American Christianity: Far Left or Far Right Divide

Introduction: A Divided Religious Landscape

The American religious landscape is experiencing broad-based changes at a time when the number of Americans attending religious services on a monthly or bimonthly basis has declined by seven percentage points (Myers & Whiting par. 8). This decline is evident across various demographic groups, including Hispanics, white Americans, and Black Americans. American Christians face unique challenges as the nation becomes increasingly polarized and divided over issues of gender, race, and sexuality. Liberal and conservative American Christians alike must navigate the conflict between the conventional dictates of their faith and their personal political allegiances and views. Additionally, liberal and conservative American Christians differ on various issues that are central to their faith precisely because of those political views and allegiances. This paper explores the future of American Christianity — whether it trends toward the far left or the far right — and whether a consensus is possible in American religion.

Political Polarization and American Christianity

Right-wing extremism appears to be growing substantially in the United States, as evidenced by the number of terrorist attacks carried out by far-right perpetrators over the past decade (Jones par. 1). Terror attacks by such perpetrators more than quadrupled between 2016 and 2017. White supremacists and anti-government extremists have emerged as a major concern in the United States. This comes at a time when the far left is also growing and is opposed to the ideals and views of the right wing. As a result, American society is increasingly polarized and divided along far-left and far-right lines — divisions that have permeated nearly every facet of society, including American religion. Similar to other areas of social life, American religion is experiencing challenges posed by the opposing ideals of far-left and far-right secular values.

Over the past few years, the connection between evangelism and political activism has grown significantly. For example, Franklin Graham is a renowned preacher with a reputation for unapologetic condemnation of everything considered sinful. However, the growing connection between evangelism and political activism is evident in Graham's outspoken defense of President Trump (Dias par. 25). Graham has challenged Christians to run for political office at every level of government — for city council, for mayor, and beyond. Some evangelicals support his position, while others have been uncomfortable with this political direction. This exemplifies the division within American Christianity to such a degree that some preachers like Graham feel isolated within the evangelical world.

The divisive political ideologies of the far left and far right that have crept into American Christianity are evident in major social issues such as racism. Debates over racism, the role of law enforcement, and racial stereotypes have become increasingly divisive among American Christians. Some liberal churches have adopted measures to divest from law enforcement, declaring that they would virtually never call the police (Kaleem par. 2). These congregations believe they can provide safety to their members without the involvement of law enforcement officers.

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