The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church

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The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 840 ratings · 116 reviews

The church was established to serve the world with Christ-like love, not to rule the world. It is called to look like a corporate Jesus, dying on the cross for those who crucified him, not a religious version of Caesar. It is called to manifest the kingdom of the cross in contrast to the kingdom of the sword. Whenever the church has succeeded in gaining what most American...more

Paperback, 219 pages

Published April 23rd 2007 by Zondervan Publishing Company (first published 2006)

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The Myth of a Christian Nation by Gregory A. Boyd

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Dec 05, 2008 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: culture-wars, politics

Boyd’s book was a very interesting read for me. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had such a rollercoaster reading experience as I had reading this book. I have read books where I agree with some of it but not all of it. Only the intellectually insecure seem to discount everything someone says simply because s/he says something you disagree with. But with this book, I literally agreed with one sentence 100% and then disagreed with the very next sentence 100% and then agreed with the very next sentence 1...more

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Hannah Farmer I think Boyd assumes that those reading this book already know and understand the Good News, and know that accepting Christ as our savior is the path...more
Dec 22, 2009 10:34am

Paul "I think Boyd assumes that those reading this book already know and understand the Good News, and know that accepting Christ as our savior is the path...more
Dec 22, 2009 01:01pm

Paul BTW, I left a link of where I offer "extended criticism." You should read the fuller review.
Dec 22, 2009 01:03pm

Jul 21, 2010 Wendy Roberts rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-self-help

This really should be required reading for so many Christian evangelicals. I have many wonderful Christian friends who have become completely caught up in the idea of a Christian nation...God blessing our nation according to how much power the Christians wield, and how closely we are following his commands. Boyd pulls almost exclusively from Scripture to show that Jesus was apolitical...that Jesus showed in his life that the government in charge was superfluous to what the Christian should be do...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Pip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, political

I think every American Christian should read this book. The American church really is becoming obsessed with politics and forgetting our real mandate is not to make a country into a Christian-run nation. The only part that I disagreed with was his last chapter on non-violence. I think that Romans 13 clearly demonstrates that government has the right to operate the sword, and for Christians to participate in this mandate does not violate Christ's command to turn the other cheek. But overall, I wo...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Alethea rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. A well-thought-out and articulate explanation for why politics and religion should never be mingled. It doesn't suggest that personal beliefs should have no bearing on how people approach their own personal politics, but it does make the point that politics and faith ask for different behaviors.

The primary thing I got from this book is the idea that it is possible for two people to agree on what is right and have different opinions on how to encourage that rightness. To use a...more

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Nov 10, 2011 ***Dave Hill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, favorites

(Original review Jan 2007)

Overall 4/5
Writing 4/5
Re-Readability 4/5
Info 4/5

Gregory Boyd is a theologian and pastor of a large Protestant congregation in Minnesota. Disturbed by what he saw as increasing identification between the evangelical Christian church and the political right wing, he started in 2004 a series of sermons on “the cross and the sword,” arguing that such close ties were not only harmful to the church, but were against the message of Jesus. The result was a serious diminution o...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Steven rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is certainly over due. This is a book all Christians in America must read. As Boyd writes Christians in American have become to closely tied to the American government and as a result the church in America has also been tied with the government, which it never should be. America is a nation with Christians, not a Christian nation. Boyd writes about the dangers of the myth Christians live by in believing America is a Christian nation. His argument is sound and his points are well defend...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Scott Ray rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ok this was a difficult book.
The premise was good. We are not to follow blindly the kingdom of this world, no matter what form of government they may take. We are members of the Kingdom of God and that is important that we always place that above all other allegiances. The goal of this is also a good goal. The argument, rightly stated, is that equating Christianity with any form of Government hinders the spread of the Gospel. When we spend all of our time arguing politics with lost people then w...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Casper Denck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crossposted at http://nicodemist.wordpress.com/2010/...

