There was a discussion here this morning.
Jaqueline was offended on behalf of Christians that white male so-called Christian nationalists claim the right to use the term Christian when they are clearly anything but that.
She felt another word was needed.
'Christianists' is the best we have to offer so far.
Thoughts?
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
There are links to this blog's glossary in the above post that explain technical terms used in it. Follow them for more explanations.
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
Buy me a coffee!
The term Christian is much misunderstood and abused. i was very upset when I told a friend my Dad who was Catholic was dying of lung cancer. Instead of offering compassion, as a good evangelical she told me we must pray for his salvation! I think we have to accept that only God knows what is in our hearts.
“Christishams”?
Delusionists
I have a brother and sister in law who, along with her side of the family, has fallen for a religion that to me seems to have only a passing resemblance to Christianity and feels more like a cult. It’s basically akin to American Christian fundamentalism which itself only has a passing resemblance to Christianity.
Essentially they are the polar opposite of my views. I don’t believe in Jesus but agree with some of his teachings, whereas they believe in their Lord and Saviour but have torn up the rule book!
Features. They believe above all in getting rich. Never known them to support anything charitable. Moralise to others (but only to punch down on poverty, homosexuality, liberal parenting etc).
Sort of like a Christianity for people who don’t want to make an effort to be a good person I guess? I always though Mammonism was a good name for it?
You have my sympathies
I suggest to look up prosperity theology. It might help to understand the thought process why it is Americans believe Christianity goes hand in hand with money. God gives his blessings to his people by giving them money, including corporations. If you are poor it must be because you are bad. And if you dont vive money to the church you are bad. Oh and dont think about how many jets I own, you are just greedy and bad.
Profoundly scary, and deeply controlling stuff.
For creepy+++++ see this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9LtF34MrsfI
But its the mainstream that I worry about, this guy is seriously heterodox, I’ve sat and analysed his preaching yeats ago, with a notebook and the pause_repeat button. It sums up as “God wants you to give me money and if you do, he will bless you and heal you – have faith and GIVE ME MONEY”. Its called faith teaching, it isnt orthodox Christianity. I had vulnerable people in my congregation 20 years ago, and I would have to discourage them from sending their benefit money to USA Televangelists.
But I’m more worried about what appears to be mainstream preachers who support far right movements or “Israel” without appearing to have noticed the hateful violent things they say at their rallies and on social media that contradict their own Christian beliefs. Dealing with that is an uphill slog.
Very creepy
I can’t offer an alternative word, and I speak from a position of relative ignorance on Christianity and the Bible*, but the Christian Nationalists strike me as being quite Old Testament, the jealous God of the Commandments, rather than New Testament, the Gospels, parables, Acts etc. Hence, really not Christian in a strict sense.
I did see it suggested that rather than the Commandments being posted up in every school, the Beatitudes would be better, with their message of compassion.
*Sunday school is an uncomfortably large number of decades ago for me!
Chistianizts?
Ch I N O
or C I N O
Christian In Name Only
I like Chino
I get the logic of CHINO, but given the prevalence of China and certain designs of trouser I stand by my assertion of a descriptive clause before the word ‘Christian’ for these pretend Christians.
I’m still working on it:
‘Anarcho-Christian’?
‘Fascist-Christian’?
‘Culto-Christian’? (careful now PSR!).
‘Reducto-Christian’?
‘Ersatz-Christian’?
You got further than us.
Pseudo-Christians
(pseudo defined as false, fake, feigned, or pretended)
I used C I N O originally as it reminds me of the American Far right claiming to be Republicans and denigrating those who are conventional Republicans as RINOs Republicans in Name Only.
It is sort of reverse attack on those claiming the name of Christ which disregarding his teachings.
Fake/faux Christians?
Phony baloney Christians?
“Whitewashed tombs” Mathew 23:27
Christianists, is perhaps a term that one can run with, but does a great disservice to Christianity – so I would be uncomfortable with the term. Farage, Jenrick, and Badenoch have hardly darkened church doors, nor (would I suspect) know one end of the Bible from the other.
