfecter of our faith did—does—have a preferred approach to human community.

Christian nationalism wants a power Jesus didn’t want taken through means Jesus never taught or modeled. It would not have made sense to Jesus to insist on displaying the Ten Commandments in public places for example, while neglecting the great commandment on matters such as education, health care and gun violence. David and Jesus refused to participate in any coverup. They saw the gaps and clearly communicated them.

One wonders if a church like ours present and important in the founding of this nation has a unique mandate to speak up and speak out now?  , “The church is of immense value to the society ONLY when she is “clear, courageous and emancipated.”

Stone 2: Audacious Faith

Stone number 2 is an audacious faith. 

When David confronts Goliath he puts God first: “You come to me with sword and spear Goliath, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts.” Translated for our purposes today, I can hear David say, “You mean Christian nationalism and totalism is all you got? Bring it on!”

From David, go to apartheid South Africa. During the darkest days of apartheid, Desmond Tutu would say to the Prime Minister with a straight face, “You know you have already lost, why don’t you come on over to the winning side?” He had audacious faith. What did he know? He knew what Evelyn Underhill knew who slipped a note to be read at a gathering of bishops: “My dear lord bishops,” the note read, “please remember as you gather that the most interesting thing about the church is God.” She sent that note because she knew that gatherings of bishops can look and sound more like David’s paralyzed and defeated brothers than like David.

Audacious faith talks more about God than it does the church or its enemies. Audacious faith aspires to communicate the sovereignty of God. It doesn’t aspire to be considered reasonable. Audacious faith is God confidence, Christian maturity, spiritual excellence and proficiency in the administration of soul force. Audacious faith is a blessed buoyancy. It’s vertical assurance for horizontal endurance.

In 1961, J.B. Phillips wrote a book entitled Your God is Too Small. His bottom line: If your God is big enough, even a small church can make big Christians with an outsized witness to God. The book of Daniel puts it this way, “The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” Of the many good things our people can say about us, is one of them, “My bishop is a woman or man of audacious faith”?                                              

Stone 3: Leadership

The leadership David exerts is a response to the trustworthiness of God. Leadership is the third stone.

David took responsibility for engagement with the giant of his day. An effective witness to Jesus will require more than the authority conferred at our ordinations. It will require leadership, specifically leadership in four areas: pattern recognition, self-management, energizing and mobilizing, and skillful intervention.

To become proficient at this work, we’ll have to increase our capacity to equip and delegate so that we have energy left over to do only what the bishop can do. I remember [former Presiding Bishop] Frank Griswold told me once, “Teach, Rob.This is a teaching vocation.” Teaching is leadership.

Having taught in numerous dioceses, it’s been my experience that our dioceses want to hear your mind and heart work with scripture and the world beyond sermons. They want to hear from you frequently and in short forms. They want deep water spirituality from you.

They appreciate your intellect, and they want to know your heart, not just your feelings. From your heart they want to know three things: why Jesus, why the Episcopal Church, why now? Teaching lays purpose bare and births leadership.

Teaching also requires deeds, alternative practices.

This is moral leadership. Arguably this is the most persuasive form of leadership. Moral leadership, dangerous oddness and effective witness is about acts of outrageous solidarity with God and the least. It’s the currency of the gospels. It scandalizes the status quo and creates indelible word pictures offering embodied critical distinctions like: Strong over aggressive. Free over just licensed. Compassion over polite. Good over just well behaved.

The most significant adaptive challenge before the church isn’t decline, it’s to make Jesus in word and deed the actual head of the organization founded in his name!

Stone 4: Bravery Formation

The fourth stone is bravery formation. Somewhere David learned that faith formation wasn’t yearning for others to provide safe spaces. Somehow his formation taught him that safety is created by brave engagement with giants.

Faith formation at every level of the church could be braver. The purpose of Christian formation isn’t to make nice people, good Episcopalians or good citizens, though those things sometimes happen. Christian formation exists to equip people to know, worship, respond and join God in God’s purposes. To increase the celebrity of Jesus by living an other-centered, sacrificial life. In a word, to be “salt.” That kind of living is a compelling witness that creates compelling witnesses. Normalizing dangerous oddness and risk is an intrinsic part of a faithful life with Christ. And I believe recentering that idea is what the spirit is saying to the church now.

Bravery in sharing our testimonies. Bravery in acknowledging how we have wounded one another. Bravery in establishing nontraditional partnerships. Bravery in budget making. Bravery in making endings. Bravery in making beginnings. Bravery to run data-driven, faithful experiments. Bravery is how we face this Neo-Apostolic age.

It’s amazing how manageable giants become when you focus on the vastness of God. Where can we start? We can recenter the hagiography of the church and particularly holy women and holy men. We can bring new depth of focus and vigor to their lives of faith for instruction and encouragement now. We only have the portion of hope that we have because of that great cloud of witnesses.