In the run up to the 2004 Gregory Boyd began a sermon series "The Cross and the Sword" that according to the New York Times resulted in the loss of 1000 members from the church membership of 5000. The Myth of a Christian Nation is based on these sermons and it is easy to see why this was a source of contention for many evangelicals; Boyd's argues that many evangelicals have simply got it wrong, not so much on the substantive issues with whic...more Crossposted at http://nicodemist.wordpress.com/2010/...

In the run up to the 2004 Gregory Boyd began a sermon series "The Cross and the Sword" that according to the New York Times resulted in the loss of 1000 members from the church membership of 5000. The Myth of a Christian Nation is based on these sermons and it is easy to see why this was a source of contention for many evangelicals; Boyd's argues that many evangelicals have simply got it wrong, not so much on the substantive issues with which they are concerned about (eg, Gay Marriage, Abortion, Nationalism) but the manner in which these issues are addressed by the Church.

At the core of Boyd's argument is the contention that politics can be divided into two categories "power-over" and "power-under". Power-over is the political way of the world categorised by all the real-politics with which we are all aware. When used by Christiana this approach is guilty of the so-called constantinian mindset which is contrary to the way of Christ. So it is that Boyd argues that so much of the political strategies of the Religious Right (and Boyd almost exclusively deals the the RR in his book) is by virtue of its adoption of a power-over approach is not only unwise but actually antithetical to the message of Jesus which is the determinative paradigm Christian political engagement.

Boyd is adament that he is not arguing for a withdrawal from political engagement, merely for a realignment of this engagement to the pattern of the power-under kingdom. The power-under kingdom is the calvary-love of Jesus who forsook the way of political power-seeking and was a servant to the disenfranchised. This, and not the kingdom-over model should be the model for Christians in politics. To illustrate this point Boyd (p. 144-146) offers the example Dorothy, a middle-aged, divorced woman. A 18 year old woman (Becky) in Dorothy's Church with whom they had a close relationship became pregnant but could not tell her parents for fear of being kicked out of the house. Fearing that her hopes of college would be jeopardized and hence her dream of becoming a Vet, Becky decided that she would get an abortion.

Dorothy was the only person to whom Becky discussed her plan. Dorothy offered to support Becky whatever decision she made but also offered to assist should Becky decide not to carry out the abortion and to offer her home should she end up homeless. Eventually the still pregnant Becky did tell her parents and they did in fact ask her to leave. So it was that Becky moved in with Dorothy and help raise the child or go through the adoption process. If the baby was to be kept then Dorothy would take out a second mortgage and become the child's godmother to enable Becky to study as she had hoped to do. For Boyd this is what it means to be pro-life. As he sums it up:

"The price Dorothy paid is much greater than the price of a vote. carring a picket sign, or signing a petition. But this is why Dorothy's way of being pro-life is a distinctly kingdom way of being pro-life. It has nothing to do with her opinions about which limited, ambiguous, kingdom-of-the-world option is right, and it has everything to do with replicating Jesus' Calvary-quality love for others (P. 145)."

By Boyd's reckoning such an approach is consistent with Jesus' approach to social injustice while at the same time avoiding the complete withdrawal that is the trend of some groups (I am thinking for example of some branches of Anabaptism). I will be clear in saying that I think Boyd is, in the main right. For the Christian the primary political location is the Church in its mission to embody the grace of God in a fallen world.

And yet a lingering doubt remains; does Boyd acquiese too much? I understand that Boyd is directly addressing the problem of Religious nationalism and the religious right but the issues he addresses affect political praxis in general. What for example would Boyd think of the Confessing Church's active political dissent (eg Bonhoeffer's 1933 radio addresses), Christian involvement in the Civil Rights movement or more recently the Jubilee 2000 campaign. Was Christian involvement a form of kingdom-over thinking? Boyd does not address this issue and the book is the poorer for it. Nonetheless, even if the above are granted as legitimate the primary political actions the church could do was to emphasise to universal Church of zealous nationalism, affirm that the church is a church for all races and that we will not be complicit in the unjust trade practices so common elsewhere.

