White Christian evangelicals played a prominent role in the election of Donald Trump.  Even though I am white, and a Christian, and an evangelical, I do not claim the identity “white Christian evangelical.”  I have, however, been struggling to understand this volatile mixture of ethnicity, faith, and politics.  Although this is certainly not true for all, throughout the election season and beyond this group has expressed anger and a “circle the wagons” mentality against anyone who is not white and Christian (including Christians who are liberal, or like me, who are evangelical but not in the way these folks define “evangelical”).  

Even though I have much in common with them both ethnically and religiously, I feel none of their angst or anger toward other religions, races, immigrants, etc.  Why is this?  Is it because I’m in a different socio-economic group?  I have a secure job and don’t feel threatened as others might?  I’ve lived as a minority white in an African culture?

I see  great danger when Christians pair their Christian faith with their ethnicity and become “white Christians” rather than Christians who happen to be white.

Structures of Existence   

Human life flows through various “structures of existence” that give coherence to our lives— government, family, religion, social expectations and traditions, and so forth.  One’s clan, tribe or ethnic group is a prime example of these structures that bring order and cohesion to life for many of the world’s people. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul warns that these structures of existence can be invaded by and even taken over by evil powers.  When he speaks of the “principalities and powers,” he is referring to the fact that good structures God created for the benefit of the world (Col 1:16) have been warped from their good purpose and now stand in opposition to God and Christ (Col 2:8).

Human government is a perfect example.  Paul speaks of the positive role of the “governing authority” as God’s servant in Romans 13 yet in the book of Revelation we see this same Roman government vilified as the “beast”—the instrument Satan uses to bring horrible persecution to the early Christians.  An even better example is the Old Testament law, which the Bible repeatedly tells us was God’s gift to his people.  Yet Paul is just as clear in Galatians that this law has mutated into an enslaving legalistic power, keeping people from Christ.

Theologian Stanley Grenz offers this helpful summary: 

“Despite God’s good intention for the structures, however, they can be manipulated for evil purposes.  In this manner, what God intends as a means to promoting community can actually weaken it.  Rather than aiding people in building community, the powers enslave them.  Structures become a channel for evil, whenever they are pressed into the service of evil ends.” (Theology for the Community of God, p. 233)

So the structures God intends for good, to bring meaning and stability to human life, can (and often do) become warped and evil.

Ethnic Identity

Living in Ethiopia for several years, we saw firsthand how ethnic identity is THE primary structure that not only tells people “who they are,” but makes life both meaningful and livable day to day. Ethnic diversity—Ethiopia has more than 80 distinct people groups—enriches the society in the same way biological diversity enriches our natural world. But exactly because ethnic identity is such a primal structure of existence, it is always susceptible to be co-opted by the “principalities and powers” to spawn great evil.

The Hutu vs. Tutsi ethnic cleansing in Rwanda where more than 800,000 died is a dramatic demonstration of what continues to happen under the radar of worldwide attention.  In western Ethiopia today, Christians at times take up arms to fight one another. Ethnic identity trumps Christian identity.

However, when Christians consider their ethnic identity, we encounter a paradox. Unlike Islam, which forces Muslims worldwide to worship in the Arabic language, Christianity promotes exactly the opposite—planting faith and worship as deeply as possible in every indigenous culture.  In Ethiopia, vast resources are being expended translating the Bible into many tribal languages because we Christians believe so strongly (especially after the mistakes of 19^th century mission colonialism) that every human being has the right to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ without having to reject his or her own ethnic/cultural identity and join someone’s else’s.

But tribalism—giving ultimate loyalty to one’s own ethnic group—is idolatry.  Tribalism is always lurking around churches here, ready to snatch what God intends for good and turn it toward evil.  Ethiopian Christian leaders struggle mightily against ethnic identity being co-opted by the “principalities and powers” and turned into the false god of tribalism. 

However, they are not alone. The apostle Paul engaged in the same struggle throughout his ministry. Listen to his own confession in Phil 3:4-7: “If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”

Eugene Peterson in his modern English paraphrase translates the last verse with extra punch:

“Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung.” (The Message)

In his words we can recognize Paul’s subtle pride in his own ethnic heritage—“of the tribe of Benjamin” and so forth. Paul is not saying everything about being a Jew is “dog dung.” He is not criticizing his Jewishness in and of itself, anymore than in other places he criticizes the Old Testament law in and of itself.  No, it is to what purpose that ethnic identity (or the law) is used. Whenever Paul’s ethnic heritage gets in the way of following Christ…whenever people assume they are part of “God’s people” simply because they are Jewish, or Amhara, or Oromo…or white Americans…whenever, in short, ethnicity is overrun and bent toward evil by the principalities and powers…THEN Paul will set aside his heritage and be sure everyone in his church knows it. In relative terms, his new identity in Christ is far MORE important to him than his ethnic identity.

Our Deepest Identity

A recent article on identity in politics offered the observation that a core issue is that  white Americans are no longer the majority in America:

The temptation for the Republican Party, especially with Donald Trump in the White House, is to double down on a form of white Christian nationalism, which treats racial and religious identity as tribal markers and defends a shrinking demographic with increasingly autocratic assertions of power.

Here’s my view.  Ultimately, it is not the Republican party or Donald Trump but the “principalities and powers” who tempt Christians who happen to be white to become “white Christians.” Once this tribal marker is in place, all kinds of evil can be unleashed in its name, all under the banner of Christ.  No wonder so many in our society look at Christians so negatively.

I look forward to the day when American society looks at the church and sees Christians not denying or denigrating our ethnic heritage (e.g. Hispanic, African American, Asian or Caucasian) but setting it aside whenever necessary in favor of our far deeper identity in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

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