Episode Details

14. William Gibson (Church of Scotland) – When Christianity Gets Co-Opted by Power

What does American Christian nationalism look like… from Scotland?

In this episode, Alexis Rice is joined by William Gibson - a Scottish church historian and soon-to-be minister in the Church of Scotland - to zoom out of the American bubble and name what many outside the U.S. can see so clearly: when Christianity gets fused with nationalism, it becomes a weapon.

William doesn’t just critique - he offers language, history, and hopeful resistance: collective action, ecumenical courage, and a faith that refuses empire.

If you’ve been watching “Christianity” used to justify cruelty and thinking, This cannot be Jesus… this conversation is for you.

🎙️ About Our Guest
William Gibson is a PhD student in Theology & Religious Studies at the University of Glasgow and a candidate for ministry in the Church of Scotland. His work focuses on modern church history, mission, and the way faith intersects with power, economics, and community life - including trade unions, labor, and Christian ethics.
Find William: @williamgibsongla 

💬 In This Episode
• How American Christian nationalism is perceived globally
• Why “Christian symbolism” at nationalist rallies is alarming
• The Church of Scotland: broad, Presbyterian, Reformed - without U.S.-style fundamentalism
• Christianity as culturally mediated (and why that matters)
• Capitalism, greed, solidarity - and the Bible’s uncomfortable clarity
• Bonhoeffer, Niemöller, and what Christian resistance really costs
• A prayer for the spiritually tender and spiritually tired

📚 Resources + Verified Instagram Handles
• Church of Scotland - @churchofscotland
• The Iona Community - @ionacommunity
• Wild Goose Publications (Iona books) - @ionabooks
• Awake, Emerging, and Connected (publisher) - @scm_press
• Student Christian Movement (UK) - @studentchristianmovement
• World Communion of Reformed Churches - @reformed_communion
• Trinity College Glasgow - @trinitycollegeglasgow
• Lamorna Ash - @lamornaaash
• The Sacred Slope - @thesacredslope 

#Christianity #deconstruction #OpenAndAffirming #MentalHealth #ChurchOfScotland #Scotland #ProgressiveChristianity #Exvangelical

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About The Sacred Slope
Where the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.
For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.
Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.

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🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice
🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence
📬 Nominate a guest: alexis@thesacredslope.com

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