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Resisting Christian Nationalism: What Is It and What Can I Do?

Name: Resisting Christian Nationalism: What Is It and What Can I Do?
Start: 2026-01-11T13:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-01-11T15:00:00-06:00
Location: Holy Wisdom Monastery

January 11 @ 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Free

Our ability to effectively resist Christian Nationalism depends on knowledge, understanding, and commitment to building meaningful alternatives. The Wisconsin Council of Churches has been involved in work at the intersection of faith and civil society for decades. We will begin our time together by beginning to better understand what Christian Nationalism is and how it functions among us. The presentation will discuss the relationship between religion and government and how deeply CN is embedded in our understandings. Participants will learn more about the roots of Christian Nationalism and how various movements are engaged in securing theocratic leadership in US society. There will be brief discussion of alignment between religious nationalist movements worldwide. In addition to responding to questions, our speaker will discuss the long work of shifting culture and offer the audience an opportunity to engage in holy imagination regarding alternative futures. Everyone present will have a chance to develop specific pathways for action before they leave.

Schedule

Talk begins at 1:00 pm with a break and time at the end for questions.
At the break, note cards will be passed out for collecting questions and collating into like topics.

Speaker – Rev. Dr. Kerri Parker

Rev. Dr. Kerri Parker (she/her) serves as Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, where she helps connect churches to address some of today’s most pressing societal concerns. She led the Council’s nationally-recognized response to the COVID pandemic, and has co-authored several of the Council’s study-action guides. She is a frequent preacher and speaker on Christian Nationalism, racial justice, and faith-based advocacy.

Dr. Parker completed her Doctor of Ministry at Iliff School of Theology with a dissertation titled “Unsettled Intersections: Decentering Whiteness and Church Survival Questions.” She earned her Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary with a thesis on “Domestic Violence as an Experience of Exile” and was ordained by the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ. Her alma mater was Smith College, where she earned a BA.

In 2023, Dr. Parker was honored with the United Church of Christ’s Avery D. Post Ecumenical Award. She currently serves on the Board of the Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministry of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ. Her 20+ years of professional experience include serving as Executive Director of YWCA Rock County, Chair of the Wisconsin Conference UCC Board of Directors, on community task forces, and as a local pastor.

Beyond ministry, Kerri is an avid reader, loves show tunes, and has too many stickers on her water bottles. She lives in South Central Wisconsin and tries to make pilgrimages to the ocean on a semi-regular basis.