An art exhibition outside the National Assembly of France to welcome the 2024 Olympic Games of Paris. / Photo: Facebook Assemblée National.
A challenging question that is in the air is if French Protestants, which have historically opposed nationalism and far-right movements, would now be open to support Marine Le Pen’s ideas.
“The nationalism factor within French evangelical circles is a point of particular attention”, says the historian. “French Evangelicals used to be against French-style Christian nationalism, knowing that in the past, each time Roman Catholic style Christianity and nationalism merged, it was at the expense of Protestant minorities”.
But at the recent European elections, “11% of Protestants voted for Marion Marechal, the poster women of xenophobic Christian Nationalism in France”, underlines Fath. “11% is a lot. Why? What part do evangelicals play in this? This all needs to be followed carefully”, says the researcher.
David Brown thinks it is “hard to get an accurate picture of how Christians in France will vote”.
“There is a feeling that the Gospel is absent from public discourse, but that evangelicals can set a good example of how to welcome people with their differences, because of the social mix and the multicultural dimension of many of our churches”.
Many of these churches, adds Brown, “encourage their members to get involved, individually and collectively, in all areas of society for the good of the city. French Christians see the need to convey in word and deed the two-fold dimension of the teaching of Jesus: loving God and loving our neighbours”.
Published in: Evangelical Focus – europe
– France looks in the mirror: will Protestants support Le Pen’s hard right nationalism?
Source link : https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/27197/france-looks-in-the-mirror-will-protestants-support-le-pens-right-nationalism
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Publish date : 2024-06-26 07:26:00
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