These questions aside Boyd has done the Church a service in asking some tough questions of the Church's alignment with approaches that do not have at its centre the witness of Jesus as our model political life.

(less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Jin rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best eye opening experience I had reading a book. It really changed some of the ideas and culturally influenced "religious" belief I had of my Christian faith. The book reveals what it really means to be a Christian, which is to be "Christ-like." Comparing the pluralistic view of what many believers tend to have in this age with the radical approach Jesus had shown on the Calvary, we are clearly left to realize how our faith was so misguided (most people with nationalistic pride). I a...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Scott Holstad rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Myth of a Christian Nation is a pretty good book that makes some excellent points while at the same time hitting the reader over the head with some strong repetitions and yet not going as far as it could in some of its criticisms of the religious right. Indeed, Boyd attempts to take both left and right to task, although to my satisfaction, he does focus primarily on evangelicals -- just not enough to satisfy me completely.

Boyd contends that Jesus taught a "power under" form of service to hum...more The Myth of a Christian Nation is a pretty good book that makes some excellent points while at the same time hitting the reader over the head with some strong repetitions and yet not going as far as it could in some of its criticisms of the religious right. Indeed, Boyd attempts to take both left and right to task, although to my satisfaction, he does focus primarily on evangelicals -- just not enough to satisfy me completely.

Boyd contends that Jesus taught a "power under" form of service to humanity rather than a "power over" gospel of the sword. Yet, he contends, the Church has historically rooted itself in a "power over" ideology as seen in centuries of witch hunts, crusades, and other atrocities committed in the name of God.

His primary assertion that America is not -- and never has been -- a Christian nation is one of his weakest assertions in the book to me. He spends a tiny amount of time on describing our founding fathers as being little more than deists and then he wanders off to Americans practicing genocide against millions of Native Americans and slavery against millions of African Americans as proof that we've never been a true Christian nation, the assumption being that true Christians would never do such things. While that may be true, I frankly needed more than just this to convince me of what I already know and believe to be true. I wanted more on the founders and their specific beliefs and their efforts to ensure no state religion would ever exist. I was disappointed Boyd didn't take advantage of his opportunity here. Boyd contrasts America's "power over" history with Jesus' "power under" alternative --

"This is what we are called to be: a community characterized by radical, revolutionary, Calvary-quality love; a community that manifests the love of the triune God; a community that strives for justice not by conquering but by being willing to suffer; a community that God uses to transform the world by providing it with an alternative to its own self-centered, violent way of existing."

Later in the book Boyd contrasts Jesus' style with the judgmental attitudes found in so many contemporary evangelicals.

"First, as people called to mimic Jesus in every area of our lives, we should find it significant that Jesus never assumed the position of moral guardian over any individual, let alone over the culture at large. In his ministry, he never once inquired into a person's moral status.... Why didn't the sinless Jesus point out, condemn, and try to control people's morality? ... His purpose, apparently, was not to guard, promote, or fix public morality."

You get the picture.

Boyd also challenges the evangelical obsession with gays and gay marriage.

"Do evangelicals fear gay marriage in particular because the Bible is much more clear about the wrongfulness of gay marriage than it is about the wrongfulness of divorce and remarriage? No, for the Bible actually says a good deal more against divorce and remarriage than it does about monogamous gay relationships.... We evangelicals may be divorced and remarried several times; we may be as greedy and as unconcerned about the poor and as gluttonous as others in our culture; we may be as prone to gossip and slander and as blindly prejudiced as others in our culture; we may be more self-righteous and as rude as others in our culture -- we may even lack love more than others in our culture. These sins are among the most frequently mentioned sins in the Bible. But at least we're not gay!"

Excellent point, in my opinion.

