Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism by Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood, has received awards from two Christian journalism organizations for its important warnings about the rise of Christian Nationalism and how congregations can respond to the threat.
In April the Religion Communicators Council named Baptizing America the top book of 2024, and the book also won the “Non-Fiction: Adult – Single Work” category.
Two weeks later, The Associated Church Press honored Baptizing America with its top honor, the Award of Excellence in the nonfiction books category. “This is an important book for our time,” one judge wrote, “and the authors help make sense of a growing movement of Christian Nationalism and its effect on democracy.”
Christian nationalism is a political ideology that intertwines Christian faith with national identity, asserting that a nation should be defined by and guided by Christian principles.
“These awards are encouraging because they show more and more people of faith are recognizing that Christian Nationalism is a rising threat to democracy and to the freedom of religion in the United States,” said Brad Lyons, president and publisher of Chalice Press, the publishing house of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). “Baptizing Americaholds a mirror up to the mainline churches that dominated American culture for decades and helps us recognize the error of our ways — and how we need to change our ways and undo the damage that has been done. Baptizing America is a must-read for Christians who are allies for marginalized communities being hurt by Christian Nationalism.”
“Christian Nationalism is a threat to both church and state,” Underwood adds. “What we continue to miss is how mainline and progressive Christians have aided and abetted its cause. Baptizing America illuminates this reality in the hopes of inspiring a fuller, more faithful response. It’s gratifying to have others recognize its contributions in these perilous times.”
Founded in 1929, the Religion Communicators Council brings together leading faith-based professionals in journalism, public relations, advertising, and development.
Founded in 1916, the Associated Church Press is the oldest interdenominational religious press association in the U.S. Members include the leading publications in mainline Protestant life as well as some Catholic and evangelical publications.
“It’s rewarding to receive the awards for Baptizing America,” Kaylor added. “The endorsement of the book from the ACP, which is the gathering of mainline Protestant journalists and communicators, is particularly nice since mainline Protestants are the community we primarily wrote about and for.”
In addition to the awards from the ACP and the RCC, Baptizing America was Chalice Press’s bestselling book in 2024 and received positive reviews from several publications including The Christian Century, Sojourners, Church & State, Baptist News Global, The Presbyterian Outlook, and The Living Church.
Underwood is senior pastor of Allisonville Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis. Kaylor is president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way, a Christian media company founded in 1896. Across three different award processes announced in the past month, Word&Way collected a combined 13 awards for their journalism, editorial, photography, and e-newsletter.