D.G. Hart author Independence Hall examines a new church report which offers an alternative to Christian nationalism and civil religion in a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed.
Appeared in the July 24, 2026, print edition as ‘The Presbyterian Middle Way’
Can civil religion overcome the partisanship that afflicts American society? Samuel Goldman, a professor of politics at the University of Florida’s Hamilton School, thinks it’s possible. He has called for a revival of civil religion—featuring a shared esteem for George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the Constitution, the public piety inherent in Arlington National Cemetery and the Judeo-Christian ideals that animated American social norms. Mr. Goldman thinks this can point toward a shared sense of national purpose.
Mr. Goldman contrasts (good) civil religion with (bad) Christian nationalism. Although it overlaps with Christianity and Judaism, civil religion draws on the scientific and secular contributions that have also informed America’s public institutions, going beyond the “doctrines of any particular church.”
Mr. Goldman’s proposal won’t satisfy those Christians who want America to return to its Protestant roots. One of the most prominent spokesmen for Christian nationalism is Doug Wilson, an Idaho pastor and founder of a college and publishing company. His notoriety derives in part from associations with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and his objections to gay marriage, transgender medicine, abortion and even women’s suffrage.
If forced to navigate between the Scylla of secular civil religion and the Charybdis of Christian nationalism, we might look to the deeply American religion of Presbyterianism. A recent report by the Presbyterian Church in America reaffirms a proposition that American Presbyterians have believed since 1788: that freedom of religion and assembly are crucial for Christian endeavor. At the same time, the PCA approved a paper that, with slight qualifications, rejects Christian nationalism.
A small denomination, with roughly 400,000 members, the PCA took on Christian nationalism after the circulation of these views on social media and in such books as Stephen Wolfe’s “The Case for Christian Nationalism” and James D. Baird’s “King of Kings.” But the most important theme in the PCA report isn’t a direct repudiation of Christian nationalism but an affirmation of religious liberty. Liberal political orders have, “in God’s providence,” secured religious liberty, limited political power and recognized human dignity—and one of government’s duties is “to protect the free exercise of religion, including liberty of conscience.” Government should “not interfere in matters of faith” despite having a responsibility to encourage “piety, justice, [and] public order.”