Care for the alien (foreigner) is a constant throughout the Bible, and so the far right have nothing to do with ‘Christian values’ (Farage and Jenrick always riff on) when they espouse violent deportation with accompanying violent rhetoric.
I admit I am much inclined to Christi-aints
‘Christian’ is a much sullied word. Need we sully it even more?
Their use of the word is meant at nothing more than sectarian differentiation when Jesus emphasises the commonality of all peoples really.
So Christians cannot be anything other than Jesus – a prophet – suggested they be. Speaking as an atheist of course.
If we have to use the word Christian in this way to describe fake Christians, we should perhaps use a clause or term before ‘Christian’ to make our disdain clear, to separate it from the genuine article?
‘Anti-Christians’?
‘Ethno-Christians’?
‘Anti-Abrahamic Christians’? (against the people of the book).
Mind you I think ‘arseholes’ would be a good description to be honest.
I don’t wish to upset Jacqueline, but isn’t she a little late to the party?
“Jaqueline was offended on behalf of Christians that white male so-called Christian nationalists claim the right to use the term Christian when they are clearly anything but that.”
Why is she limiting her concern to white male Christian nationalists when a majority of those in this country who call themselves Christians are also anything but that. The vast majority of the Conservative party springs immediately to mind.
She was taking particular objection to Farage and Tice
I like ChINO
I was brought up in an organisation like that. When I decided to leave at the age of 17, I was ostracised by my family until I was in my mid 40s.
In my opinion, the Old Testament of the Bible has nothing to do with Christianity.
You can find an excuse for just about any atrocity in the Old Testament, but you have to go to the New Testament to find out about kindness and compassion.
Nowadays I’m an agnostic, but I believe Jesus existed and was a decent chap.
Like many decent people, he was vilified.
There is a complete absence of kindness and compassion in most Governments these days, including ours.
It has come to something when one of the only people to have spoken any sense recently is 92 year old Michael Heseltine.
Much to agree with
The problem is that the Chinese already have to put up with mountains of spiteful negative caricaturing.
It would be comforting, especially for me, to think that Christo-fascism, Christian Zionism, and Christian Nationalism are distinct and separate from orthodox Nicene/Apostles Creed Christianity (where I identify myself as a follower of Jesus).
But I regret to say that they are horribly entwined. This stuff has penetrated mainstream Christianity, especially in the states but also here, and it is across the board.
Often it is due to lack of information about the dark side, eg: a v partial understanding of Charlie Kirk that has never heard of Turning Point USA. It affects middle class educated Christians and it affects those with limited education. It includes especially old Etonians with plenty of cash, who are prominent in evangelical circles and found/run prominent ministries.
(See The Kings Army for a chill down your spine)
I find this incredibly distressing, we are dealing with this all the time, and countering it within the faith community is painful and sensitive work because vulnerable people are involved.
My caution would be – dont make too much of a separation – because this horrible perversion is NOT on the outside – it has entangled its tentacles deep INSIDE faith communities. I want to defeat the evil ideology, but what about the vulnerable people caught up in iy, who will be MORE vulnerable unless they are carefully rescued and dont lose their community links. Its like “curing” a chronic alcoholic by cold turkey. It provokes seizures and can be fatal.
Thanks
We might want to look at Islam to get some bearings. They have to a similar sort of problem with what often gets termed Islamism. I see much less of it nowadays …
But that isn’t recent. Have a look at some of the clergymen and congregations in Dickens, or Austen. They were never ‘Christian’.
Walter Wink talks about “the Powers that Be”, the “Domination system”, and this type of nonChristian as “Demonic”. I really like some of the suggestions above: “whitewashed sepulchers” Cino, Christishams, Mammonists. They all capture aspects of this cast of mind, which is in total contradiction to Christianity.
Thanks
They have built an altar to themselves and called it Christ’s. Typo earlier. Should have been “Matthew”. And I should have referenced Verse 28 too.
Walter Wink is v thought-provoking on the “ontology of evil” and HOW to oppose/resist it.
https://politicaltheology.com/symposium/resisting-the-powers-walter-winks-legacy-reexamined/
Christi-nons?
🙂
In my young day they were God-botherers
I like Chino too!
