Posted November 7, 2025
The Flag + the Cross by Gorski (Yale sociologist & religion) and Perry (U of Oklahoma sociologist) is the history of the White Christian Nationalism (WCN) threat to American Democracy. It was copyrighted in 2022 and was likely written in the years between Donald Trump’s first and second terms as President. These are my notes and reflections on the topic.
Its central thesis is that White Christian Nationalism is not a fringe movement but a deeply rooted ideology that fuses:
White racial identity - especially English speakers
Christian religion - especially Protestants
American nationalist mythologies - especially those about our nation’s descendants from the Pilgrims and signers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
This fusion creates a narrative where America is seen as a divinely chosen nation, meant to be ruled by White Christians. The authors warn that this ideology is resilient and adaptable, capable of reshaping itself to fit new political contexts.
I find the book a pretty good history of America, identifying several inflection points marking how we got here. It includes the influence of end-times theologies across various Christian traditions.
Let's start with an overview of Revelation 20, which “informs” many of WCN's theological underpinnings.
Revelation 20:1-6 describes the Millennium. The writer, John, begins by describing a vision in which he sees an angel confining Satan in “the bottomless pit” for 1,000 years so that it cannot deceive the nations. And, he saw many sitting on thrones, and those who had suffered martyrdom, judging people and proclaiming God’s word. These are the “first resurrection.” The future “second death” (eternal separation from God) will have no power over them.
Verses 7-10 describe a thousand years later, when Satan returns from the pit to deceive the nations once more. A final rebellion ensues—symbolized by “Gog and Magog,” who represent all the rebellious nations of the world. (See Ezekiel 38-39, where Gog is a prince from the land of Magog who led a coalition against Israel.) God swiftly crushes the rebellion with divine fire and then throws Satan into the lake of fire of eternal torment. These verses emphasize the ultimate defeat of evil after a thousand years of peace.
Verses 11-15 describe the Great White Throne Judgment. God’s majestic throne appears, and the dead are raised for judgment “according to what they had done.” Someone opens the Book of Life, and those not found in it are cast into the lake of fire. This is the “second death,” the final separation from God. This scene underscores the universality and finality of divine judgment.
With that thumbnail summary, we can move on to some concepts that influence Christian Nationalism.
Premillennialism teaches that Christ will return before the millennium begins. Until then, history will have grown increasingly corrupt and chaotic. Premillennialism’s outlook is pessimistic about human progress; it expects a period of decline before divine intervention.
Postmillennialism teaches that Christ returns after the millennium, which includes a period of gospel success and societal transformation. Its outlook is optimistic about human history; it expects increasing justice, peace, and Christian influence, which will bring about the return of Christ.
Christian Nationalism tends to align most closely with postmillennial thinking, especially in its dominionist and triumphalist expressions—but in some versions it also draws on premillennial and amillennial theology. Christian Nationalists feel God calling them to “take dominion” over society, politics, and culture. They believe their imposition of the gospel will transform nations, leading to a golden age before Christ’s return. This view advocates for biblical law as the foundation of civil society.
The Flag + The Cross ends with “America is an experiment.
"It’s an attempt to build a nation of nations and a people of peoples, as well as to create a representative democracy on a continental scale. It is neither inevitable nor clear that the experiment will succeed. The challenge is twofold: to maintain social solidarity amid deep diversity, and to sustain civic engagement in a mass democracy. Neither is easy. In the past, democratic republics were usually small-scale and homogeneous culturally. Indeed, some political philosophers believed that Republican government was only possible in such contexts. For more than two centuries, the United States has defied these predictions. Whether there will be another American century—and whether that century will be democratic—remains to be seen. Much will depend upon the decisions that individual Americans make in the next few years, as well as the alliances that they forge.
"Donald Trump and his most zealous followers have already made their decision: they have rejected America’s experiment in multiracial democracy in favor of white Christian Nationalism. Whether they are successful is up to the rest of us."
The most succinct explanation of our theology of end times I've found is in A Wesleyan-Holiness Theology by J. Kenneth Grider. Here is a quote from the introduction to its final chapter, “Last Things as Last Word” (pgs 529-549):
“Prophecy concerning the order of events in the very last days has not been a matter of keen interest to Wesleyan-holiness tradition for two major reasons. (1) The Bible is not altogether clear on many of these matters. It is clear that Christ is to return, for example, but the relation of the Second Coming to other events is somewhat unclear. (2) Wesleyan-holiness people are much more interested in redeeming grace and holy living. God’s design for the close of history will be filled with blessings for His people, whenever and however it unfolds.”
All things considered
I see no biblical or theological call for Christians to take over the government of the US or any country. Instead, the Spirit of Jesus calls his disciples to live in the “already but not-yet,” meaning we are to live as disciples of Jesus while residing at physical addresses all around the world. Such living leads others to ask why they see differences in us. Then we can point them toward Jesus. That’s God’s way of spreading the Good News of Christ – not by taking over governments and imposing Christianity on the world. That’s the opposite of good news!
For more on living the “already but not yet life,” click on The Alternate Life and Ordinary Practice Evangelism.