Journalist: Christ Church influential among Christian nationalists

MOSCOW — An NPR journalist who extensively covered Christ Church said people should prepare for Christian nationalist ideas getting an audience at the highest levels of government.

NPR’s Heath Druzin spoke to a crowd of approximately 175 people Tuesday at the 1912 Center in Moscow about his reporting on extremism and the Christian nationalist movement.

Druzin is the co-host of the podcast “Extremely American,” which focused its latest season on Christ Church and the broader Christian nationalist community. He interviewed many members of the Christ Church congregation in Moscow, including Pastor Doug Wilson.

Druzin said Wilson has built a “Christian industrial complex,” which has attracted Christian nationalists because of its conservative Christian ideas.

“His thoughts have really percolated up through the Christian nationalist community,” Druzin said.

Wilson’s influence includes a media, church and educational empire that has expanded across the country, Druzin said. Wilson leads a national group of churches called the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. He also leads a group of nearly 500 schools teaching the classical Christian model, Druzin said.

Druzin said Wilson has likened these schools to munitions factories where the “munitions” are the students.

“He really sees these schools as a way to change culture through these students,” Druzin said.

Wilson also publishes books, podcasts and streaming shows through his media empire.

He said Wilson and his followers — who seek to change society into a theocracy — have become influential thought leaders among Christian nationalists. Druzin said Wilson has found a way for traditionalism to feel countercultural, which makes it appealing to men, especially.

Druzin said these ideas, which include women losing their right to vote and being subservient to men, are broadly unpopular in the U.S. However, he said, extremists tend to be more motivated than their opposition. They are always diligent about voting in the elections, he said, and this year’s general election was a “wake up” call to anyone who didn’t think Christian nationalism would be influential.

He said Christian nationalist figures may have more influence in government at the state and national level.

For example, there are Christ Church members involved in the Idaho Family Policy Center, which is lobbying state legislators to require Bible reading in public schools.

That is why Druzin said “now is the time for action” for people on either side of the Christian nationalist debate. He said people can make a difference through voting in their school board, library board and government elections.

Among the other tidbits Druzin shared, he said Wilson is not popular with all Christian nationalists, which is a group that’s experiencing infighting. Despite his conservative ideals, Wilson is still seen as too “woke” by some movement leaders because he does not align with their extreme antisemitic values.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.