As we start 2022, it feels like polarization is at an extreme high. It is no different in Christian circles, especially from a political lens. One question being raised is how people of faith should respond to the challenges and realities that were exposed a year ago on Jan. 6, 2021.
In a day that will live on in infamy, a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump attacked the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. They were calling for the overturning of the 2020 election results, in which Democrat nominee Joe Biden unseated the Republican incumbent. The intention they had was to disrupt the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes that would formalize then-President-elect Biden’s victory. The Capitol was locked down, lawmakers and staff were evacuated, and rioters stormed the Capitol building. Five people died either shortly before, during, or following the violence, while 138 police officers were injured.
When looking at the root causes of such an event, Daniel Bennett, associate professor of political science at John Brown University, suggests a steady shift on the political right may have led to the chaos a year ago.
“I don’t think it was one single event that prompted this, but rather a years-long campaign of delegitimizing election outcomes from the Trump campaign and his associates in politics,” Bennett said. He posed the question, “If you support President Trump and had heard, over and over again, that any loss he endured must be the result of cheating, why wouldn’t you feel compelled to act in his defense? I think that’s what we saw happening on Jan. 6.”
The riot had been tied by many to Christian supporters of Trump, as reports have said that group made up a large number of the people attending the protests before, and some were involved in the storming of the Capitol building. It has brought momentum to the discussion surrounding Christian nationalism, leading some to frame it as a “Christian insurrection.” Despite that, Bennett does not believe such a label is correct.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say this was a ‘Christian insurrection,’” he said, “Were there Christians there? Of course. But this was a political insurrection, first and foremost. That Christians participated is secondary to that primary fact.”
Still though, many Christians have struggled to reconcile with what took place on that day. Some have deflected to the violence that emerged from the riots of summer 2020 amid nationwide protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Others have flocked to conspiracy theories. Many, simply put, have been unable to call out the wrongs of their own side. Bennett ties a lot of these issues to the political polarization the country is facing right now.
“The response from folks to January 6 — Christians and non-Christians — is best understood through the lens of political polarization. It’s difficult to criticize your own political camp, when so much of your identity may be wrapped up in it,” Bennett said. “So, it’s natural to want to downplay what happened or deflect to other issues, but that doesn’t make the lack of concern for what happened that day any less deflating.”
Much has been done since then regarding investigating what happened that day and why. The U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol was formed in July in a largely party-line vote in the House of Representatives. Many House Republicans boycotted the committee; yet by the end of November, the committee had interviewed over 250 people.
Steve Bannon and Mark Meadows, both closely tied politically with Trump, have been held in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to testify to the Committee. Bannon has even been indicted by a federal grand jury. Despite that, Bennett isn’t entirely confident that there will be many more noteworthy legal happenings on the matter.
“Some people will be going to jail for trespassing, vandalism, and the like, but I highly doubt there will be legal consequences for the actors who primed this in the years leading up to it. I’m willing to be proven wrong, of course,” Bennett said.
All things considered, there are still lessons that Bennett believes Christians could learn from this event. The biggest is simply learning to accept losing.
“I wrote after the election that Christians — everybody, really, but especially Christians — need to be better losers. That means being comfortable with the reality that, in the American system of government, sometimes your side loses,” Bennett said, adding that, “Our system of government depends on people viewing their opponents not necessarily with respect, but at least with legitimacy. And it’s discouraging that we’re headed down a road where that’s less and less likely to happen.”
When continuing to look at the road we’re potentially headed down, Bennett also painted a rather concerning picture about the potential for something like Jan. 6 to happen again. When asked if such chaos could grip the nation again, Bennett said, “Absolutely. I’m not saying it will, but once you open this box, it’s difficult to close it.”