Few subjects currently require more careful discernment than the relationship between faith, national identity and belonging. Questions about immigration, cultural diversity, and what holds a country together are increasingly prominent in public life. Christians are part of those conversations too, and we do not all reach the same political conclusions.
That makes Churches Together in England’s (CTE’s) new Kingdom over Nation resource particularly timely and relevant. Developed in response to concerns from across CTE’s member churches, it brings Christians from different traditions into a shared process of biblical, theological and pastoral reflection on Christian nationalism.
The resource includes a series of Bible studies, video material and contributions from across several Christian traditions. Its purpose is not to prescribe particular political conclusions, but to help churches hold honest and informed conversations about nation, identity and belonging in the light of Christian faith.
At its heart lies a question deeper than party politics: what forms us as Christians, and where does our deepest allegiance lie? This is not an abstract question. Recent events this summer in Thetford and across other parts of the country have shown how questions about immigration, identity and belonging can become painfully immediate.
Those expressing concerns about immigration should not simply be labelled Christian nationalists. Christian nationalism can, however, bring concerns about immigration and cultural diversity together with particular claims about Christian identity and national belonging. Kingdom over Nation reminds churches of the importance of creating places where these concerns can be discussed honestly, without allowing political disagreement to divide the body of Christ.
Explore CTE’s Kingdom over Nation resource
There is a personal connection here to CTE’s initiative to help guide Christians navigate this highly sensitive issue. This year I had been invited to speak about Christian nationalism at their ‘All England Ecumenical Officers Conference’. Sadly, other commitments prevented me from attending, but it is a subject on which I have been reflecting for some time.
I recently explored it in an article, 'When the Cross Is Wrapped in the Flag'. My argument is not against patriotism or patriotic Christians. I believe love of country can be a genuine moral good if it is focused on the good of humanity. The danger arises when Christianity and nationalism are enlisted together in a political project in which the nation acquires a significance it cannot properly bear.
Read When the Cross is Wrapped in the Flag
These questions also form part of my new book, Loving What Is Ours: Patriotism and the Desire for Human Flourishing. Growing out of my doctoral research in moral philosophy, it asks whether love of country can be morally justified.
The final three chapters bring that philosophical argument into conversation with Christian thinking, exploring rightly ordered love, Christian nationalism, human dignity and the common good. Although written from my own Catholic perspective, the conversation is intended for Christians of all traditions, people of other faiths, and those of none.
Find Loving What Is Ours
In a divided age, we need to learn again how to love what is ours without diminishing the worth of what others love. We need a patriotism that builds, unites and serves, directing our love of country towards the flourishing of all.
Another excellent and accessible resource on this important topic is England United: Pride not Prejudice. Published by British Future, an independent and non-partisan think tank, the toolkit is designed for those who want to speak up for an inclusive England. It offers practical help for engaging constructively with questions of migration and integration, identity and race, while making the case for a country that is confident, welcoming and fair to all.
Read England United: Pride not Prejudice
Article by Dr Ian Watson, County Ecumenical Officer for Norfolk and Waveney.
Main Images taken from Kingdom over Nation
Other image in body of text: cover of Loving What Is Ours: Patriotism and the Desire for Human Flourishing by Ian Watson. © Ian Watson 2026.
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