I am an atheist now but was raised by devout Catholic parents. But luckily for me their religion was mainly informed by the actual teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, i.e. the exhortations to love your neighbour as yourself. They did disapprove of what the Church designated sin, including sex outside of marriage but it was a sad disapproval rather than an angry one if you get my meaning. Funnily enough, my father was not happy about the Church’s teaching on homosexuality, as he had a gay friend and my Dad often noted that his friend never chose to be that way so why should he be punished for it.
The so-called Christianity displayed by these right-wing nationalist types just seems so alien to me, completely bereft of the compassion and humility I associated with it growing up. It’s like they actually never read the Gospels they go on about all the time.
Much to agree with
PseudoChristian?
I refer to Mr Chris Hedges and his 2007 book – American Fascists: the Christian Right and the War on America:
“Hedges, who grew up in rural parishes in upstate New York where his father was a Presbyterian pastor, attacks the movement as someone steeped in the Bible and Christian tradition. He points to the hundreds of senators and members of Congress who have earned between 80 and 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian Right advocacy groups as one of many signs that the movement is burrowing deep inside the American government to subvert it. The movement’s call to dismantle the wall between church and state and the intolerance it preaches against all who do not conform to its warped vision of a Christian America are pumped into tens of millions of American homes through Christian television and radio stations, as well as reinforced through the curriculum in Christian schools. The movement’s yearning for apocalyptic violence and its assault on dispassionate, intellectual inquiry are laying the foundation for a new, frightening America”
https://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Fascists-Christian-Right-America/dp/0743284437
A work colleague, who is a devout Christian and occasional preacher has an older sister who has gone so “full on Trump” that they’ve fallen out. “It’s a cult”.
I am not a Christian, and agree with Jaqueline. A new term is needed for these singularly unsavoury men. ChINO made me laugh, I realise it could be misinterpreted. I liked Mammonists. Christishams also good. Believing Jesus to have been an enlightened man trying to make the world a better place, but rather vague on the details, I read up on the Sermon on the Mount / Beatitudes, which confirmed him as a gentle revolutionary and definitely promoting care of the weak and poor. What book are these white nationalist guys reading? Do they need the services of an optician?
Definitely, and maybe some education from a good teacher
Perhaps they’re the antichrist?
Twistians?
🙂
I’m rather fond of that good old fashioned term
‘Moral Defective’
interesting! AI comes up with the following ” Words for “pseudo-Christians” include hypocrite, dissembler, and Sunday Christian” My maternal grandfather (born 1871) was a C of E rector, and was frequently ‘told’ off by the local Bishop because he believed that as long as ‘you’ believed in something and lead a good and caring life, it did not matter what you called either yourself or God.
He was right
And something was the right word
The presumption that God (I use the word wisely, Christians might say the Father) has human form is absurd
Oh come on, Richard! Every Christian worth his Lot’s wife knows that God is a man – and an English man at that!
I always wonder what the Faragistas and Vancists might say if they ever realised that Jesus must have had brown skin.
Hi team
Ah, church, my specialist subject. I like the terms Christianists (z or s), mammonists. I didn’t realise this religious nationalism was such a big thing and am a more than a bit concerned. Our church is having a meeting specifically about ‘those flags’ with councillors and politicians invited to listen to the community’s feelings about them. I hope it won’t be hijacked.
A few observations from theology land:
One saying of Jesus overlooked (inside and outside the church) is from Luke 22 – ‘the greatest among you must be like the youngest and the leader must be like the servant’. Probably too humble an approach for nationalism or prosperity theology.
The incarnation of God as a man is the main point of the Christian faith so the ‘god-man’ comments caught my eye. Whether the Godhead is male or female is an interesting debate by no means clear.
But the bible is a hard book. I always direct people to John’s gospel and leave the rest for the experts!
Thanks
Hi team
Ah, church, my specialist subject. I like the terms Christianists (z or s), mammonists. I didn’t realise this religious nationalism was such a big thing and am a more than a bit concerned. Our church is having a meeting specifically about ‘those flags’ with councillors and politicians invited to listen to the community’s feelings about them. I hope it won’t be hijacked.
