CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM, ZIONISM, HINDUTVA:

The Dangers and Similarities of Religious Nationalism Around the World

Thursday, January 30, 2025
1:00 pm Eastern, 10:00 am Pacific (US/Canada) / 6:00 pm UTC

Religious nationalism in the United States, Israel, and India: what threats do these dangerous ideologies bring to our lives and our communities, and what do they have in common? 

Religious nationalism has roots in racist perspectives about humanity and unholy beliefs about God's favoritism, conflating those in order to grant power and privilege to one people over another.

Varieties of religious nationalism - the merging of religious faith, political philosophy, and national loyalty – have long served to justify political oppression and condone colonialist greed. 

We know religious commitment can be a positive force that inspires care for all people and for the planet. 

However, the misuse of religious traditions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism to harm and exclude whole segments of populations betrays the essential values of these faiths, while also violating universal human rights and greatly damaging our societies.

In recent years, religious nationalism is sweeping the globe in ways that promote violence and authoritarianism. 

On January 30th, we will look at three prominent and timely examples of religious nationalism today: White Christian Nationalism, Zionism (Jewish Nationalism), and Hindu Nationalism.

The similarities between these ideologies are striking. When we expand our understanding of each to see the common ground they share, we can build strength in our mutual efforts as faith advocates to refute them and stem the harm they can do in our faith communities and in the world.

An exceptional panel of experts will present and discuss the distinct features of each of these dangerous ideologies and help us to understand the compelling intersections among them.

OUR PANEL:

REV. KENDAL L. MCBROOM is the director of Civil and Human Rights at the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. He is responsible for managing and developing the agency’s legislative and policy advocacy in support of civil and human rights. He also collaborates with United Methodist faith and secular coalitions to develop and implement strategies that advance GBCS priorities. Before joining GBCS staff, Kendal served as the senior pastor of Turners Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in High Point, North Carolina and is an ordained elder in the AME Church. 

RABBI ALISSA WISE is an organizer, ritual leader, and organizational steward with over two decades of movement building experience. She is currently Lead Organizer of Rabbis for Ceasefire. She was a staff leader at Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) from 2011-2021, serving as Co-Director of Organizing, Deputy Director, and interim Executive Director. Alissa is a national public speaker and commentator, and her work has appeared in such news outlets as Newsweek and The Guardian. She lives in West Philadelphia, where she facilitates and coaches human rights and movement-building NGOs toward deeper strategy, organizing, and leadership.

PRANAY SORAYAJULA is the Director of Organizing and Advocacy for Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), and a writer, researcher, and cultural critic who is passionate about dismantling systems of hate and oppression to build a more equitable world. His writing has appeared in The Nation, Jacobin, The Drift, and Electric Literature, among other news and literary outlets. He also writes the Substack blog “Culture Shock,” where he covers everything from the climate crisis to South Asian diasporic identity. Pranay has a MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

M. THERESA BASILE, Moderator of the panel, is Communications Director, Education Chair, and a co-founder of United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), and she has served in national leadership with friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) and US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR). Over the last 30 years, Theresa has engaged in inclusive and intersectional justice and peace advocacy on a wide range of issues, in the United Methodist Church, interfaith circles, and beyond.