Boyd talks a lot about love and the importance of people, especially Christians, to love as Jesus taught us to love. He spends a whole lot of time on this. And this is actually the one area where I veered away from the book, toward the end. He's a pacifist. In the strictest sense. His final chapter has to do with violence, and it's a Q & A chapter with questions dealing with self defense, wars, the military, etc. Basically, he's all about non-violence to the point that people should not defend themselves if found in a situation where people invade their homes and assault them. He concludes it is better to die loving than act in one's self defense. Call me an insensitive asshole, but I think that's batshit crazy! I can assure you that if I'm victimized by a home invasion, I will do anything possible to save myself and my loved ones from harm. He also says Christians should never engage in wars or, probably, even serve in the military. It goes against God's love. He goes so far as to assert that America should NOT have gotten involved in World War Two, thus saving the world's Jews, even though that could have resulted in the extermination of the Jews. He feels that another option might have presented itself to save the Jews without our having had to resort to violence. I think that's insane. Likewise the Civil War. He thinks it's insane that 600,000 Americans died over slavery. I do too, but if that war hadn't been fought, millions of American blacks would likely still be enslaved today and the country and the world would be different places. Again, he argues another option could have presented itself and that we shouldn't have had to resort to war. I'm no war hawk. I don't like war. But I do believe it's necessary at times, and at times it's nuts, like Vietnam or Iraq. I believe World War Two was an evil necessity. I guess that makes me a non-Christian or Jesus hater in Boyd's opinion. It struck me that the author is as intolerant of those supporting such war efforts as the evangelical people he accuses of being intolerant of others in society today. This section ended the book and it ended it a bit sourly for me, after having largely enjoyed what was written throughout the majority of the book. I guess I think that Boyd is SUCH an idealist, that virtually no one who has ever called themselves a Christian would qualify as such under his stringent guidelines. That's a bit disappointing.

This really is a pretty good book, but it was hard for me to overlook the nonstop repetitions throughout the book, which made it pretty redundant at times, and I was disappointed that he took it pretty easy on current evangelicals. I thought he could have really called them out. The sub-title, after all, is called "How the quest for political power is destroying the church." Ahem. That means YOU, oh right wing evangelicals! Good book, worth the read, but with qualifiers. A four out of five stars.(less)

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Dec 10, 2008 Nelson rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Path through Politics Is Not the Road to God When the kingdom of God is manifested, it will wear the face of Jesus Christ. And that, says author Gregory Boyd, has never been true of any earthly government or power. Through close examination of Scripture and lessons drawn from history, Dr. Boyd argues that evangelical Christians who align themselves too closely with political causes or declare that they want to bring America "back to God" are actually doing harm--both to the body of Christ an...more

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May 01, 2013 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology-spiritual-religious

This book that helps clarify where the church has gone off the tracks, forsaking the Kingdom of God for an unholy alliance with the kingdom of the world. The theme persists throughout that "the love we are called to trust and emulate is supremely manifested in the cross of Jesus. The cross is the ultimate symbol of the kingdom of God, for it defines what that kingdom always looks like. It looks like Christ--self-sacrificial and loving. It looks like grace."

"This is what the kingdom of God look...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Randall Pratt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Boyd's contention is that "a significant segment of American evangelicalism is guilty of nationalistic and political idolatry" and his thesis is that "fusing together the kingdom of God with this [American] version of the kingdom of the world is idolatrous and that this fusion is having serious negative consequences for Christ's church and for the advancement of God's kingdom."

He makes his point by contrasting the "Kingdom of the Sword" (wherever a person or group exercises power over others) wi...more

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May 28, 2012 Marty Solomon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Boyd does an incredible job with this book in taking a very delicate and explosive topic and dealing with it in a dialogue-inducing way. While he pulls no punches and is very straight-forward through the book, he also "keeps his head" and stays away from outlandish rhetoric or dramatic pontification.

