[rayiner]

The U.S. was founded by Christians and remains an overwhelming Christian majority country. So the question remains: what’s the functional difference between “Christian nationalism” (as it’s used here) and Christian democracy as is widespread in Europe?

To use an example: Germany’s dominant party has long been the Christian Democratic Union. Its policies are motivated by Christian theology. Is that Christian nationalism?

[_fs]

A Christian nationalist is a person who believes that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and should maintain a strong Christian identity in its laws, government, and culture. [1][2] Christian nationalists typically seek to promote Christian values and influence in the political sphere, often with the goal of shaping the country's laws and policies to align with their interpretation of Christian doctrine.[1][2]

In contrast, a Christian Democrat is a political orientation common in Europe that emphasizes social justice, subsidiarity, and the role of the church in society, but does not necessarily seek to establish a Christian state or impose Christian doctrine through the government.[3] Christian Democrats generally believe in the separation of church and state and advocate for policies that support the common good and the dignity of the human person, rather than explicitly promoting a Christian nationalist agenda.[3]

The key difference is that Christian nationalism is a political ideology focused on establishing a Christian identity for the nation, while Christian Democracy is more focused on applying Christian social teachings to the political realm without necessarily seeking to create a Christian state.[3]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Reformed/comments/17u7r9r/what_are_...

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/february-web-only/...

https://christoverall.com/article/longform/what-is-the-spect...

[rayiner]

If you take out the circular cross-references in your definitions, they sound the same:

> Christian nationalists typically seek to promote Christian values and influence in the political sphere, often with the goal of shaping the country's laws and policies to align with their interpretation of Christian doctrine

> Christian Democracy is more focused on applying Christian social teachings to the political realm

Christian doctrine is all about "the common good and the dignity of the human person." That encompasses both the stuff secular liberals like (such as "provide for the poor") and the stuff secular liberals hate (such as "human life has dignity at conception" or "sex is for procreation").

I think there is a clear line to be drawn when you talk about a "Christian state"--a state that restricts the right of religious minorities to freely practice their religion. That, I think could properly be called "Christian nationalism." But very few people want that.

[MissTake]

Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison and Monroe have entered that thread, and would like to remind you that they were Deists and not Christians.

[rayiner]

Most of the founding fathers were conventional Christians. Most of the rest would be best be characterized as “Christian desists.” In particular, they believed in a God that was active in the world of man. Franklin, in his own words: https://www.americanheritage.com/benjamin-franklin-his-relig.... They were closer to Unitarians than what we would call “deists” today.

Jefferson was probably the only one of those who didn’t believe in something like the Christian God.