Understanding Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of the State

Reclaim your church’s witness in a fractured time

White Christian nationalism is shaping congregations, communities, and public life in ways many Christian leaders can feel, but may not always know how to name.

This seven part video series is designed to help pastors, priests, bishops, and formation leaders respond with theological clarity, historical grounding, and practices that form people away from fear, nationalism, and the misuse of Christian faith in public life.

Register Now

September 3 - 4, 2026

Understanding Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of the State

Reclaim your church’s witness in a fractured time

White Christian nationalism is shaping congregations, communities, and public life in ways many Christian leaders can feel, but may not always know how to name.

This seven part video series is designed to help pastors, priests, bishops, and formation leaders respond with theological clarity, historical grounding, and practices that form people away from fear, nationalism, and the misuse of Christian faith in public life.

September 3 - 4, 2026

Register Now
Christian leaders need more than reaction in this moment. They need language, history, theology, and practices that can help communities move toward truth, courage, and faithful public witness.
Register for the Summit

How it Works…

Who is the Summit for?
This series was created for Christian leaders who are asking:

  • How do we speak truthfully without deepening polarization?
  • How do we respond to white Christian nationalism with theological clarity rather than reaction?
  • How do we help our communities recognize fear-based distortions of faith?
  • How do we preach, disciple, and lead with courage when silence feels easier?
  • How do we recover a public witness shaped by the gospel rather than nationalism, power, or fear?

It is especially for pastors, priests, bishops, formation leaders, preachers, church staff, ministry leaders, and Christian educators who are helping their communities make sense of white Christian nationalism, state power, immigration enforcement, public fear, and the church’s witness in this moment.

You do not need to be an expert on Christian nationalism to participate. This summit is for leaders who want clearer language, deeper theological grounding, and practical formation tools for leading with courage, humility, and hope.

How do I access the Virtual Summit?

This summit will take place online.

After you register, you will receive a link by email with everything you need to access the summit. You can join from wherever you are, with space to watch, reflect, and engage the material in a way that fits your context.

The summit begins at 9:00AM Pacific Time on both days.

Details about the Summit

Understanding Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of the State is a seven part online video summit taking place September 3 and 4, 2026.

The summit begins at 9AM Pacific Time each day. Each session will be available to watch from the time the stream starts until 12PM PT (noon) September 5th, 2026

For those who want more time with the material, an extended access pass will be available for purchase. This pass is a good option for leaders who want to revisit sessions, share the content with a team, or move through the summit more slowly after the live access window.

Join Christian leaders for this seven part video series on white Christian nationalism, state power, discipleship, and the church’s public witness.

You will leave with clearer language, deeper historical context, theological frameworks, and formative practices to help your community recognize and resist white Christian nationalism with courage, compassion, and hope.

September 3 - 4, 2026

9AM (both days)

Register for this FREE Event now!

Meet Your Speakers

Session: What Is White Christian Nationalism and Why Clarity Matters Now

Presented By: Dr. David P. Gushee

In a cultural landscape where “Christian nationalism” is frequently debated but often misunderstood, establishing a shared language is essential. Dr. David Gushee will carefully define white Christian nationalism, clearly distinguishing this ideology from healthy patriotism and faithful civic engagement.

By exploring the underlying human forces—such as fear, cultural threat, and perceived loss—that fuel its traction, this session will equip you to understand why theological clarity is a pastoral necessity, not just a political one. You will leave with a grounded, non-reactionary framework to responsibly teach your congregation, avoiding caricature while naming the true moral consequences for the church.

Session: A Theological Diagnosis: When Christianity Is Co-Opted by Power

Presented By: Rev. Dr. Angela Parker

When faith is co-opted by power, core Christian commitments like the incarnation, kenosis, neighbor-love, and the kingdom of God are often distorted. Rev. Dr. Angela Parker will guide leaders in identifying the specific theological moves that undergird white Christian nationalism, addressing how scripture is frequently misused to sacralize violence, borders, and hierarchy.

This session provides the tools to offer a faithful theological counter-witness, helping you articulate exactly why this ideology is fundamentally a discipleship issue rather than merely a political debate.

Session: History Matters: Race, Religion and the Christian Imagination in the U.S.

Presented By: Dr. Ron Ruthruff

Disrupting the myth of innocence requires an honest look at our past. In this session, Dr. Ron Ruthruff traces the deep historical relationship between Christianity, whiteness, and U.S. national identity. We will explore how this legacy deeply shapes our present reality across systemic, organizational, interpersonal, and intra-psychic levels of human relationships.

