White Christian Nationalism, Liberation Theology, and Being Reformed

Looking at White Christian Nationalism, Liberation Theology, and Being Reformed

After the riots at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley linked White Christian Nationalism to the theology of Abraham Kuyper, a prominent Dutch Reformed theologian whose teachings were used to justify South African Apartheid. While we remember that not everyone in the Reformed tradition necessarily follows Kuyper too closely, it still leaves us, and the world wondering whether being Reformed should somehow be linked with being racist, or can we do better?

On Friday, September 10, at 11:00 am, Dr. Juan A. Carmona will lead our first Reformed Church Center conversation of the new academic year, with a discussion of “White Christian Nationalism, Liberation Theology, and Being Reformed.” This is another installment in the series of discussions begun in 2020, seeking to help congregations be more anti-racist. Dr. Carmona will examine the connections between Calvinism and White Christian Nationalism, and suggest equally strong, and more biblical, connections to much more expansive and inclusive theologies. After his presentation and some response by James Brumm, Director of the Reformed Church Center, we will open up the gathering to everyone for questions and discussion.

Juan Carmona is a retired prison chaplain, parish pastor, and teacher at various institutions of higher education.  He served as a Visting Scholar/Professor of Theology for several years at the Tainan Theological College/Seminary in Taiwan, teaching courses on Liberation Theology and Prison Ministry. An ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America since 1978, he holds degrees from the State University of New York, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and Colgate-Rochester Crozer Divnity School.