Christian Nationalism’s 2025 Power Grab
When Donald Trump declared, “I was saved by God to make America great again,” in his second inaugural address, Christian nationalism stopped whispering and started governing. From school boards to the Pentagon, the movement now wields power, forcing an overdue reckoning with the First Amendment.
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Texas – Laboratory of Theocracy
The 2025 Texas Legislature opened with praise bands on the Capitol steps and lawmakers pledging “spiritual warfare.” By March, two religion-forward bills were racing forward:
| Bill | Mandate | Status (24 Jun 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| SB 10 | Ten Commandments posters in every classroom | Signed 24 May |
| SB 11 | Up-to-two-minute student prayer or scripture reading daily | Signed 21 Jun |
“Separation of church and state is a myth.”
Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson — Texas Tribune, 4 Mar 2025
Baptist minister Rev. Jody Harrison reminded lawmakers her denomination pioneered church–state separation — only to be rebuked for “misreading Scripture.”
Project 2025 – Blueprint for a Bible-Run Bureaucracy
The Heritage Foundation’s 922-page Project 2025 Mandate would divert public funds to religious schools, gut DOJ civil-rights enforcement for LGBTQ cases, and install school chaplains.
New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sports a Crusader-cross tattoo and told senators that Jesus “overturning tables” informs his politics.
“Not in Our Name” – Faithful Resistance
More than 40,000+ Christians have signed the Christians Against Christian Nationalism statement, calling the ideology “a gross distortion of the gospel.” This coalition, including prominent Baptist, Methodist, and Episcopal clergy, has partnered with Jewish, Muslim, and secular civil-rights groups to organize state-level lobbying efforts and file amicus briefs in legal challenges against the new laws. “This is not a political debate for us; it is a battle for the soul of our faith,” Rev. Jody Harrison stated in a recent press call. “Coercive government power is a profound betrayal of the gospel of free will.”
What’s Next for the First Amendment
- The courts. A 2024 Louisiana Ten Commandments law was struck down; Texas designed its clone to tempt the Supreme Court.
- Public opinion. Pew (23 Jun 2025) finds 52 % of Americans favor teacher-led Christian prayer in class, while a 2024 Pew study shows only 13 % want Christianity declared the nation’s official religion.
Bottom line: Christian nationalism has shifted from slogan to statute. Its future depends on the courts — and on how quickly everyone else pushes back.
Sources
- White House transcript – Trump Inaugural Address (20 Jan 2025)
- Texas Tribune – Senate advances Ten Commandments & prayer bills (4 Mar 2025)
- Texas Tribune – Abbott signs SB 10 (24 May 2025)
- Texas Tribune – Abbott signs SB 11 (21 Jun 2025)
- BJC – Christians Against Christian Nationalism (accessed 24 Jun 2025)
- Heritage Foundation – Project 2025 Mandate (accessed 24 Jun 2025)
- DefenseScoop – Hegseth confirmed Defense Secretary (24 Jan 2025)
- New Lines – Hegseth’s Crusader tattoos (29 Nov 2024)
- Pew Research – Support for Christian prayer in schools (23 Jun 2025)
- Pew Research – Americans & Christian-nation idea (15 Mar 2024)