This book is sure to irritate many readers, yet I find his message about confronting the idolatrous blend of the American way with the Way of Jesus completely refreshing. Not since reading "Jesus for...more

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Apr 27, 2009 Ellis marked it as to-read

Shelves: history, nonfiction, politics, religion

Before Reading:
I strongly believe that mixing religion and politics corrupts both. I also don't appreciate the angle (that America is a Christian Nation) the Christian Right has taken to marginalize non-Christian Americans. This book is a must read for me. (See a section from the book's synopsis below.)

Arguing from Scripture and history, Dr. Boyd makes a compelling case that whenever the church gets too close to any political or national ideology, it is disastrous for the church and harmful to...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

I agree with my friend and colleague Dale even though my rating is a bit higher. Up until the last chapter of this book, Mr. Boyd had me. While the notion that pacifism can change the world is certainly an admirable one and may well be what Christ advocated, we remain human, not God. To ask that a mother sit by and watch her daughter be raped, offering only love to the rapist as a reply, well, that doesn't mesh with our humanity. We are not and will never be Jesus or God, only poor imitations, s...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Dale rated it 3 of 5 stars

A very provocative book--most lawyers are used to arguments for the separation of church and state based upon Constitutional grounds, but this one is from a pastor on Scriptural grounds. The thrust of his argument is that using the Church to meddle in the affairs of State is not Christ-like, and constitutes a form of idolatry. I did not go along with all of his points, particularly those that veer toward pure pacifism, but there is a lot of food for thought here. With the current debate over con...more

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May 31, 2011 Timothy L. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book a lot. Boyd said many things in this book which I also said in my book, The Diluted Church, published a year earlier. What I did not like about this book is the pacifism and the last chapter. However, Boyd made some really good points that the world throws opposite sides at the believer and we should be aware that it is playing both sides of the political game. Few are aware of this! I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it with only a couple reservations. Pacifism is n...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book challenged my thinking concerning the interaction of faith and politics. Boyd argues strongly and persuasively that as Christians we are wrong to look to the government, whatever government, to create the kingdom of God on earth, however we perceive that to look. He reminds us that the governments of this world, no matter how "good" or "bad" on a relative human scale, all operate according to values and principles that are at odds with the kingdom of God. If we attempt to establish God...more This book challenged my thinking concerning the interaction of faith and politics. Boyd argues strongly and persuasively that as Christians we are wrong to look to the government, whatever government, to create the kingdom of God on earth, however we perceive that to look. He reminds us that the governments of this world, no matter how "good" or "bad" on a relative human scale, all operate according to values and principles that are at odds with the kingdom of God. If we attempt to establish God's kingdom through the political methods of the world, we will fail.

Boyd is not arguing that Christians should withdraw completely from politics. But he does put our political involvement in a radically new perspective, at least for me. He states that by putting our faith in political solutions, by believing that one candidate or another, or one governmental philosophy or another, can better accomplish God's purposes, we are in fact choosing to make an idol out of our politics. We are trusting the state or a particular leader to accomplish that which God would accomplish through his own methods, methods which do not involve force and coercion.

Boyd would remind us that the kingdom of God is establish through service and self-sacrificing love, not through methods of force and power. When the church has utilized the tools of the world, it has more often than not dishonored the name of Christ.

Boyd also points out that when we associate our country (he is referring specifically to the United States, though it would be interesting to hear from non-Americans how this applies in their own contexts) with being a "Christian nation," we are in effect stating that something called Christianity is our civic religion. We then devote ourselves to maintaining that civic religion, thinking that we are upholding God's kingdom when in fact we are merely sustaining a version of the kingdom of this world.

