by Obianuju Mbah, Christian Today
Critics of nationalism have a responsibility to understand what is attracting people to it and point them towards a better path, Lord Biggar has suggested.
The Oxford theology professor called the emergence of Christian nationalism, first in the US and now Britain, a “novel phenomenon” and said it may be “evidence of a kind of spiritual hunger”.
While noting concerns that Christianity could be used “to bless forms of politics that are xenophobic [and] anti-immigrant”, he stressed that he did not “know enough about the nature of the Christianity they’re developing to be able to judge”.
He found helpful the comments of an Anglican vicar on the subject who he said had suggested that even if some nationalists were “misguided”, it was nonetheless important to “understand the grievance” behind their views and “redirect them”.
Lord Biggar was speaking during a UCL panel discussion on disagreeing well. While describing himself as “a natural British patriot”, he insisted that nations should never be treated as though they are divine.
“Nations are not divine, and nations can become thoroughly corrupt,” he said.