Confronting Christian Nationalism - Part 2 with Rev. Dr. David Rice

We’re continuing our conversation with Rev. Dr. David Rice about
confronting Christian nationalism—a topic we’re diving into
because of the ways that it can deeply affect our faith, our
communities, and how we engage with one another in this shifting
cultural and political landscape.


In our last episode, David shared his personal story—how his
upbringing, ministry experiences, and cultural shifts shaped his
understanding of faith and politics. We explored the unique
challenges pastors face in addressing these issues from the
pulpit and the tension of being accused of getting "too
political" when speaking out about national concerns. If you
haven’t had a chance to listen yet, we encourage you to go back
and catch up on that conversation first.


In this episode, we’ll dig deeper into:




What Christian nationalism is and why it’s a critical issue
for people of faith,




Our collective longing for control—something humanity has
wrestled with since the very beginning—and how this longing
fuels Christian nationalism,




And how we can thoughtfully engage with our friends,
neighbors, and fellow believers in conversations about these
challenging issues.




We hope our conversation with David sparks some new thoughts or
insights into how power is being used, where our faith fits into
these conversations, and how we can move forward in meaningful,
compassionate ways.
About Our Guest:

Rev. Dr. David Rice is BJC’s digital strategist, leading
online engagement for the organization and its Christians
Against Christian Nationalism campaign.


BJC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that brings people
together to tackle today’s serious threats to religious liberty,
including the targeting of religious minorities, the rise of
Christian nationalism, and the politicization of houses of
worship.


Ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA, Rice joined BJC’s
staff in 2024 after previously serving in rural parish ministry
and starting his own communications consulting firm.


Rice earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in missiology and
organizational leadership from Western Theological Seminary and a
Master of Divinity degree from the Seattle School of Theology and
Psychology. His undergraduate degree is from Huntington
University, where he studied youth ministry and Bible.


Rice, who has lived on the West Coast and in the UK, now lives in
Michigan with his family. He enjoys cycling, gardening,
cross-country skiing, sourdough bread baking, traveling, and
Arsenal football.