By inviting leaders into a posture of historical humility and introspection regarding how we perceive the “other,” this session offers a crucial lens that deepens empathy and actively resists simplistic, polarized narratives.

Session: State Power, Violence, and the Gospel: Discernment in a Time of ICE and Enforcement

Presented By: Rev. Dr. Shelley Bryan Wee Bishop

Current events surrounding immigration enforcement and state violence demand a morally serious response from church leaders. The Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee will reflect on the relationship between the state’s use of force and Christian ethics, offering practical theological tools to help congregations process fear, anger, grief, and complicity.

You will learn how to model truthful, courageous speech without inciting panic or fear-based rhetoric, ultimately helping your community stay grounded, faithful, and humane in divided times.

Session: The Long History Behind the Border

Presented By: Dr. Joel Aguilar

To root our pastoral responses in truth rather than reaction, we must understand the historical conditions driving contemporary migration. Dr. Joel Aguilar will trace the history of U.S. involvement in the Americas – including Cold War politics, anti-communism, commerce, and foreign policy- and examine how immigration, borders, and belonging function as racialized constructs shaped by power rather than nature.

By stepping into a broader hemispheric imagination, leaders will gain a geopolitically honest framework that challenges narrow nationalist narratives, resists scapegoating, and deepens pastoral compassion.

Session: From Ideology to Formation: Discipling People Out of Christian Nationalism

Presented By: Dr. Chuck DeGroat

Information and argument alone rarely change hearts deeply shaped by fear and identity rigidity. Moving from analysis to formation, therapist and theologian Chuck DeGroat brings clinical precision and deep pastoral care to the task of discipling people away from Christian nationalism.

This session will offer concrete, formative practices that leaders can implement in preaching, small groups, and formation spaces to reshape moral imagination and belonging. You will discover pastoral strategies that support genuine transformation rather than relying on shame or expulsion.

Session: Faithful Leadership in a Time of Unveiling

Presented By: Dr. Keny Felix

Navigating this cultural moment of unveiling and reckoning requires profound courage and a grounded witness. Dr. Keny Felix will address the very real costs of silence alongside the risks of speaking out, offering profound wisdom for leaders facing institutional pressure, fatigue, and fear.

By encouraging a faithful posture rooted in hope, repentance, and repair, this closing session is designed to call you back to your core purpose, leaving you with a renewed sense of vocation for leadership in fractured times.

Complete Your Registration Below!

After registration, you will receive links and details to join us in September.