Bravery in faith is passed from generation to generation. Moving over to seminaries, I have lectured at a few, am a trustee of one, been the chair of the board of one and am surprised that no classes exist about the politics of Jesus and the cost of witness. That is not criticism but a plea for progress and partnership. Perhaps now is the time for this House to insist that the curriculum of seminaries prepare people hermeneutically, apologetically and rhetorically for witness to the world as it is—the world of Christian nationalism and totalism.

We should be at least as well prepared to make the case for Jesus and his church as the average Toastmaster is prepared to make their arguments. At a time like this, in the church and the world, we must do our best and bravest theology, and corresponding practices to make mature Christians.

Stone 5: Gentle boldness

The fifth and final stone is gentle boldness. It’s also the delivery system for the previous four stones.

On the way to the showdown with Goliath, David says something to Saul which strikes me as being as bold as it is gentle. He says, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine….” With those words he heads to the battlefield. He wants victory for God and unafraid hearts for his people.

Isn’t that what you want too? And while David’s aim was clearly to vanquish his enemy, that is not our goal. Our goal is to “wrestle against spiritual wickedness in all places.” How we undertake the wrestling is as important as the wrestling itself, that is Christian witness. We don’t seek the demise of those who would manipulate Christ and his church. Effective and authentic witness to Jesus of Nazareth can never be “improved means to an unimproved end.”

We seek to join the divine activity of “love overthrowing everything that is not love.” We want the multiplication of good news, sight for the blind, and freedom for captives of all stripes. To join God in this work, we have to acknowledge and offer everything that we bring to our work and witness that is not love. All the impulses to smallness, separation and superiority. All the contempt and malice. All the deceit and fear.

Gentle boldness is about the integrity of our witness. And that has to do with accuracy and authenticity in praxis—are we doing what Jesus asked us to do, the way he asked us to do it, for the ends he hoped to achieve? Darkness cannot purge darkness. Gentle boldness meets the other as a fellow sinner and sibling. In John’s gospel the Pharisees prepare to stone the woman caught in adultery. Because of Jesus’ gentle boldness, for just a moment, authentic community was created. Both those who would stone and the one to be stoned knew the fellowship of being sinners together.

Gentle boldness stays curious and resists defensiveness. Gentle boldness employs kind candor. Gentle boldness is enemy love. Gentle boldness is a spiritual competency and a capacity that can be increased through prayer and practice. It isn’t some insipid and sentimental version of love. Not an ecclesiastical version of being nice. It’s soul-force grown and sown. Gentle boldness can be just that, because it knows that God works both sides of the street. And that a persecutor of the faith today could be a chief apostle tomorrow. Gentle boldness sees as God sees, that we are more than our worst, day, deed or decision.

The good news about Christian nationalism and totalism is paradoxically that they are the perfect greenhouse for the next generation of effective witnesses to the Jesus of the Bible. It is possible to be tenaciously hostile to idolatry and injustice without being hostile to the hosts of those behaviors. Here I am thinking of Sister Helen Prejean and the death penalty, William Barber and poverty, Bill Bolling and hunger, Jimmy Carter and Gaza, and James Talarico and Christian nationalism. Each has a defiant joy.

Gentle boldness, after all, is power’s finest expression: mercy!

Close

Let me close with this: 142 miles from where we sit right now there is a bridge called the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The bridge was named for Edmund Pettus, the United States Senator from Alabama, former lieutenant colonel of the Confederate Army and grand dragon of the Klu Klux Klan. He would have celebrated being called a Christian nationalist and totalist.

In response to the murder of deacon Jimmie Lee Jackson and in support of the unfettered voting rights for Black people, a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, was planned. On March 7, 1965, 600 unarmed Christians tried to cross the Pettus bridge but were savagely beaten and tear gassed. They called it Bloody Sunday.

A second march two days later was attempted, this time with Dr. King at the head of the march. But King turned the group back before crossing the bridge, in compliance with a temporary court order. That night a Unitarian Universalist Minister from Boston, James Reeb, a white man in town to march, was murdered.

But 60 years ago today, March 21, 1965, on the third attempt, 8,000 Christians and Jews, Blacks and whites crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge without incident and made their way to Montgomery.

Upon arriving there Dr. King said this, “Again the brutality of a dying order shrieks across the land…again an entire community was mobilized to confront the adversary.” And if you go to the Pettus Bridge today, there is a memorial erected to those who were beaten and bled but kept trying. It’s a memorial made up of 12 stones inscribed with a verse from the book of Joshua: “When your children shall ask you in the time to come what is the meaning of these stones then you shall tell them this is how you made it over.”

A former member of this house and the sixth bishop of The Diocese of Atlanta, Bennett Sims, wrote: “By many signs we are both pained and privileged to live on a great hinge of history.” I agree with my predecessor, what a great hinge indeed but what an awesome privilege to be a witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Thank you.