Lexicon: A Theological & Political Glossary
A Dynamic Reference for Understanding Religious Politics
This comprehensive lexicon defines and explores key terms used throughout my analysis of religious nationalism, political theology, and the theological mutations occurring in contemporary religious-political movements. It serves as both a glossary and a conceptual map for understanding these complex phenomena.
Primary Concepts
Foundational terms for understanding religious-political movements
Christianism
The politicization of Christian identity into an ideological movement that systematically deploys religious symbols, language, and identity markers to advance specific political agendas and power structures.
Dominative Christianism
A theological phenomenon wherein Christian identity is systematically subordinated to power-seeking frameworks that fundamentally misappropriate Christ's kenotic model of self-giving love.
MAGA Christianism
A specific variant of Christianism that fuses elements of traditional Christianity with MAGA political ideology, creating a worldview where partisan loyalty becomes inseparable from religious identity.
Providential Identitarianism
A variant of Christianism that fuses theological concepts of divine providence with progressive identity frameworks, creating a religio-political worldview where social identity becomes connected to a divine purpose within a progressive narrative.
Nova Effect
Describes how religious impulses persist while mutating into diverse forms—maintaining structural patterns while changing content, creating a proliferation of both religious and secular positions.
Theological Mutations
Specific theological distortions identified in contemporary religious movements
Binary Apocalypticism
A theological framework that divides the world into absolute categories of good and evil, friends and enemies, saved and damned, often mapping these divisions onto political and cultural boundaries.
Primitive Biblicism (Coming Soon)
Claims of direct, unmediated access to biblical meaning that bypasses interpretive traditions and contextual understanding in favor of supposedly clear, universal principles.
Practical Atheism (Coming Soon)
A theological condition where Jesus's life and teachings are acknowledged rhetorically but not allowed to shape actual practice, effectively removing Christ as Supreme Exemplar while maintaining Christian identity markers.
Theological Alternatives
Constructive frameworks that offer alternatives to identified mutations
Relational Receptivity
The posture of remaining open to others without attempting to control or categorize them. It maintains undetermined presence that enables genuine encounter across differences while preserving one's own identity and convictions.
Participatory Freedom (Coming Soon)
A theological understanding of freedom not as absence of constraint but as capacity for love of God and neighbor without domination.
Prophetic Patriotism (Coming Soon)
A form of love for country characterized by critical engagement with a nation's failings while maintaining deep commitment to its founding ideals and future flourishing.
Contemporary Movements
Terms describing current religious-political phenomena
Christian Nationalism (Coming Soon)
A political ideology that seeks to merge Christian and American identities, claiming that the United States is fundamentally a Christian nation whose laws and institutions should reflect specifically Christian values.
Identity Synthesis (Coming Soon)
The fusion of religious, national, and partisan identities into a single consolidated social identity where each component reinforces and validates the others.
Historical Context
Terms related to historical movements that inform current theological formations
Covenant Theology (Coming Soon)
A Reformed theological framework that understands God's relationship with humanity through a series of covenants, providing the foundation for both MAGA Christianism and Providential Identitarianism.
Civil Religion (Coming Soon)
The implicit religious dimensions of American public life that sacralize national identity, history, and purpose through rituals, symbols, and narratives.
How to Use This Lexicon
Browse by Category: Explore related concepts grouped by theological function
Dive Deep: Click any term for its full lexicon entry with detailed analysis
Cross-Reference: Follow links between related concepts to map connections
Stay Updated: Check back regularly as new entries are added weekly
How to Cite This Lexicon
APA: Geevarghese-Uffman, C. (2025). Theological Lexicon: A Reference for Religious Politics. Common Life Politics. [CommonLifePolitics.com]
Chicago: Geevarghese-Uffman, Craig. "Theological Lexicon: A Reference for Religious Politics." Common Life Politics, May 18, 2025. [CommonLifePolitics.com]
MLA: Geevarghese-Uffman, Craig. "Theological Lexicon: A Reference for Religious Politics." Common Life Politics, 18 May 2025, [CommonLifePolitics.com]
This lexicon is continuously updated as new terms emerge in the ongoing analysis.
Last Updated: May 18, 2025