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Full attendance and participation during all sessions are expected to complete the program.
Terms / Conditions. By registering for a Resilience or Leaders Circle, you agree to the following (scroll down and click agree)
Please consider the schedule closely to ensure you will be able to participate in the virtual meetings, and block off your calendar to ensure your attendance. Should you have an emergency (illness, situations out of your control) that will impact your participation please email transforming@theseattleschool.edu
Time commitment:
Two hours one day per month for 8 months, dates to be determined by majority of registrants' availability and adjusted as needed during the first group meeting.
Your feedback is immensely valuable!
As an essential component of your participation in this program, we ask that you provide us with your honest, candid, and timely feedback in program surveys and conversations, and consider providing reviews or testimonials of the program for promotional use.
Code of Conduct:
The Center for Transforming Engagement strives for intentionality in the ways we relate to one another - how we as a team relate to each other, how we relate to participants, and how we hope participants will relate to us and one another. To that end, we hold cultural norms about the ways we interact with one another. Your participation in this program is contingent on your agreement to abide by these cultural norms. i. For growth to happen, we all need to be able to share about the deeper challenges we face. To provide that atmosphere of openness and support, you commit to not sharing personal information that is shared in program meetings. ii. In our interactions with each other and our communities, we practice the humility of not-knowing that is required to listen and discover. iii. Be aware of different cultural and characterological ways of communicating, and invite others’ voices. Respect theological differences: the river of Christian orthodoxy is wide, and while the streams of that river are distinct, they are not inherently better or worse. Even if you can’t respect the belief, treat the person with respect. iiii. We value both thoughts and feelings as valuable pieces of information that inform one another, and inform our learning and discerning together. iv. Be in the here and now (not mentally somewhere or some time else), with the people who are sharing their time and stories with you. Eliminate any distractions possible.
Fair Use Policy
All program content, recordings, and materials are the intellectual property of The Seattle School and may not be presented, distributed, or replicated. The Seattle School retains the copyright for all recorded content. Some print materials (PDFs, worksheets, journal prompts, etc.) will be licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike. Those materials will be available for download on our website, and may be used as long as the following conditions are met: (1) attribute to the Center for Transforming Engagement even if remixed/modified; (2) do not use for commercial (paid) purposes; and (3) anything you make that remixes or builds upon this material, you must also distribute under Creative Commons. More information on this license is available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
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(scroll down and click agree) Full attendance and participation during all sessions are expected to complete the program. Please consider the schedule closely to ensure you will be able to participate in the virtual meetings, and block off your calendar to ensure your attendance. Should you have an emergency (illness, situations out of your control) that will impact your participation please email transforming@theseattleschool.edu Time commitment: Two hours one day per month for 8 months, dates to be determined by majority of registrants' availability and adjusted as needed during the first group meeting. Your feedback is immensely valuable! As an essential component of your participation in this program, we ask that you provide us with your honest, candid, and timely feedback in program surveys and conversations, and consider providing reviews or testimonials of the program for promotional use. 2. Code of Conduct The Center for Transforming Engagement strives for intentionality in the ways we relate to one another - how we as a team relate to each other, how we relate to participants, and how we hope participants will relate to us and one another. To that end, we hold cultural norms about the ways we interact with one another. Your participation in this program is contingent on your agreement to abide by these cultural norms. Confidentiality. For growth to happen, we all need to be able to share about the deeper challenges we face. To provide that atmosphere of openness and support, you commit to not sharing personal information that is shared in program meetings. Curiosity. In our interactions with each other and our communities, we practice the humility of not-knowing that is required to listen and discover. Respect differences. Be aware of different cultural and characterological ways of communicating, and invite others’ voices. Respect theological differences: the river of Christian orthodoxy is wide, and while the streams of that river are distinct, they are not inherently better or worse. Even if you can’t respect the belief, treat the person with respect. You are invited to be a whole person, with both thoughts and feelings. We value both thoughts and feelings as valuable pieces of information that inform one another, and inform our learning and discerning together. Presence. Be in the here and now (not mentally somewhere or some time else), with the people who are sharing their time and stories with you. Eliminate any distractions possible. 3. Fair Use Policy All program content, recordings, and materials are the intellectual property of The Seattle School and may not be presented, distributed, or replicated. The Seattle School retains the copyright for all recorded content. Some print materials (PDFs, worksheets, journal prompts, etc.) will be licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike. Those materials will be available for download on our website, and may be used as long as the following conditions are met: (1) attribute to the Center for Transforming Engagement even if remixed/modified; (2) do not use for commercial (paid) purposes; and (3) anything you make that remixes or builds upon this material, you must also distribute under Creative Commons. More information on this license is available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
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Lina Thompson is the lead Pastor at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church. Her primary vocation and call is the formation of leaders who love and serve their city and seek its peace.
Lina Thompson is the lead Pastor at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church. Her primary vocation and call is the formation of leaders who love and serve their city and seek its peace.
Silas Sham is the Lead Pastor of Bethany Community Church Northeast in Seattle and holds a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics, Church, and Culture from Portland Seminary. His research explores how food can form and reflect theological imagination. He created Theology on a Plate, a gamified discipleship experience that brings people around the table to taste, tell, and practice the story of God. His work has been published through the Society of Biblical Literature and in various theological and ministry journals, and he believes the best theology is lived, savored, and shared in community to nourish all of creation.
