The ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag is a common symbol of Christian Nationalism.
Christian Nationalism is a form of Christian theology influential in the USA’s protestant fundamentalist churches. It connects faith with right-wing nationalism in a way that I consider to distort and weaken their faith. It also brings into question the doctrine of separation of church and state and may even pave the way for a theocracy in the USA. There is nothing wrong with the church lobbying the government to make policy more aligned with the Christian faith. However, the Christian Nationalist movement involves a merging of faith with politics, which results in the church being influenced by a political doctrine and used as a vehicle for political power. In Eph. 2:11-19, Paul writes that there are no Jews and Gentiles in the church, only Christians. I think that Christian Nationalists have blended faith and nationalism in the same way that the Jewish Christians initially tried to blend Jewish traditions into their Christian faith.
Liberation Theology is another example of the interaction between church and politics, but in that case, politics is subservient to the faith. The Christian faith should attempt to change the country’s politics to focus more on Christian values. As with Christian Zionists, Christian nationalists use the Bible incorrectly as a geopolitical document. It is not, therefore, surprising that Christian Nationalists sometimes also hold Christian Zionist views.
I include a discussion of Christian Nationalism here simply because it is a common expression of spirituality today, and it is credited as a significant factor in the electoral victory of Donald Trump as president of the USA in 2024. Trump supporters have, in turn, often made use of religious and spiritual battle-based motifs in their messaging.
Christian nationalism | Definition, History, United States, & Facts | Britannica
Who Are the Christian Nationalists? A Taxonomy for the Post-Jan. 6 World
https://youtu.be/ymyAXjc1je4?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/EgC7YQAtGOw?feature=shared
Christian Nationalism is a theology that divides. If Christianity is linked to a specific national identity, then it automatically creates division within the Church across national boundaries.