Religion as Nationalism: The Religious Nationalism of American Christian Zionists

The term ‘religious nationalism’ is often theorized, at worst asantithetically conjunctive where religion is defined as theallegiance to God and nationalism is the allegiance to the nation,and at best as instrumental. I argue here that this fusion ofreligion and nationalism takes place most convincingly if weunderstand religion as adherent performance rather than solely asa theological container of tenants. I illustrate this throughAmerican Christian Zionist performances and discourses regardingtheir self-imagined identity as being in a national diaspora forIsrael. I argue this religious nationalism is possible becauseChristian Zionist performances of a national allegiance to IsraeliJews are grounded in an apocalyptic narrative of the future.