Affiliation:
1. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Abstract
In the Deep South of the United States, there has been a strong respect placed on the value of God and country, and this was always seen as a virtue. However, over the past few years, a healthy view of patriotism has blurred with concepts of nationalism. In a deeply divided nation, how should the Christian church view patriotism? These are weighty questions that need to be answered from a biblically evangelical perspective.
This book seeks to take a comprehensive look at the topic by examining how the Bible frames patriotic duty as a proper alternative to both nationalism and cosmopolitanism. Both are misguided as nationalism seeks to exalt one's country against others while cosmopolitanism seeks to ignore divinely-ordained boundaries. This book also investigates how American history has framed the popular discourse about patriotism, which has resulted in both American unity and division.
Biblical concepts such as loyalty in friendships, family, and land will be considered as a way to make sense of the nature of healthy patriotism. Approaching the subject with the Apostle Paul in mind, who was himself a dual-citizen in his own day, this book then explores the concept of patriotism with a discussion of two contemporary moral issues: the role of the flag in the church and the prevalence of patriotic liturgy.
Reference409 articles.
1. Abernethy, David. “The Heir of Saul: Jonathan’s Life and Death in Theological Perspective.” In Characters and Characterization in the Book of Samuel, edited by Keith Bodner and Benjamin Johnson, 139–156. London: T & T Clark, 2020.
2. Achtemeier, Paul. 1 Peter: A Commentary on First Peter. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996.
3. Akerman, Shane. “Classical Trinitarian Theology and the Idolatry of Nationalism: The Doctrine of the Trinity as a Critique of Political Theology.” PhD diss., Claremont Graduate University, 2020.
4. Albanese, Catherine. America: Religions and Religion. Belmont: Wadsworth, 1981.
5. Albanese, Catherine. America: Religions and Religion. Belmont: Wadsworth, 1992.