A few observations from theology land:
One saying of Jesus overlooked (inside and outside the church) is from Luke 22 – ‘the greatest among you must be like the youngest and the leader must be like the servant’. Probably too humble an approach for nationalism or prosperity theology.
The incarnation of God as a man is the main point of the Christian faith so the ‘god-man’ comments caught my eye. Whether the Godhead is male or female is an interesting debate by no means clear.
But the bible is a hard book. I always direct people to John’s gospel and leave the rest for the experts!
You think John is easy?
I’d start with Mark.
It’s the easiest to believe.
Old habits die hard : – )
”Whether the Godhead is male or female is an interesting debate by no means clear. ”
In Genesis 1 both male and female are described as imaging God. That suggests God is both (and neither).
Hypocrites.
Call to Authenticity: The Bible calls believers to live authentically and to align their actions with their professed beliefs. In James 1:22 , it is written, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.”
Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount further address the issue of hypocrisy. In Matthew 6:1 , He warns, “Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” This instruction highlights the importance of sincerity in one’s spiritual practices.
From an angry agnostic!
There are many…angry agnostics, that is.
Christi-aints?
That is very good
Being an inveterate Spoonerist, I automatically came up with Nistian Crashionalists. It works, in a weird sort of way.
Well, it made me laugh
Christianazis was the first thing that sprang to mind. Or is that too abusive as a general term when some are misled rather than vicious? It certainly applies so some of them
I think too strong
What about ‘old-testamenters’ ? They don’t seem to recognise that guy whose greatest anger was directed at the merchants in the temple, or said the wealthy will never get to heaven, or preached the sermon on the mount…
Peoples religions tend to be a reflection of their world view rather than something which imposes a worldview on them, they seem to be able to mould pretty much any religion to fit their worldview.
Buddhism is fundamentally a religion of peace by any measure but Buddhist monks have attacked Muslims and Christians on a significant scale in some Asian countries.
God and hellfire versions of Christianity have as much to do with Conservative values as anything. It’s often been said that the Old Testament has a “god of wrath” and the New Testament “a god of grace”, Christians can pick which one they want. A previously respected religious scholar in the early church called Marcion (died 160 C.E) was excommunicated for proposing that they must actually be two different gods.
“There was a discussion here this morning.”
ON which thread is this discussion located?
In our kitchen – sorry
Christian-Not-Yets
🙂
Hypocristians or hypochristians (I prefer the first).
Paul
That is good
As witnessed in the US, and coming to a constituency near you courtesy of Farage, white male Christian nationalists are in lock-step with white supremacy.
I share this astute observation from Caitlin Johnstone “one reason why there’s so much overlap between white supremacism and Christian fundamentalism, by the way, is because white supremacists understand that they can’t have wealthy, educated women choosing when they do and do not reproduce, because it turns out having and raising children is a massive ordeal and a woman with rights and resources will only sometimes feel safe and supported enough to do it.
So they need to find ways to turn them back into a man’s property and force them to churn out white children.
This is also a lot of the drive behind all the tradwife stuff, the incel stuff, the anti-abortion stuff, and the “your body, my choice” rape apologia you see on the far right. White supremacists are searching for ways to bump up white birth rates against the wishes of women. White supremacism is unworkable without male supremacism.”
Caitlin Johnstone’s analysis sounds logical to me. Margaret Atwood fictionalised it.
In America people like Seth Abramson are now referring to “Christofascism”.
See https://information-warfare.com/christofascism-the-dangerous-convergence-of-faith-and-authoritarianism-2343d1915bd3
I have in my time
I like Psuedo-Christian. Most atheists are probably more christian (used as an adjective) in the true spirit of Christianity. I like to think I’m a humanist i.e. believe in other human beings to make the world a better place, except of course anyone who follows extreme forms of religions. Politics and religion should be kept well apart, preferably by law.
Much to agree with
I like Christianists and CINO but Chino or ChINO gets my vote. Then if you see a two they could be referred to as a pair of Chinos!
Noted
I’ve got a bit of a thing about collective nouns, especially those that rhyme, so couldn’t help but give this a bit more thought…. On the lighter side….
