Author Drew Strait joins the Spirited Book Club to discuss his bestseller, ‘Strange Worship: Six Steps for Challenging Christian Nationalism’
Strange Worship equips Christians to challenge nationalism—six practical steps toward faithful, courageous worship.
Book Overview
Christian nationalism threatens democracies and the church’s witness around the world. In the US, the election of Donald Trump and the January 6 Capitol insurrection spilled Christian power worship into public view. Since then, we have worked hard to define what American Christian nationalism is and where it came from—but how do we challenge it? Strange Worship offers tangible steps for resisting political idolatry, violent extremism, dominion theology, threats to democracy, and the personal isolation and loneliness that lead to radicalization. By drawing from the fields of biblical studies, theology, and peace and security studies, Strange Worship invites congregations to disrupt theologies of oppression and architect a more just church and world.
Foreword by Amanda Tyler.
Reviews for ‘Strange Worship’
“As the Lead Organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism, I have read, learned, spoken and written about Christian nationalism for years. Even in the bountiful and ever-expanding body of work about this topic, Strange Worship does something new and necessary.” —Amanda Tyler, Executive Director, Christians against Christian Nationalism
“On a day when the tide of Christian nationalism seems to be ever-swelling in America, Drew J. Strait gives us a clear, reasoned, and hopeful alternative to resignation and despair. Strange Worship offers practical and faith-centered tools for Americans to witness, fight back, and join together in a mission toward peaceful community.” —Angela Denker, author of Red State Christians: Understanding the Voters Who Elected Donald Trump
“Drew Strait’s hopeful, disarming, and sincere book offers a practical refutation of American Christian nationalism. Grounded in a nonviolent, Anabaptist tradition of interpretation and an incisive grasp of the message of Jesus, Strange Worship cuts to the heart of the politicized debates now roiling American Christianity. If you are a leader or a layperson who feels stymied in how to resist the rising tide of Christian nationalism, this is the book for you.” —Matthew D. Taylor, author of The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy
“Drew Strait offers important, practical guidelines for opposing Christian nationalism from a Christian framework. The metaphor of ‘strange worship’ is an apt description of the racist idolatry of white Christian nationalism and will be a helpful tool for Christians who want to understand and resist this toxic right-wing ideology that masquerades under the banner of ‘Christianity.’” —Pamela Cooper-White, author of The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People are Drawn In and How To Talk Across the Divide
“Strait’s book is packed with insights from the most important writers and scholars studying Christian Nationalism. Scholars like Kristen Du Mez, Robert Jones, Andrew Whitehead, Sarah Posner, Matthew Taylor, and Bradely Onishi, and more.”—Craig Morton (Amazon)
Club Discussion Date
SPIRITED BOOK CLUB meets Thursday, February 26 @ 12:00 – 1:00 pm AZ (MST), 11:00 PST
++Book discussion facilitated by Sheri Brown
About the author
Drew J. Strait is a dad, pastor theologian, speaker, and professor. His writing and teaching focuses on political idolatry and peacemaking in early Christianity. Strait is a popular speaker on how faith communities can challenge Christian nationalism, violent extremism, and Christian supremacy with strategic nonviolence.
Strait was baptized Catholic, raised United Methodist, discipled as an Evangelical through Young Life, Reformed through Whitworth College, and became a convinced Anabaptist after a transformative re-reading of the Gospels after the Iraq war. This ecumenical background energizes Strait’s passion to bring together diverse coalitions of Christians to bear witness to God’s mission of reconciliation—to reconcile humans to God and humans to one another. Perpetually overwhelmed by how much he doesn’t know, Strait loves to cultivate engaging spaces to learn alongside his students and listeners.
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