Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 28:2 (Summer 2024)
Article: Interview With Stephen Wolfe On Christian Nationalism
Author: Stephen Wolfe

Interview With Stephen Wolfe On Christian Nationalism1

Stephen Wolfe

Stephen Wolfe is the author of The Case for Christian Nationalism (Canon Press, 2022). He received his PhD in political philosophy from Louisiana State University. Stephen lives in North Carolina with his wife and their four children.

David Schrock: One of the things we’re thinking about is the different versions of Christian Nationalism that are out there and how that has been articulated. Here with us today is Stephen Wolfe, who has written the book, The Case for Christian Nationalism.2 To help us to begin, tell us a little about yourself, where you are, what you’re doing, and the church you’re involved in.

Stephen Wolfe: I grew up in California and moved away to go to college, so it feels like a long time ago. And I went to college at West Point, graduated there, and I was commissioned in the army and spent five years active duty. And then after five years in active duty, I lived in several places from Hawaii to Missouri. Once I got out of active duty, I went to Louisiana State University for my master’s and PhD, and then after I completed my studies in 2020, I had a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton for a year. After years of moving from place to place, my family settled in central North Carolina. Presently, I am doing some teaching, writing, and podcasting. I’m married and have four children, five goats, thirty-five chickens, a dog, and a cat.

David Schrock: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us about your book, which has been the leading edge of conversation since it came out last year.

Probably the best place to begin is in your definition of Christian Nationalism. You do that in your book: Christian Nationalism is “a totality of national action consisting of civil laws and social customs conducted by a Christian nation as a Christian nation in order to procure

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for itself both earthly and heavenly good in Christ.” So that’s your definition. How does that compare to other versions of Christian Nationalism right now? What makes that distinct and what are you trying to argue with your definition of Christian Nationalism?

Stephen Wolfe: That’s my very technical definition that I then describe in sections. I think when people hear that, they’re like, “What is he talking about?” I can summarize it by saying that Christian Nationalism is a nation that recognizes itself as a Christian people and then wants to act in light of that. That is, they’re going to arrange themselves through their laws and their customs in light of their sel...