Most debates about “Christian nationalism” get stuck at the label. The more useful question is: what’s the mechanism that turns a theological stream into a political project, and then keeps it energized?

Joel Webbon is a clean case study because the project isn’t abstract. It’s marketed through a network (podcasts + conferences + cross-promotion), and it routinely crosses the line from “commentary” into political instruction: how Christians should vote, what laws should be changed, and who should be eligible to lead. That’s influence: not holding office, but shaping what a bloc believes it must demand.

Here’s the standard I’m using: for “racism” to be a fair charge in public ministry, you don’t need a slur. You need a repeatable pattern of treating a racial group as an inherent danger, especially when it’s used to justify separation, suspicion, or “protect your family” politics.

That’s why the viral clip matters. Reporting says Webbon urged white parents to have “The Talk” with their kids, "there are certain people that you cannot be around”, then claimed Black strangers are “30 times” more dangerous than white ones, framed as parental duty and “facts.”

But the political influence piece is what makes this more than a bad clip. This isn’t just “prejudice in private". It's fear deployed as a governing theory: who belongs, who should hold power, and what coercion is justified. Watchdog reporting summarizes Webbon arguing for sweeping legal-political changes (e.g., adding creeds/Christian identity into governance, restricting voting rights, outlawing major categories of modern life), and doing it explicitly as a program, not as a metaphor.

And then there’s the alliance layer. Webbon didn’t just drift near controversy. He platformed it. The profile describes him repeatedly hosting Brian Sauvé and keeping him on stage and on podcasts even after Sauvé’s remarks about “Black culture” drew widespread condemnation.

When that same Sauvé/Conn lane escalates into talk of state violence, explicitly arguing “rebellious” young Black men should be executed, watchdog reporting notes their alignment and connects the network back to Webbon’s platform.

I’m not claiming every listener is a racist. I’m claiming this: racial fear is recruiting fuel. It turns “restore Christendom” from a theology debate into a social survival story, and once you’ve sold “survival,” politics becomes “obedience.”

If the goal is Christian witness, why build a movement that needs “Black people are a threat” logic, and a political program attached to it, to keep the base hot?

Additional Context:

• Example of explicit voter guidance / “how Christians should vote” content
• “Practical steps for implementing Christian Nationalism” framing
• Webbon’s ministry hub (distribution engine)