The Trump administration is planning a prayer event on the National Mall. All but one of the speakers is Christian: NPR

(RNS) —Cabinet members, Catholic bishops, evangelical influencers, and an actor who performs Jesus are a few of the speakers and performers scheduled to take part in “Rededicate 250,” the Trump administration’s daylong prayer celebration taking place on the National Mall this weekend.

Advertised as a “rededication of our country as One Nation Under God” and a “once in a lifetime national moment,” the Sunday event is meant to mirror on the religion of America’s founders and to attraction to God to bless and information the nation.

It’s an initiative of Freedom 250, a White House-backed, public-private marketing campaign staging patriotic occasions to rejoice the nation’s 250th birthday. Supporters welcome the event as a tribute to America’s roots, whereas critics say the Christian-saturated, MAGA-heavy competition casts an exclusionary imaginative and prescient of America’s previous and current. Americans United for Separation of Church and State urged the event advances Christian nationalism slightly than spiritual freedom.

The rally has impressed each supportive and oppositional pre-events, the former led by activist and worship chief Sean Feucht, and the latter spearheaded by the Interfaith Alliance and a cadre of progressive spiritual leaders.

In latest days, a handful of Christian celebrities have been introduced as Rededicated 250 contributors. Grammy-winning Christian musician Chris Tomlin, identified for the hits “Holy Forever” and “How Great Is Our God,” will headline the event. Jonathan Roumie, the Catholic actor, influencer and star of the hit Jesus present “The Chosen,” was just lately added as a speaker. Roumie has spoken at the March For Life and starred in a Super Bowl advert. He will probably be joined by evangelical influencer, podcast host and “Duck Dynasty” alum Sadie Robertson Huff, who constructed a ministry platform catered to girls and has over 5 million Instagram followers.

Other listed speakers embody many of President Donald Trump’s closest pals and allies, most of them conservative Christians. Prominent political figures embody House Speaker Mike Johnson (a Southern Baptist); Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (who worships in church buildings linked to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches); and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (a Catholic). Trump is anticipated to ship a recorded video message.

Of the 19 religion leaders presently listed, 18 are Christian, and most are evangelical. Among them are the Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Pentecostal preacher and White House religion workplace senior adviser Paula White-Cain; and Pastor Robert Jeffress, who leads First Baptist Church in Dallas.

Bishop Robert Barron, who leads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who just lately retired from his place as bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, each Catholic, are additionally scheduled speakers.

The solely non-Christian spiritual chief presently listed is Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, who leads Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City and serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.

According to organizers, the speaker checklist is nonetheless being finalized.

If Trump’s spiritual revival is meant to encourage a fusion of Christianity and authorities, a new Pew Research poll released Thursday (May 14) shows Americans are not buying it. Although greater than half of Americans say faith performs a optimistic position in society, they are not looking for their authorities to cease imposing separation of church and state.

The ballot, taken in April amongst 3,592 US adults, reveals that these views have barely budged over the previous few years. Eight of out 10 Americans say spiritual congregations mustn’t assist candidates in elections. And two-thirds say church buildings and different homes of worship ought to hold out of political issues.

As for Christian nationalism, the ballot reveals, it is removed from widespread.

Only 17% of Americans assume the authorities ought to declare Christianity the official faith of the US, a slight leap over 2024 when 13% mentioned so. Generally, the concept of ​​Christian nationalism stays extra damaging than optimistic: 31% view it unfavorably, 10% view it favorably and the relaxation do not know sufficient or haven’t got an opinion.

“To the extent that President Trump has a rally that explicitly espouses Christian nationalism, he’s not going to get very far beyond, perhaps, the people at the rally,” mentioned John Green, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Akron. “There are people that have that view, but they’re a very small minority, even within the Republican Party.”

The ballot additionally discovered 52% of US adults assume “conservative Christians have gone too far in trying to push their religious values ​​in the government and public schools.” It had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 share factors.

Several teams have come out towards Rededicate 250. The Council on American-Islamic Relations referred to as for organizers to develop the speakers checklist to higher mirror the nation’s numerous spiritual panorama.

“Muslims have been present in significant numbers in the country since the colonial era,” the advocacy group mentioned. “Inviting speakers who represent many faiths projects the strength of our religious liberty.”

Americans United for Separation of Church and State mentioned the event will advance Christian nationalism slightly than spiritual freedom, and on Friday, a group of progressive religion leaders will host a digital press briefing that argues Rededicate 250 misrepresents how America’s founders approached spiritual tolerance.

As a counterpoint to the Rededicate event, Interfaith Alliance mentioned it’s going to crew up with protest artist Robin Bell to mission pro-religious freedom messages, together with “Democracy NOT Theocracy” and “Reject Christian Nationalism,” on the partitions of the National Gallery of Art on Thursday night.

This story was produced through a collaboration between NPR and Religion News Service.