CNN anchor and chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown has spent several months developing a “special project;” an hour-long documentary on what she describes as the growing influence of “Christian Nationalism” in the United States.
The special, titled “The Rise of Christian Nationalism,” airs as part of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper on March 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CNN.
Brown describes the subject of her documentary as an ideology rooted in the belief that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and that its laws and institutions should reflect Christian values.
Brown said her reporting began early last year when she traveled to Moscow, Idaho, to interview Pastor Douglas Wilson.
Wilson is a self-described Christian nationalist pastor whose ideas on gender roles and the influence of Christianity on government have been gaining increased political visibility.
Wilson founded his church in Moscow, Idaho, in the 1970s and has since grown it into a network of more than 150 churches internationally.
Brown stated: “The response to that report was overwhelming and highlighted the need to better understand this movement working to redefine America as a Christian nation in the home, in a marriage, in schools and in government.”
The documentary features immersive reporting and on-the-ground access, exploring how a movement once largely confined to the margins of white evangelical culture has gained new visibility and political power.
The Christian Post has reported that preview segments for the documentary have drawn backlash for appearing to link the alleged rise of Christian nationalism to the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Christian Post
Newsbusters highlighted that Brown said in a preview: “Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and prominent Christian nationalist, was assassinated. It became a rallying call for those who believed in his message. And it was a call to action.”
Brown claimed that experts she spoke with described Kirk’s death as “a pivotal moment for the movement, and an occasion where the tragedy of his loss unified Christian nationalists and the Trump administration as they honored him.”
Beliefnet reported that Matthew Taylor, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, argued in the documentary preview that memorial events for Kirk helped “activate” Christians who feel increasingly marginalized in American culture.
Taylor stated: “Memorial service was one of the most potent examples of this shift in our culture that we’re experiencing right now, where a large segment of American Christians are being activated by these ideas, radicalized by these ideas that say that they are the persecuted ones and that they need to stand up for Christian’s rights.”
Faith leaders reported a 15 percent increase in individuals attending church following Kirk’s assassination..