I'm not surprised that when Boyd delivered the sermons that provided the impetus for this book he saw many leave his congregation. His message is not going to be popular with many American Christians. But I think his point is valid and accurate. I recommend this book to all Christians who think that we serve the kingdom of God best by being politically active. Although I borrowed this from the library to read it, I think I may acquire a copy for my own library.(less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Nick Richtsmeier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Boyd's book is an idea in the right direction. Calling out the religious right's patriotic idolatry is certainly a cause worth making, and few have done it as theologically thoroughly or as effectively as Boyd. BUT – and this is a big but – Boyd is far from politically neutral. Too many of his ideas ere to the side of social engineering by way of large government programs and in the subtleties of his comments he has more in common with religious liberals like Jim Walls and Brian McLaren than his...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Kevin Greenlee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology

It's no secret that the "evangelical voter" is a big ticket in American elections. I have no idea how much money is spent trying to win them over, but I'd bet quite a bit that it's a large sum. A large part of the rhetoric employed in this campaign involves the notion that America is, or was, a Christian nation.1 Of course, lots of ink has been spilled arguing that this neither is nor ever was the case (the founding fathers were deists, America was founded to be a secular nation inspired by the...more It's no secret that the "evangelical voter" is a big ticket in American elections. I have no idea how much money is spent trying to win them over, but I'd bet quite a bit that it's a large sum. A large part of the rhetoric employed in this campaign involves the notion that America is, or was, a Christian nation.1 Of course, lots of ink has been spilled arguing that this neither is nor ever was the case (the founding fathers were deists, America was founded to be a secular nation inspired by the writings of Locke and Montesquieu, etc.) In many ways, Greg Boyd's book The Myth of a Christian Nation is yet another text of this sort. However, Boyd is not only arguing that America is not and has never been a Christian nation, he is arguing that it can never be a Christian nation.

The center of Boyd's argument is that Christianity is centered around living the example of Christ. Christ did not conquer through power or force, but instead overcame through the crazy, irrational act of submitting himself to death on a cross. Christians, Boyd argues, are to follow in his footsteps, changing others lives through the "power under" force of sacrificial love, instead of the "power over" force of the sword.

Boyd's argument here is strong. It is certainly true that all governments are held up by the sword, even those governments that use it sparingly necessarily have it. It also seems equally true that Christ commanded us not to resist evil, to love our enemies, etc.

It is important to note that Boyd doesn't think we, as members of a democratic nation, to refrain from participating (except in wars it seems), but that we should clearly understand the difference between the good work our government does, and the work of the kingdom. This is, perhaps, were things become less clear. I'm simply not sure how one is supposed to play both involve oneself in government, and yet treat it as something totally different than one's Kingdom calling. Ultimately, the Kingdom of God is supposed to be a redeeming power, making everything new, including, I would think, nations.

There are a few other places where I find his arguments to be problematic, if for no other reason than the tactics he takes. For example, he falls into the obnoxious tendency of seeing the pre-Constantinian church as some sort of idyllic model of what he thinks Christians should be - ignoring both its flaws and the possibility that the Church is a maturing entity.2

It is important not to conflate what Boyd is arguing for here with a simple notion of "separation of church and state." Yes, in the end, that seems to the practical import of it, but what drives it is quite a different matter. This is not about political or religious freedom, but about the nature of God's Kingdom.

In the end, I think much of what Boyd draws out here is true, and should be taken seriously. Governments are violent, nations are tribal. However, in the end, we think we should interact with them, we should never conflate them with the mission of God in this world. Doing so leads to the commitment of all kinds of atrocities. The job of the Church is not to preserve the moral fiber of an immoral world, but instead to love directly. And that, in the end, is I think the most important lesson of this book. It's far to easy to judge from a distance, to do "moral work" through the proxy of government. Of course, governments are moral agents, since laws are inevitably moral in nature, but our job as Christians isn't necessarily to police that agent. Instead, our job as Christians is to get into the trenches, to be there with the sick, the dying, the prisoners, the widows, the prostitutes and the tax collectors in face to face relationship. It is only when you know people face to face that you can even begin to know how to act.

