Do you remember six years ago, when we were becoming aware of a new coronavirus? Novel because this particular strain of virus had not been seen before. It spread around the world like wildfire, resulting in many deaths.
Over time, that virus mutated into different strains. The mutations were all slightly different, sometimes with different symptoms and different levels of virulence and resistance to vaccines but were related closely enough to still be considered the same virus.
That analogy is helpful for our understanding of something that has begun to get noticed in Christian circles and in wider society, something that tends to go under the name “Christian nationalism.” Arguably, there is a variety of ideas and movements that seem to be placed under this label and there seems to be diversity between them. However, a careful look under the microscope shows that they are closely related.
Bethel: A deep dive into the controversial California church
If you’ve heard of Bethel, Redding, California then chances are that you associate them first with their music - a …