Silas Sham is the Lead Pastor of Bethany Community Church Northeast in Seattle and holds a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics, Church, and Culture from Portland Seminary. His research explores how food can form and reflect theological imagination. He created Theology on a Plate, a gamified discipleship experience that brings people around the table to taste, tell, and practice the story of God. His work has been published through the Society of Biblical Literature and in various theological and ministry journals, and he believes the best theology is lived, savored, and shared in community to nourish all of creation.
Rev. Danielle Merseles is the current Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Seattle. After an unexpected yes to volunteering in youth ministry back in 2011, Danielle eventually enrolled in seminary at Seattle Pacific, did a unit of chaplaincy at Harborview, and became ordained in the PC(USA). She loves regularly teaching and learning from people younger than her and has been called to Bethany for nearly 10 years now. She is a New Jersey native, Tulane University School of Architecture graduate, hobby potter, loves being auntie/godmother to her friends small people, and has called Seattle home since 2007.
Rev. Danielle Merseles is the current Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Seattle. After an unexpected yes to volunteering in youth ministry back in 2011, Danielle eventually enrolled in seminary at Seattle Pacific, did a unit of chaplaincy at Harborview, and became ordained in the PC(USA). She loves regularly teaching and learning from people younger than her and has been called to Bethany for nearly 10 years now. She is a New Jersey native, Tulane University School of Architecture graduate, hobby potter, loves being auntie/godmother to her friends small people, and has called Seattle home since 2007.
Jessica became disabled as a young adult and has worked for accessibility and inclusion specifically in third places for over 20 years. Coming to the Episcopal Church after experiencing religious trauma from “faith healing,” Jessica feels called to break down barriers, both physical as well as spiritual by addressing the harmful theologies and behaviors that have shown disabled people that “we are not welcome as the Beloved People God created us to be.” She is blogger, speaker, and consultant for Bridge Disability Ministries.
Jessica became disabled as a young adult and has worked for accessibility and inclusion specifically in third places for over 20 years. Coming to the Episcopal Church after experiencing religious trauma from “faith healing,” Jessica feels called to break down barriers, both physical as well as spiritual by addressing the harmful theologies and behaviors that have shown disabled people that “we are not welcome as the Beloved People God created us to be.” She is blogger, speaker, and consultant for Bridge Disability Ministries.
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky, and served as the President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024. An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for nearly twenty-five years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). She has pastored congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She is the author of seven books, including Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice (Rowman & Littlefield, 2025), and Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky, and served as the President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024. An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for nearly twenty-five years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). She has pastored congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She is the author of seven books, including Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice (Rowman & Littlefield, 2025), and Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).
The Rev. Natalie "Nat" Johnson serves as Priest in Charge at St Peter's, a diverse and multi-ethnic Episcopal parish in Seattle WA. Over the last five years, Rev. Nat has served on the Diocese of Olympia's Commission on Ministry, walking with individuals sensing a call to ordained ministry. They also currently serve as Affiliated Faculty at Church Divinity School of the Pacific where they teach Liturgical Theology to seminarians preparing for the priesthood in the Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Natalie "Nat" Johnson serves as Priest in Charge at St Peter's, a diverse and multi-ethnic Episcopal parish in Seattle WA. Over the last five years, Rev. Nat has served on the Diocese of Olympia's Commission on Ministry, walking with individuals sensing a call to ordained ministry. They also currently serve as Affiliated Faculty at Church Divinity School of the Pacific where they teach Liturgical Theology to seminarians preparing for the priesthood in the Episcopal Church.
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow is a 3rd Generation Filipino/Chinese American and an active speaker, writer, and coachsultant. His writing, teaching, and speaking have taken him to Australia, The Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, and across the United States as he addresses topics of faith, leadership, activism, culture, race, and technology. Author of six books, most recently, In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World (Chalice Press, 2021) Everything Good about God is True: Choosing Faith (Broadleaf Books, 2024). Bruce also has a broad online video and audio presence but writes and podcasts through his Newsletter & Podcast, The Amalgamation. Bruce has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1995 and has pastored seven congregations throughout California. In 2008, he was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA, the youngest and first Asian American to hold the denomination’s highest elected office. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, works with Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center to lead delegations to Palestine, is a Senior Consultant and Coach with Convergence, is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, and is the Church Relations and Development Officer at Zephyr Point Conference Center. Bruce and his wife, Robin, have three adult children, two senior pups, too many houseplants, and a thriving empty-nester life in San Jose, CA.
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow is a 3rd Generation Filipino/Chinese American and an active speaker, writer, and coachsultant. His writing, teaching, and speaking have taken him to Australia, The Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, and across the United States as he addresses topics of faith, leadership, activism, culture, race, and technology. Author of six books, most recently, In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World (Chalice Press, 2021) Everything Good about God is True: Choosing Faith (Broadleaf Books, 2024). Bruce also has a broad online video and audio presence but writes and podcasts through his Newsletter & Podcast, The Amalgamation. Bruce has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1995 and has pastored seven congregations throughout California. In 2008, he was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA, the youngest and first Asian American to hold the denomination’s highest elected office. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, works with Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center to lead delegations to Palestine, is a Senior Consultant and Coach with Convergence, is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, and is the Church Relations and Development Officer at Zephyr Point Conference Center. Bruce and his wife, Robin, have three adult children, two senior pups, too many houseplants, and a thriving empty-nester life in San Jose, CA.