Christian Democracy and Christian Nationalism: What’s the Difference?

The American Solidarity Party belongs to the political tradition of Christian democracy, which promotes a vision of the common good that is rooted in Christian scripture and political philosophy as well as the practical work that Christians, at their best, have done. Christian democracy began in nineteenth century Europe as an effort to find a middle way between anti-democratic conservatism and secular (often anti-religious) liberalism. It promotes democratic decision making, a social safety net, and the importance of religion and family in society. Christian democracy has continued to be politically relevant throughout the world especially in Europe and Latin America; virtually all Christian democratic parties throughout the world also welcome non-Christian participants. American Solidarity Party members well informed about the history of Christian democracy drew on its example to create the party’s statement of principles in 2020, which consist of the sanctity of human life, social justice, community, family, economic security, environmental stewardship, and international peace.

In the United States, the largest organization defining itself as Christian democratic has been the Center for Public Justice, which has its roots in the Dutch Reformed tradition. The political stances of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops also fit within Christian democracy and generally align with the ASP’s platform. At their best, the intentions of the American founders are compatible with these principles as well.

One reason people find Christian democracy hard to promote is that its ideological boundaries aren’t always clear. The larger Christian democratic parties in western Europe such as Germany’s CDU tend to adopt a centrist consensus-based politics while other Christian democrats adopt a more radical prophetic vision. While Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker Movement was skeptical of voting, her combination of unceasing charity to the poor, anti-abortion views, support for the traditional family and opposition to war is an example of more radical Christian democracy, and the ASP leans in this direction.

A bigger problem for American Christian democracy is the fear—an unfounded one, we believe—that some socially conservative views violate the separation of church and state. Opposition to abortion, surrogacy, child gender transition and assisted suicide particularly tend to provoke this reaction, along with support for policies designed to incentivize the traditional family. There are secular philosophical arguments for all of these beliefs, as well as data linking abortion, surrogacy, child gender transition and assisted suicide to economic, environmental,  cultural and mental health factors. The reality of American society is that Christian churches have been the best place to recruit those who hold these positions and who also support our other principles. But there are also many Muslim, Hindu, non-religious and other supporters of socially conservative policies (and to be fair, there are many Christians who hold a mix of views on these topics).

The discourse around Christian nationalism has not made these conversations easier—especially since what exactly Christian nationalism consists of is not always clear. The idea of a Christian nationalist resurgence has been promoted by more socially liberal Christians, especially evangelicals, in response to disputes within their churches and to the alignment of many social conservatives with Donald Trump. The secular media picked up on this terminology during the 2024 election season, and some on the right have responded by proudly taking up the label. Many in the American Solidarity Party have noticed that refusing to support Donald Trump and in fact opposing the Republican platform on a variety of economic, immigration and environmental policies doesn’t make one immune from accusations of Christian nationalism. In many cases it is being used as a label to attack all opponents of abortion and child gender transition, as well as those who express concern about the devaluation of the traditional family.

There are, however, conservative Christians worthy of criticism for their negative attitudes toward women, racial minorities, immigrants or non-Christians, their rhetoric and behavior toward opponents, and in some cases, for their refusal to acknowledge the need for a social safety net. Because of the American Solidarity Party’s recruitment within Christian communities, its members can and have called out the excesses of Christians on the right. As the Trump-driven changes to the Republican platform and the less religious tone of the 2024 Republican national convention showed us, these types of Christian conservatives are in reality an increasingly minor faction of a Republican Party that is leaning toward a secular form of conservatism focused first and foremost on hostility to immigration. While there are legitimate concerns about border security, this turn marks the development of a post-Christian Right that offers a different kind of bad politics than progressive fears of Christian nationalism. It is true that some right-wing Christians have still attempted to give a Christian gloss to this kind of politics. The ASP rejects the instrumentalization of Christianity as an identitarian movement, seeking instead the common good of all of our neighbors.

Seeking the common good means, among other things, that we cannot help but express our views that practices such as abortion and gender transition are violations of human dignity that harm and exploit the vulnerable. To affirm truths like this are not assertions of Christian supremacy, but expressions of common good values rooted in Christian traditions. No doubt, many of our voters are more interested in concrete expressions of their values than in ideological labels. But we hope that more Americans will come to understand the principles of Christian democracy and what it can offer our country.