When patriotism becomes idolatry, Christians risk replacing God with nationalism
By 
Tim Farron MP2025-12-04T15:26:00
As debates rage over Britain’s Christian heritage, Tim Farron warns that when patriotism becomes an idol, Christians risk replacing God with a broken sense of identity that damages both themselves and others
What is your vision of your nation?
JRR Tolkien believed that England was shaped by its past. Seeking to understand more about himself and his country, he looked to legends of long ago, only to be bitterly disappointed. In one letter to a close friend, he wrote: “I was from early days grieved by the poverty of my own beloved country: it had no stories of its own.”
Tolkien’s frustrated quest inspired him to create the metaphorical England that we find in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In looking to the past for an identity, the world of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins was created, one that revolved around the mythical restoration of Christendom.
How we think about our nation - and our place within it - really matters. As commentators link nationalism, immigration and the Christian faith together, we need to
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