Throughout history, religious and nationalistic ideologies have frequently been employed to justify violence and oppression. This trend is evident in the Doctrine of Manifest Destiny, German Nationalism during the Nazi era, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), Jim Crow segregation, and American Christian Nationalism. In each case, religious language and beliefs were used to legitimize exclusion, dominance, and violence, often reinforcing power structures and advancing a sense of divine or racial superiority.
Manifest Destiny: Violence Justified by Divine Mandate
The Doctrine of Manifest Destiny was a 19th-century belief that the United States was destined by God to expand westward across North America. This ideology, rooted in a blend of Christian theology and American exceptionalism, provided moral justification for the violent displacement, subjugation, and extermination of Indigenous peoples and other non-European inhabitants. The westward expansion often resulted in military campaigns, forced relocations (such as the Trail of Tears), and the destruction of Native American cultures, all under the belief that expansion was God’s will for the nation.
The violence associated with Manifest Destiny was framed as a necessary and righteous act to bring “civilization” to the continent. By intertwining patriotism with religion, American leaders and settlers could view acts of conquest and oppression as fulfilling a divine mission, creating a narrative that obscured the moral consequences of their actions. This perceived divine mandate not only promoted territorial expansion but also fostered a racial hierarchy that justified the suppression of non-white populations. “Adolf Hitler drew inspiration from American Indian policy” (Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America, p. 414).
German Nationalism: Nazi Ideology and Theological Distortions
German Nationalism during the rise of the Nazi regime merged nationalistic fervor with a corrupted form of Christianity to promote racial purity and anti-Semitic violence. Adolf Hitler and the Nazis portrayed the German people as a superior Aryan race with a divine destiny to lead and purify the nation. This racial ideology was often reinforced by distorted theological teachings that depicted Jews as enemies of the state and Christianity itself.
Books like “The Aryan Jesus” and “Theologians Under Hitler” illustrate how German evangelical Christians and theologians aligned with Nazi ideology, promoting a version of Christianity that was stripped of its Jewish roots and aligned with the goals of National Socialism. This theological manipulation provided a religious framework for the Holocaust and other acts of state-sanctioned violence, depicting them as steps necessary to fulfill Germany’s destiny. The combination of nationalism, racial superiority, and religious distortion fueled one of history’s most devastating genocides.
The KKK: White Supremacy Cloaked in Religious Language
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) has historically used violence and terror to maintain white supremacy in the United States, often cloaking its agenda in Christian rhetoric. Founded after the Civil War, the Klan positioned itself as a defender of Protestant and white American values, using religious symbols like the cross to signify its purpose. The group’s tactics included cross burnings, lynchings, and other acts of terror aimed at African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and immigrants.
The Klan’s connection to conservative Christianity provided a moral justification for its actions, portraying its violent acts as a defense of a divinely ordained social order. Many Klan members saw themselves as “crusaders” protecting a threatened Christian civilization, gaining support from segments of the church and society that endorsed or ignored its violence. This blend of white supremacy with religious language perpetuated systemic racism and helped sustain social structures built on racial exclusion and inequality.
Jim Crow and Segregation: Institutionalizing Racism with Religious Justification
Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and discrimination in the Southern United States from the late 19th century until the Civil Rights Movement, were also often justified with religious language. Proponents of segregation used biblical interpretations to argue that God had created distinct races and intended for them to remain separate. This ideology not only justified the legal and social oppression of Black Americans but also fueled violent enforcement of racial boundaries through acts of intimidation and brutality.
Churches, particularly in the South, were sometimes complicit in supporting segregationist policies, with sermons and religious teachings reinforcing the idea that segregation was divinely sanctioned. This religious endorsement of segregation helped maintain the racial hierarchy, ensuring that white supremacy was upheld through legal, social, and even theological means. The violence associated with Jim Crow was not just physical but also systemic, as it sought to deny Black Americans their basic rights and dignity through a supposedly Christian framework.
American Christian Nationalism: Modern-Day Violent Rhetoric and Actions
In recent years, American Christian Nationalism has emerged as a powerful force, blending conservative evangelical Christianity with a vision of the United States as a uniquely Christian nation. This movement often promotes the idea that America has a divine mission to uphold Christian values and that any threat to this mission—whether secularism, immigration, or progressive politics—must be resisted, sometimes through violent means.
The events of January 6th, 2021, during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, showcased the dangerous potential of American Christian Nationalism. Many of the rioters carried Christian symbols, including crosses and signs with biblical verses, and used religious rhetoric to frame their actions as part of a battle for America’s soul. The intertwining of militant language with religious imagery has contributed to a narrative where political and cultural conflicts are seen as spiritual warfare, justifying extremist actions.
American Christian Nationalism often portrays its struggle in terms of divine sanction, with some leaders framing political and cultural battles as existential threats to Christianity itself. This rhetoric echoes earlier instances of religiously justified violence, perpetuating a cycle where faith is used to sanction power struggles and social exclusion.
The history of Manifest Destiny, German Nationalism, the KKK, Jim Crow segregation, and American Christian Nationalism shows how religion can be manipulated to justify violence, oppression, and the maintenance of power. In each case, ideologies of divine or racial superiority were used to legitimize exclusionary practices and acts of terror, often reinforcing existing social hierarchies and fostering systemic injustice.
These movements also illustrate the profound responsibility of religious institutions to guard against the misuse of faith for violent or oppressive ends. While religion has the power to inspire justice, peace, and social transformation, it also has the potential to be co-opted to support harmful ideologies. Understanding this dual potential is crucial for ensuring that faith is a force for healing rather than a tool of violence and division.
God has made clear what is demanded of us, that we should do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). May we His people live the more Christ-like way.
Debbie and I serve as the FMI Global Associate Director for MENACA and Europe. We focus on cultivating disciples, leaders, and church planting movements.