So, I recommend picking up this book, if for no other reason that to shake up some of your perceptions of the world. It's certainly not timeless, and should be read with a critical eye, but it has some good lessons to teach.(less)

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Feb 02, 2013 Toby Knoblauch rated it 5 of 5 stars

There is hope for the church - and for the world - as long as there are pastors, leaders and ordinary Christians like Gregory A. Boyd around who understand what it means to follow Christ and who resist to give in to the frantic activism of the "religious right". Very glad to have come across this book. 'd like to give it into every believer's hand, well, at least to all those who think the church should be part of the political power game... Excellent, compelling. Read it. Live it :)

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Jul 27, 2011 Ady M added it

This is a very provocative book that I highly recommend. It might be an uncomfortable read for many of us (about 700 of his congregation departed when he preached this series of sermons) but one would be hard pressed to find any Biblical evidence that what he teaches is untrue. He supports every thought with scripture, and reminds us again and again that it's pretty simple: if our behavior doesn't mirror the love of Christ, nothing else we do matters. Nothing.

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Jul 15, 2010 Greg Manrodt rated it 4 of 5 stars

While this was a really good idea, and was delivered well, it was sort of...repetitive. Greg Boyd is my favorite preacher, and probably my favorite public speaker, and I agree with both his politics and his theology, I found this book to be difficult to read. I sort of felt like saying: "I get it already! Did you have something new you wanted to add?"

While I would still recommend this book, I think God at War, God of the Possible and of course Letter from a Skeptic were better reads.

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Feb 22, 2012 Carolyn Wray rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think this is a very important topic for the Christian church in America.

What did Jesus think about political power?

How should we, as members of the kingdom of heaven, interact with the kingdom of the world?

Will instituting public prayer in schools and other such policies actually make us more of a "christian" nation?

Why don't Christians put more trust in prayer than in a grab for political power?

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Apr 10, 2010 Thomas rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like "Jesus for President," Boyd's book critiques the notion that America is uniquely Christian. But "The Myth of a Christian Nation" lacks some of the power and unsettling insight of Claiborne's book. Nevertheless, it offers several interesting nuggets of wisdom that I will record here:

-- What does it mean to be Christian? It is one who imitates Christ
There was never a time in American history when it has acted Christlike.

-- Jesus' disciples Matthew (tax-collector) and Simon (zealot) were on op...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Eric by: David Russell

Basic proposition was sound. However, writing style was repetitive, and tended towards unnecessary hyperbole, sometimes devolving into name calling. The proposed alternative appeared to be, unfortunately, just another version of micro-politics, opposed to the red state voter mentality. The argument would have been much stronger if there had been a call to personal and corporate (body of Christ) holiness, and a turning from all sin, not just the sin of nationalism or patriotism. The entire body o...more

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Feb 14, 2009 Jeff Borgman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Boyd tackles one of the major dominant and still emerging obstacles to Christian faith in the US which is nationalism and more precisely the power-over authority of the "principalities and powers." This book is a must read for opening up thoughts and dialogue about what it is to be a part of God's kingdom and how that differs from the world at-large. Be careful, this book is revolutionary!

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Dec 12, 2009 Callie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: evangelicals, conservatives, liberals, those turned off by the church

Shelves: non-fiction-and-memoirs-2009

I have a headache and don't feel like writing a review, so I'll keep it short. This book is absolutely amazing. For me, I'd say it's life-changing. This book points out what a mistake it is to mix true Christianity up with politics. There were points in the book that were a bit repetitive, but the message was so incredible. Why haven't I heard these things before? No matter how good any govt. may be, it is no substitute for the kingdom of Heaven. Ugh, I can't do this book justice right now. Read...more

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Jun 18, 2008 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars

This won't do justice to the entire book, but my quick take on the thesis is that all governments are necessarily non-Christian (regardless of how officials might use Christian language to support the government or legitimize its actions) in that they govern (shape/regulate behavior) by the sword (top down, lording over power) instead of transforming hearts and lives through the type of sacrificial love to which the church is called (i.e., "Calvary-type" love in the author's words).

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“Jesus came to establish the kingdom of God as a radical alternative to all versions of the kingdom of the world, whether they declare themselves to be "under God" or not.” — 10 people liked it

“Laws, enforced by the sword, control behavior but cannot change hearts.” — 1 person liked it

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