There’s a new documentary from Dan Partland and Rob Reiner, God & Country, that seeks to sound the alarm about Christian Nationalism as a political movement. The film has stirred controversy, not only because some high-profile evangelicals are featured in it but also because Reiner has long been a champion of left-wing causes and some of his statements reflect a distorted vision that sees Christian involvement in politics as a threat to democracy (except when the church is supporting progressive causes).
In a recent podcast for Christianity Today, Mike Cosper interviewed Partland and Reiner about the documentary, gently pushing back at times and giving voice to concerns from conservative evangelicals. There’s a lot I could say about this documentary, the interview, the role of Christians in politics, and the increasingly meaningless catchall phrase “Christian Nationalism.” But I want to highlight one aspect of the conversation because of an unchallenged assumption—one that gets to the heart of the gospel.
Christianity and the World’s Religions
The assumption I’m referring to shows up in the context of a wider conversation about politics and world religions. Reiner says the Christian Nationalist movement (as he defines it) is “completely divorced from what [he understands] Christianity to be and the teachings of Jesus.” Reiner, who grew up in a secular Jewish home, traces the outline of his spiritual journey and his epiphany related to world religions:
I read about Buddhism, I read about Islam, I read about Christianity. I even read up on Judaism. I read on all of these religions . . . and I came away with looking at what Jesus taught, which was “love thy neighbor” and “do unto others.” That resonated with me more than anything that I read. If you look at other religions, it’s essentially the same. All religions basically talk about loving your fellow man, peace, wanting to help your fellow man.
Reiner contrasts this focus on humanity’s “interconnectedness” with political extremism that advocates the use of force or compulsion. Partland echoes a similar view of Christianity. He hopes the documentary will inspire American citizens to “get back to those real teachings of Jesus.” If that were to happen, he says, “What a great country this will be and what a great world we’ll have!”
Real Teachings of Jesus?
Listening to this interview, it’s clear Partland and Reiner are inspired by the moral vision of Jesus in loving neighbors and enemies. They admit “the Christian message” surprised them, causing them to reflect on their own responses when facing criticism—how to turn the other cheek, how to imitate Jesus, how to love their enemies and show compassion to their critics, and so on. The interview ends with Reiner saying his hope for the documentary is that viewers take away “the real teachings of Jesus.”
It’s heartening to hear two Hollywood liberals extolling the virtues of Jesus’s call to enemy love. When even non-Christians aspire to treat others with kindness and compassion, it’s a sign of Christianity’s leavening effect on society and culture.
But it’s telling that Reiner and Partland equate these aspects of Christian morality with the central Christian message and the “real teachings of Jesus.” This is the assumption that goes unchallenged. It’s as if they appreciate some of the sun’s rays but have missed the blazing ball in the sky.
The Center Is Jesus
Here we must be clear. The Christian message isn’t “do unto others.” The Christian message is Christ. The central teaching of Jesus isn’t “love your neighbor.” The central teaching of Jesus is about Jesus. The essence of Christianity isn’t showing compassion to your critics or loving your enemies. The essence of Christianity is Jesus Christ, and the center of his message is the kingdom of God he inaugurated as the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, and the King of the world.
Reading the Gospels reveals the reductionism in Reiner and Partland’s assumptions about Christianity’s core.
First, the Gospels counter the filmmakers’ truncated understanding of Jesus’s moral and ethical vision. For example, based on this interview and the documentary, it’s clear these men see the pro-life cause as an example of Christianity gone wrong, of Christians failing to love their neighbors well, as if the overturning of Roe v. Wade is a threat to democracy. But it’s the teaching of Jesus that inspires Christians to extend, not shrink, the circle of humanity so preborn children are included among our neighbors we’re called to love.
Reiner and Partland would also see opposition to same-sex marriage as a threat to democracy. But the unflinching moral vision of Jesus, which reserves sex for lifelong marriage between a man and a woman (and the natural family as the fundamental unit of society), inspires Christians to uphold and conserve the traditional view. The Jesus who calls us to love our enemies is the Jesus who—in the same Sermon—forbids lust, divorce, and extramarital sexual behavior.
Second, the Gospels reveal something else: the message of Jesus is surprisingly, frequently, and unapologetically about himself. His teaching about himself is what led to consternation from his opponents. His works indicated he stood in the place of God. His self-understanding and the statements he made about his identity scandalized the religious leaders of his day. Unless he was truly the Son of God, his words about himself were the egotistical ravings of a madman.
You don’t get the “real teachings of Jesus” or the “central message of Christianity” without a Jesus who says he’s the only way to God, who lays down his life as a sacrifice and rises again in power, calling everyone everywhere to repent and believe in his name.
Instrumentalizing Faith
I’m glad Reiner has devoted time and attention to the religions of the world, but it’s unfortunate to see him arrive at the patronizing conclusion that the world’s great faiths are all basically the same.
This perspective fails to properly honor distinctive religious beliefs and practices while boiling down their essence to a generic principle of neighbor-love. It not only fails to do justice to the cultural influence Jesus has had on the world but also misses why Jesus’s teaching is so scandalous. The basis for enemy-love is the cross where Jesus died for his enemies. The power for enemy love comes from faith in ultimate justice, displayed on the cross and ratified by his bodily resurrection.
In the end, these filmmakers are right to spot the danger in a political movement that harnesses and instrumentalizes the Christian faith toward some other end. Unfortunately, they can’t see they’re doing the same thing. They want to harness and instrumentalize the parts of Christianity that resonate with them as a way of bettering society according to their core, left-wing values.
But Jesus isn’t an instrument for achieving anyone’s political objectives, whether right-wing versions of nationalism or left-wing versions of pluralism. The only reason his message to love our enemies and do unto others still matters today is because he’s King, and he’s alive.
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