merica’s Patriotism Debate Just Got a Powerful New Voice

U.S. Capitol building with waving American flag.

A prominent Christian theologian says America has lost the plot on patriotism — and his argument cuts across party lines in ways that may surprise you.

Quick Take

Russell Moore, editor at large for Christianity Today, argues that true patriotism means loyalty to American ideals and values — not to a political party, ethnic group, or leader.
Moore draws a sharp line between patriotism, which he says rises from gratitude, and nationalism, which he says is rooted in bitterness and entitlement.
A 2026 Pew Research Center survey found that 52% of Americans think conservative Christians have pushed their values too far in government, while 48% say secular liberals have done the same.
The debate over Christian nationalism is not new — scholars note it spikes during times of national crisis and political upheaval.

What Moore Is Actually Saying

Russell Moore has spent years drawing a clear line between two ideas that often get tangled together. “Patriotism is a good and right attitude toward a country,” he writes. “The problem is confusing a nation with the kingdom of God.” For Moore, loving your country is healthy and right. But when that love becomes absolute — when the nation replaces God at the center — it stops being patriotism and becomes something else entirely.

Moore puts it this way: nationalism is “allegiance to a certain kind, to one’s own kind,” while patriotism “is allegiance to a creed, to the idea” that America was built on. In other words, a true patriot holds the country accountable to its founding promises. A nationalist, by contrast, defends the in-group no matter what. Moore says nationalism “covers up sin,” while patriotism “humbly calls it out.” That distinction matters — and it’s one that people across the political spectrum can wrestle with honestly.

Why This Debate Keeps Coming Back

This argument is not new. Scholars who study American religion note that the tension between Christian patriotism and Christian nationalism tends to flare up during wars and political crises. Historian Matthew McCullough found that war produces “the strongest expressions of Christian nationalism,” as the nation gets wrapped in sacred meaning. The current political climate — with deep divisions over immigration, identity, and the role of religion in public life — has pushed this debate back to the front burner.

Moore has gone further, calling Christian nationalism “liberation theology for white people” — a phrase that drew sharp reactions from both supporters and critics. Conservative evangelical group Founders’ Ministries fired back with a report titled “The Rise and Fall of Russell Moore,” accusing his circle of embracing the very things he criticizes. That kind of institutional pushback shows just how high the stakes are in this debate — not just theologically, but politically and culturally.

Where Most Americans Actually Stand

A May 2026 Pew Research Center survey offers a useful reality check. Most Americans — left and right — are uncomfortable with extremes on both sides. Fifty-two percent say conservative Christians have pushed their values too far in government and public schools. But 48% say secular liberals have gone equally too far in pushing religion out. Nearly one in five Americans agreed with both statements at once — meaning they’re frustrated with the culture warriors on every side.

That middle ground is exactly where Moore’s argument lands for many readers. He is not asking people to abandon their faith or their country. He is asking them not to fuse the two into something that serves neither well. For Americans who are tired of watching politicians wave flags and Bibles as props while the country’s real problems go unsolved, Moore’s distinction between gratitude-based patriotism and grievance-based nationalism may feel less like a theological debate and more like a mirror. The question is whether anyone in power is willing to look into it.