George Yancey is a professor of sociology with an academic interest in anti-Christian attitudes in the United States. He focuses on issues of Christianophobia, a term he uses in his book Hostile Environment. He spoke with us about this term and how leaders and pastors can help people with anti-Christian hostility.
1) You coin the term, "Christianophobia" to describe the increasing hostility toward Christianity in the world. Why this term as oppose to "persecution" or some other common term?
We struggled to find the best term for the type of anti-Christian hostility and bigotry we documented in our work. We finally settled on “Christianophobia,” not because it is a perfect term but because it is the best one we could come up with.
Clearly what is happening with some Christians in oppressive regimes would qualify as persecution. Those Christians are being killed or jailed specifically for their faith. The way anti-Christian hostility plays out in the United States is different.
Christianophobia, or the irrational hatred and/or fear of Christians, is the basic way to describe the perspectives of those in our society that Christians have to address. These individuals do not want Christians to have power in the public square, as they believe that Christians are not to be trusted with social power.
2) With the increasingly savage persecution of Christians overseas by groups like ISIS, many Christians in America are uncomfortable talking about the seeming social marginalization that is happening to Christians in the West. Is it possible to talk about both?
We can and should deal with both persecution of Christians overseas and Christianophobia here in the United States. Anything Christians can do to help provide relief for their brothers and sisters facing overt laws of religious oppression is welcomed.
The challenge is quite different here in the United States. To deal with the problem in the United States, Christians have to recognize that those with Christianophobia will shy away from overt laws to hide their anti-Christian bias, but the effects of that bias can be real nonetheless. It is also noteworthy that those with Christianophobia tend to be white, male, wealthy and highly educated. In other words, they are relatively powerful in our society. They have the cultural, social and legal power to construct measures that have a disparate impact on Christians, or to engage in differential enforcement of policies in ways that harm Christians.
Those with Christianophobia tend to be white, male, wealthy and highly educated. In other words, they are relatively powerful in our society.
3) You call Christians to, in some cases, push back against hostility. Some might respond with Christ's call to lay down our lives and our rights. How would you answer that?
There is a balancing act that Christians must consider when living in an increasing hostile society. Yes, the Bible talks about turning the other cheek. But we also find in the Bible Paul using his Roman citizenship to escape mistreatment. All Christians should carefully think through how to deal with this tension.
The way I have tried to apply it is by considering the larger issues at stake. Personal slights are those that I tend to focus on turning the other cheek. If I sense that only my personal honor is at stake then dying to self is the scriptural thing to do. On the other hand, if what is occurring has larger implications of mistreatment and bigotry then fighting back is appropriate so that others do not suffer from my inaction. For example, if someone is just rude to me then I am likely to let it go. But if someone is rude to me by calling me a racial epithet then it is not just rudeness but someone is mistreating me because of my race. For me to let that go may set up the next African-American to be mistreated due to his/her race, and I feel obligated to do something about it.
4) There is also a sense among Christians that perhaps if we were a bit nicer, than we wouldn't be targets of hostility. Does this square with Christ's promise of persecution?
Clearly some people may become less hostile if the Christians surrounding him/her are nicer. But the types of stereotypes and prejudices within Christianophobia are very deep and will not go away simply because Christians do not act out those stereotypes.
For example, there is a common stereotype among those with Christianophobia that Christians are not smart and are unable to engage in critical thinking. Yet occasionally one of them would encounter a Christian who clearly was intelligent. Rather than rethink their stereotype the common response was merely to think of that Christian as the exception. Likewise I think that Christians who are nice to those with Christianophobia will not erase their stereotypes and bigotries but rather they will be thought of as the exception.
Historically, Christians know what it is like to have minority power in a society. Unless something drastic happens that is likely to be the case again.
5) How should pastors and church leaders prepare their people to face hostility and opposition in the coming days?
It has become clear that a seed change has occurred in our society. At one point there was a general understanding that the morals and values in our society were at least somewhat tied to a notion of Christian morality. Today there are powerful individuals who seek to supplant that morality with one that devalues Christianity and depersonalizes Christians. Historically, Christians know what it is like to have minority power in a society. Unless something drastic happens that is likely to be the case again.
To this end, it is important that Christians do what is necessary to protect our culture and our voice as a religious community. Thus, pastors and church leaders should help Christians overcome racial and denominational barriers. In the coming times, a blessing that may arise is that we can see steps towards real Christian unity in the body of Christ, but such unity will not come without great effort and humility.
Daniel Darling is vice-president of communications for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Activist Faith.
