“Political Allegiance, Ecclesiastical Unity, and Christian Nationalism”
In an era marked by profound political polarization and resurgent nationalist movements, the relationship between faith, national identity, and political loyalty has become a critical site of theological and ethical contestation. This, therefore, highlights a pressing need for scholarly reflection on “Political allegiance and ecclesiastical unity, and Christian Nationalism”. This special issue of the South African Baptist Journal of Theology seeks to foster a rigorous and nuanced academic dialogue on this complex topic because the Church’s confession of “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” identity is increasingly tested by political and cultural divisions. How does a Christian’s allegiance to the transcendent Kingdom of God inform, critique, or coexist with their allegiance to a temporal nation-state? When does patriotism cross the line into a nationalistic idolatry that compromises the Gospel’s universal call and threatens the unity of the global body of Christ? This special issue aims to provide deep, scholarly theological, ethical, and ecclesiological analysis that articulate a robust theology of political engagement that upholds both a commitment to justice within the polis and a primary loyalty to the catholicity and unity of the Church and the mission of God.
We also invite contributors to explore the theological foundations, historical precedents, and contemporary manifestations of Christian engagement with the political sphere, particularly considering the challenges posed by various forms of Christian Nationalism and its impact on the Gospel.
The Editors welcome contributions from theological disciplines (systematic, historical, biblical, ethical, practical). Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Biblical and Exegetical Studies: Analyses of key texts concerning political authority and allegiance (e.g., Romans 13, 1 Peter 2, Mark 12:17) in conversation with the problem of nationalism.
- Historical Theology: Examinations of historical models of church-state relations (e.g., the Constantinian Shift, Augustine’s Two Cities, Magisterial Reformers (Calvin’s Two Kingdom), The Anabaptist and Baptist (Separation Between Church and State) and its implications for today.
- The Barmen Declaration (Germany) and Belhar Confession (South Africa) and their relevance for today in relation to the Israel and Palestine debate.
- Systematic and Political Theology: Constructive theological on the nature of the Church’s political witness, divine and temporal sovereignty, and the doctrine of the Trinity as a model for political unity-in-diversity.
- Ecclesiology and Ecumenism: Investigation on how Christian Nationalism impacts ecclesiastical unity, both within denominations and across ecumenical lines. How does it affect the Church’s global mission and fellowship?
- Christian Ethics: Ethical frameworks for discerning legitimate patriotism from nationalism, with attention to issues of justice, minority rights, immigration, and the common good.
- Global and Comparative Perspectives: Comparative analysis of the interplay between Christianity and nationalism in contexts of North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia to provide comparative theological insights.
- Pastoral and Practical Theology: Reflections on the pastoral challenges of leading congregations through political polarization and discipling believers in faithful civic engagement.
Manuscript Preparation
Submissions should be between 7,000 and 9,000 words, inclusive of endnotes and bibliography. Manuscripts must be submitted in MS Word and formatted according to the Extended Harvard Referencing System, Arial 12 font, single line spacing.
Articles for consideration must besubmitted to azizg@unisa.ac.za or godfrey@ctbs.org.za before 30 June 2026.
All submissions will undergo double-blind peer review.