Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor
Ebook
Christianity Today Book Awards Award of Merit—Politics and Public Life
Ministering to Christian Nationalists
Pastor Caleb Campbell has watched as Christian nationalism has taken over large swaths of the United States. And he's suffered the relational fallout of standing against it, both in his community and his church. While it's possible to be both a Christian and hold Christian nationalist ideas, Christian nationalism itself is an un-Christian worldview, rooted in ideas about power, race, and property that are irreconcilable with Christian faith. Campbell has come to see himself as a missionary to Christian nationalists, reaching out to them with the love and freedom of Jesus Christ.
In Disarming Leviathan, Campbell equips Christians to minister to their Christian nationalist neighbors. He introduces the basics of Christian nationalism and explores the reasons so many people are attracted to it. He also addresses a variety of American Christian nationalist talking points and offers questions and responses that humbly subvert these claims and cultivate deeper, heart-level conversations.
Christian nationalism is an established feature of the American landscape. Disarming Leviathan can help prepare us to confront it with compassion and hospitality, and with the truth of the good news of Jesus.
1. The Apocalypse: Division, Desperation, and a New Calling
2. A Figure in the Shadows: Understanding American Christian Nationalism
3. Leviathan Emerges: The Spiritual Power Behind American Christian Nationalism
4. Leviathan Exposed: The Emptiness of American Christian Nationalism
5. Disarming Leviathan: Engaging Our Mission Field
6. Meeting Leviathan: Preparing Our Hearts for the Work
7. Engaging Leviathan: A Field Guide
8. Leviathan's End: A Story of Hope
Acknowledgments
Notes
"This is the book I've been waiting for! Around the country, Christians who lament how Christian nationalism has gripped their families and churches are asking, 'What can we do?' The answer, as Caleb Campbell reminds us, isn't war but a commitment to love, conversation, and in a word, ministry. This book not only corrects our perspective but also offers practical insights for lovingly disarming the false gospel of Christian nationalism."
"This urgent and gracious book is an answer to prayer for those of us heartbroken by the power of Christian nationalism over our loved ones. Now we have a resource brimming with practical wisdom to equip us to approach family and friends with the liberating gospel of Jesus."
"Many thought leaders today both inside and outside the church are concerned about the global rise of Christian nationalism. What I love about Caleb Campbell's approach is that he recognizes Christian nationalists as neighbors who need discipleship in the way of Jesus. Caleb has taken the time to understand the movement from the inside, and he offers practical ways to engage in substantive conversation without shutting people down. If you share our concern that Christian nationalism distorts biblical principles, then this book will show you what to do about it. It's not enough to disagree. We need to engage."
"Caleb Campbell has given me back what I needed most of all—hope—to reengage in the most vital mission field of our time: the fight to save American Christianity from Christian nationalism. In calling Christians into this work, Campbell is first a pastor—one who deeply understands and clearly loves even those with whom he vehemently disagrees."
"I have read many books on the dangers of Christian nationalism. They have a needed confrontational prophetic voice—which I believe is necessary. But I love how Campbell approaches this subject as a pastor with the heart of an evangelist. He suggests that instead of flipping tables, we offer table fellowship, engaging people from a place of relationship. His book isn't based on theory but on heartbreaking experiences with family, friends, and the church members he pastors, where he learned how to create conversations instead of confrontations. This book will provide encouragement, wisdom, and practical suggestions for all who want to see Christian nationalists return to the ways of Jesus."
"As 'Christian nationalism' has become a buzzword in the United States, pastors and Christian leaders have responded in distinct ways: some have embraced the concept, many have tried to ignore it, and others have mocked its adherents or plotted their defeat. Caleb Campbell offers a better, more Christlike way, combining a sobering assessment of the heretical elements of American Christian nationalism with a deep love for the people who have fallen into its trappings. This gracious and well-researched book is an essential resource for pastors and others seeking to love their neighbors well."
"Disarming Leviathan is essential reading for this time. Many of us who have been pushed to the margins of US evangelicalism have watched with horror and contempt at what has happened to a once deeply spiritual ecclesial movement now solely identified as a rabid extreme political movement. Caleb Campbell provides a necessary service for the church. He makes what was once hidden plain to see—a revelation of an insidious movement that has grown roots and flourished in our midst. He accomplishes this act of prophetic revelation with thoughtfulness and grace, offering a pastoral path forward."
"When so much divides us, in both our nation and the church, Caleb Campbell helps us find a way forward as followers of Jesus. That way, unsurprisingly, is the way of love. For those looking to better understand not only Christian nationalism in America but also American Christian nationalists themselves, Disarming Leviathan is an excellent resource. It offers a sound approach with practical advice on how to bring the good news of Christ and his kingdom to those caught up in Christian nationalism."
"This book is a roadmap toward the radical generosity and love that we need to repair the relational and societal damage of our age."
"Disarming Leviathan moves the conversation around Christian nationalism in the United States forward by providing constructive guidelines for how American Christians can faithfully respond to Christian nationalism's destructive influence. Campbell's pastoral heart permeates every word and provides a vivid example for how to stand for truth and love for the benefit of all—whether we reject Christian nationalism or not."
"Finally! A book that equips us to respond to Christian nationalism with hope and practical advice. This wisdom comes from an author who has not only studied the subject but who, for a time, embraced its message until a dramatic change of heart. This is the book to hand to anyone who has a friend, family member, or church member caught up in Christian nationalism."
"This is a book that moves beyond critique and into action, giving concerned Christians the resources they need to confront Christian nationalism in their communities. Caleb Campbell is a wise guide through challenging conversations and strained relationships. Disarming Leviathan is the theological and pastoral response to Christian nationalism that the church desperately needs."
"This is one of the most helpful resources you can have on Christian nationalism. In his book Caleb carefully explains what Christian nationalism is and expertly reveals its major problems and idolatrous errors. He then goes one step further by equipping us to sympathetically understand the fears and concerns of those who are drawn to Christian nationalism, so that we might lovingly lead them back to the gospel of Jesus. The topic of Christian nationalism can feel complicated and frustrating; let this book give you the clarity you need and the encouragement and hope you have been looking for in this current cultural moment."
"I am grateful for Caleb Campbell's willingness to confront American Christian nationalism in Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor as he wrestles with questions about what it means to have integrity as a follower of Jesus in the midst of incredibly fractured political divides. Campbell offers hopes and positive alternatives while confronting the false promises of Christian nationalism that stir up questions about safety, belonging, and our purpose as followers of Jesus."
- Title: Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor
- Author: Caleb Campbell
- Publisher: IVP
- Print Publication Date: 2024
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781514008522, 9781514008515, 1514008513, 1514008521
- Resource ID: LLS:9781514008522
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-12-11T04:24:39Z
Caleb Campbell has been a pastor at Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona, since 2006 and lead pastor since 2015. He is a doctoral student at Fuller Theological Seminary and serves as the regional director for the Surge Network. He lives in Phoenix with his wife and children.