“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross”
Sinclair Lewis, 1935
The Regressive Evangelism of America Part 2: Country Before God
White Christian Nationalism isn’t just shaping our politics — it’s reshaping our national identity. In Part 2 of this series, Matt Royer digs into the decades-long campaign to merge Church and State under the banner of American exceptionalism. From Eisenhower and Billy Graham to Reagan and the Religious Right to today’s Supreme Court and Speaker Mike Johnson, we trace how “God and Country” became inseparable — and how that fusion is now being used to roll back rights, dismantle democracy, and police who counts as a “real American.”
Matt unpacks the myth of a “Christian nation,” the origins of our patriotic religious imagery, and the political machine weaponizing faith against the very freedoms it claims to protect. And he offers a path forward — one where progressives reclaim values like dignity, compassion, and justice that are core to both democracy and Christianity.
If you want to understand how we got here — and how we get out of it — this is the episode you can’t skip.
All views expressed are solely those of the author and should not be interpreted as reporting or objective journalism or attributed to any other individual or organization. I am not a journalist or reporter, nor do I claim to be one. This publication represents personal commentary, analysis, and opinion only.