A Machino of ChINOs – robotic, ritualistic believers
ChINOpolis – a city, society or culture of believers.
ChINO Casino – where they make their money
ChINOmass – the collective gathering (like biomass)
ChINOdrome – where they all gather
https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/10/10/christianists/comment-page-1/#comment-1047493
“You think John is easy?”
I hear what you say, John is both very complicated and deep, but also very simple.
A few months ago I sat in a mens group after watching John Chapter 1 on Lumo video (we dont use books so as to avoid literacy issues). One of the group, with little formal education, who taught himself to read to help him read road signs & HGV delivery notes, then came up with all the “big” theological issues contained in John’s prologue and engaged in a discussion with me about them. It was his first exposure to John’s gospel. I learnt a lot that day.
🙂
I wonder how far the fact that a branch of the Christian Church is ‘Established’ in England affects the attitude of the Faragists to Christianity. The government appoints the Archbishop ( via some independent body) who in turn crowns the monarch; therefore in their way of thinking not to accept their view of Christianity makes one a traitor to the country.
My argument falls apart in America where the Constitution states “”Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. However politicians use the word ‘God’ far more frequently over there than here. ( Although I recall Macmillan being photographed going to church with his granddaughter carrying a Bible). But then Vance disagrees with the Pope over basic Christian tenets. To return to your question Richard, we can recognise arguments or points of view which are not Christian and it is a matter of being beware of false prophets; any word for them will do as far as I am concerned.
Thanks
Dogmatians
I have spent most of my 73 years in deeply religious and deeply divided north Antrim where “believers” on both sides preach love but practice hate. Small wonder I believe that Christianity is one of the most evil forces the world has ever seen. Both past and present!
As Jesus is reported to have said, Matthew 7:15 “beware of false profits who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves”
I can think of no more appropriate name for your christianists than “false profits”
Having said that I have in my life met 3 possibly 4 genuine Christians. But that goes no way towards making up for the rest.
Thanks for sharing.
Maybe hypochristians?
I’ve got a bit of a thing about collective nouns, especially those that rhyme, so couldn’t help but give this a bit more thought…. On the lighter side….
A Machino of ChINOs – robotic, ritualistic believers
ChINOpolis – a city, society or culture of believers.
ChINO Casino – where they make their money
ChINOmass – the collective gathering (like biomass)
ChINOdrome – where they all gather
🙂
Actually—joking and word play aside—I can certainly get on board with “Christianists” used to describe people who weaponise the religion to achieve clearly anti-Christian political ends. In fact, it’s just entered my vocabulary. Thanks.
🙂
As Oscar Wilde said “of course there were Christians before Christ, unfortunately there have been none since” (he made one exception in St Francis of Assisi)
[…] as I can see, are they about Christianity as such, although he claims to be one. One of the labels discussed here yesterday might well apply in that case. Instead, Thiel's lectures represent the catechism of a class that […]
Interesting topic … as a Christian I was asking the question the other day to my husband…. Not a Christian …what many Christians and christian leaders would think of Trump as He does preach a lot of what they would say is right about gay people and abortion etc . I have a gay daughter who is happily marriage but have heard some ridiculous statements such as it’s a choice, they must have had trauma in their childhood. We had a wonderful woman Church of Scotland minister in our Church who opted in to marry gay people and she said when I go up to meet Jesus and I’ve got it wrong I will say I did it out of love and if you do things out of love you really can’t be wrong. There is a wonderful book changing our mind by David p Gushee where he considers the conservative teaching on LGBTQ relationships. Anyway this is only one of the many people that are being targeted and excluded. Everyone deserves to be loved and treated fairly and groups like this are informative and sincere. Thank you…. And a healthy and safe space even if everyone doesn’t always agree.
Thank you.
And good for your daughter, her wife and that minister.
Gay and lesbian people are born and not bred. I know enough about this as the brother of a gay twin, when I am straight, to know as a result that this is true – and was well before puberty in our cases, and we both knew it.
It’s not just Christianity they imitate, all religions, good science, environmentalism and many other things people perceive as generally good or constructive.
How about Deceptionists practising Deceptionism