Responding to Christian Nationalism: A Faithful Way Forward
Pre-Festival Offering
Thursday August 28, 2025
9 am – 5 pm
cost: $59.00
Christian Nationalism is not just a political problem—it’s a spiritual crisis. It distorts our faith, divides our communities, and undermines democracy. At this pivotal moment in American history, silence is complicity.
That’s why we’re inviting you to spend a day at the Wild Goose Festival engaging in one of the most urgent conversations of our time—and preparing to act. This all-day interactive training, led by pastor, author, and activist Doug Pagitt, brings together some of the United States’ leading voices and organizers confronting the rise of Christian Nationalism. It’s designed for faith leaders, community organizers, activists, and everyday people of conscience who are ready to move from concern to courageous action.
You’ll learn:
- How Christian Nationalism has gained power in churches, schools, and government
- How to recognize its signs in your own faith community or relationships
- The theological and historical roots of prophetic resistance
- Practical strategies for speaking out and organizing in your context-whether that’s a congregation, city council, classroom, or dinner table
This experience is rooted in the truth that following Jesus means rejecting hate, supremacy, and political idolatry—and embracing a Gospel of love, justice, and human dignity for all.
You are not alone. You are not powerless. And your voice is needed. Come ready to be equipped, encouraged, and mobilized. Leave with a toolkit of resources and a renewed commitment to stand boldly for the common good—in your church, in your community, and in this country.
Doug Pagitt is the Executive Director of Vote Common Good, A pastor, podcaster , and seeker of the Common Good.
Lisa Sharon Harper is the founder and president of Freedom Road, a groundbreaking consulting group that crafts experiences that bring common understanding and common commitments that lead to common action toward a more just world. Lisa is a public theologian whose writing, speaking, activism and training has sparked and fed the fires of re-formation in the church from Ferguson and Charlottesville to South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Ireland. Lisa’s book, Fortune: How Race Broke My Family And The World—And How To Repair It All was named one of the “Best Books of 2022” and The Very Good Gospel was named 2016 “Book of the Year” by Englewood Review of Books. The Huffington Post identified Lisa as one of 50 Women Religious Leaders to Celebrate on International Women’s Day. Lisa is host of the Freedom Road Podcast, cohost of The FOUR Podcast and author of her weekly column on Substack, “The Truth Is…”. Ms. Harper is currently pursuing her PhD in womanist ethics at the Vrije Universiteit
Rev. Paul A. McAllister (DMin, PhD) is Founder and President of Global Leaders in Unity and Evolvement (GLUE), a think tank established in 2016 that develops and advocates policy solutions on matters related to global economic disparity, emerging technologies, conflict and war, and trends towards nationalism in international governments. He has traveled extensively, and guided international collaborations with international scholars and professionals for the Think7 and Think20, the official policy engagements organizations for the G7 and G20. He is a member of the Social Justice Ministry of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church (Charlotte), and serves on the Faith and Order Convening Table and also the Theology Task Force of the Interreligious Convening Table of the National Council of Churches, where he has written chapters for two separate books dealing with white supremacy and racism in the United States, and the relevance of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD).
Rob Schenck is a dissenting evangelical voice and a loving but fierce critic of his religious tribe. He spent nearly 40 years as a leading figure among U.S. evangelicals and 35 years of them as an activist on the religious right, but today identifies as a Christian progressive. An ordained evangelical minister, Rob was trained in evangelical institutions, has led national evangelical organizations, and is widely published in evangelical journals. MAGA operatives in Congress placed him in their crosshairs after he exposed a years-long stealth attempt to buy off conservative Supreme Court justices. Rob is the subject of Abigail Disney’s Emmy Award-winning film The Armor of Light, examining the evangelical embrace of popular gun culture. Producer Rob Reiner features him in the documentary, God & Country, about the danger of Christian nationalism, and he’s currently a focus in HBO ‘s The Wealth of the Wicked. Rob says this season of his life is a pilgrimage of penance and reparation.
Check In for pre-festival events will be available on Wednesday from 1 pm to 5 pm, and Thursday from 7am to 9 am.
If you’re tent camping, there’s no additional campsite charge for Wednesday night.
Some campsite locations are restricted due to large venue tent construction in several areas.
RV campers will need to purchase an additional night.