Around a quarter of Christians in Britain identify as Christian nationalists or are sympathetic to its ideas, a mini survey by Premier Christian News has suggested.
The research, which asked the views of 260 Christians, was part of a series on Christian nationalism by Premier and was conducted just before a Unite the Kingdom rally organised by Tommy Robinson on Saturday.
Robinson, who recently converted to Christianity, organised a similar event last year in central London. According to police over 100,000 people attended the rally, although supporters and even some opponents of Robinson have claimed that the number was closer to a million.
Whatever the truth, the rally also saw gospel performances and acts of worship. The event divided Christian commentators, with some saying the event featured genuine worship of God, while others expressed concerns that Christian symbols and language were being adopted for nationalistic purposes.
The next rally is due to take place on Saturday and it has been reported that the police will be deploying around 4,000 officers to police it. Ahead of the rally Robinson told supporters to “stay peaceful”.
He wrote on X, “No aggression. No masks. No excuses. Families, women, and children will be there. This is about showing strength through unity, discipline, and pride in our country. If provoked, smile and rise above it. Britain cannot afford to fail.”
According to Premier’s survey, 23 per cent of Christians said they were Christian nationalists, while 25 per cent said that the Christian nationalist movement was “godly”.
A similar percentage (26 per cent) said they felt that Christian imagery, such as the flag of St George, had been misused in the last year.
The survey also revealed a sharp disagreement about what Christian nationalism actually is. While some felt it to mean restoring the country’s faith, others believed it was about ending abortion and solidarity with the persecuted church. Others still believed it to be a cover for racism.
Giving his own views on the subject to Premier, Danny Webster, head of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said, “I would say that Christian nationalism is a particular way that Christians think about how their faith and belief interacts with the country they are in.
“If we think back over the last ten years, that has grown in the United States, but it is really only in the last year or two that in the UK it’s become a noticeable thing that people are talking about.”
