I used to be very interested in Nationalism, Reactionary politics, etc. As I became a more serious Christian (instead of just a "civilizational" one), I realized that I love the people of my nation and utterly despise the nation-state and the entire apparatus. That is where patriotism can dovetail with the Christian life: it is a form of love of neighbor. And patriotism often involves opposing Nationalism when those ideologies, movements, and systems directly threaten the well-being of the actual people. Nationalists love abstractions, patriots love people. That's how I have come to define it.
I used to be very interested in Nationalism, Reactionary politics, etc. As I became a more serious Christian (instead of just a "civilizational" one), I realized that I love the people of my nation and utterly despise the nation-state and the entire apparatus. That is where patriotism can dovetail with the Christian life: it is a form of love of neighbor. And patriotism often involves opposing Nationalism when those ideologies, movements, and systems directly threaten the well-being of the actual people. Nationalists love abstractions, patriots love people. That's how I have come to define it.