Christian nationalism is contested terrain even among devout Christian civic leaders

Evidence

Within a few days, a Jewish columnist at the Dallas Morning News, Robert Wilonsky, blasted the billboards, arguing that Jeffress “is among this city’s most divisive voices” and “preaches a gospel that has been repeatedly debated—and disproved—by scholars and researchers.” Jeffress’s “gospel,” in his own words, is that “the vast majority of men that founded our nation were evangelical Christians.” Wilonsky also reported comments from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. An outspoken Christian and the grandchild of Nazarene ministers, Rawlings also criticized the billboards. “I don’t mind someone being proud of the Christian tradition in America—it’s obviously there. But one of the strengths of Dallas is our faith-based community [and] it’s the strength that makes us a city of love verses a city of hate.” He went on to distance himself further from Jeffress: “That’s not the Christ that I follow. It’s not the Dallas I want to be—to say things that do not unite us but divide us. I never heard those words, that voice come out of Christ. Just the opposite. I was brought up to believe: Be proud of yours [religious heritage], but do not diminish mine.” — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 109

Categorization

• XREF: Shows Christian nationalism is not monolithic even within its own adherent communities — Mayor Rawlings (Nazarene) distinguishes Christian heritage pride from exclusionary claims. This contradicts any Cooper-style merger thesis that treats ‘social conservatives’ as single bloc. — connects to: Christians across America are actively resisting Christian nationalism whether individually or collectively. — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 96; Notable evangelical leaders have publicly condemned Christian nationalism as idolatry — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 132
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 109