Meet the author
Amanda R. Tyler is the author of How to End Christian Nationalism, which is her first book. She is the executive director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty) and the lead organizer of BJC’s Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign, which launched in 2019.
Amanda leads BJC as it upholds the historic Baptist principle of religious liberty: defending the free exercise of religion and protecting against its establishment by the government. She also co-hosts BJC’s Respecting Religion podcast, talking about what’s at stake for faith freedom today.
A member of the Texas and U.S. Supreme Court Bar, Amanda has experience working in Congress, in a private legal practice, and serving as a law clerk for a federal judge.
Amanda’s constitutional law analysis and advocacy for faith freedom for all has been heard by Congress and members of the media. Amanda testified before Congress in 2023 on the threats of Christian nationalism to religious liberty, and her 2022 testimony before Congress discussed the ways Christian nationalism proves cover for white supremacy. In 2018, she appeared before a U.S. Senate Committee to testify about threats to religious liberty around the world.
Amanda has been featured by major news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS News, ABC News, CNN and MSNBC. Religion News Service named Tyler one of “2022’s rising stars in religion,” and she regularly preaches in churches, speaks at denominational gatherings, and leads sessions on college campuses and with community groups of all sizes.
Amanda Tyler to Congress, October 2022
“I believe Christians have a special responsibility to address the harms of Christian nationalism.”
Originally from Austin, Texas, Amanda grew up hearing about the cherished Baptist principles of religious liberty and the separation of church and state as a member of Highland Park Baptist Church. Because she was committed to these principles, Tyler sought out BJC when she moved to Washington to attend Georgetown University, and she began volunteering in the office.
Amanda graduated from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in foreign service, magna cum laude. She was hired by BJC to serve as assistant to the general counsel, working closely with the staff, drafting statements on religious liberty issues, presenting educational programs, and coordinating the broad coalition in support of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
Amanda left BJC to enroll in The University of Texas School of Law, where she received her J.D. with honors. In 2019, the school named her their “Outstanding Young Alumna.”
Following law school, Amanda worked in private practice and served as a law clerk for a U.S. district court judge in Dallas, Texas. She later joined the staff of U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett in Austin and Washington, D.C. In Austin, Amanda served as the congressman’s district director, leading the staff in the development and execution of an outreach agenda for a 7-county congressional district, as well as serving as a spokesperson for his office. She later served as Rep. Doggett’s counsel for the Ways and Means Committee.
Amanda was named executive director of BJC in 2016, and she began her tenure in January 2017.
Amanda’s work at BJC includes defending the protections of the Johnson Amendment in 2017, calling out the harms of the Muslim travel ban, launching the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign in 2019, co-leading a report on Christian nationalism and January 6, supporting the creation of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation, and more.
In How to End Christian Nationalism, Amanda draws on her experiences, conversations with pastors and laypeople, research, Scripture, her Baptist convictions, and her work as a constitutional law expert to help us confront Christian nationalist fervor. The book talks about how to distinguish Christian nationalism from the teachings of Jesus and to demonstrate how the former perpetuates white supremacy. The book also unpacks key truths we can share with others: Patriotism is not the same as nationalism. Religious freedom means little if it's not for everyone. Christians follow a gospel of love, not the idol of power. Click here to see if Amanda is coming to a city near you!
Amanda lives in Dallas with her husband and their son. You can follow her on X: @AmandaTylerBJC.
Contact her at Amanda@EndChristianNationalism.com. For media requests, contact Karlee Marshall at kmarshall@BJConline.org.
Testimony before Congress:
October 25, 2023.
Watch Amanda’s testimony at a hearing on “Faith Under Fire: An Examination of Global Religious Persecution,” held by the U.S. House Oversight’s Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs.
Testimony before Congress:
Dec. 13, 2022
Amanda testified during a hearing titled “The Evolution of Anti-Democratic Extremist Groups and the Ongoing Threat to Democracy.” It was the 7th – and final – hearing in the “Confronting White Supremacy” series of hearings led by the House Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
Testimony before Congress:
October 2, 2018
Watch Amanda’s testimony at a hearing on threats to religious liberty around the world, held by the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution.
We don’t have religious freedom yet:
November 2022
Amanda Tyler gave this presentation at the Belief & Belonging Festival in Waco, Texas. She spoke about her upbringing and how her views have changed as she has studied American history and advocated for religious freedom for all.
Comments after the travel ban ruling
Amanda speaks on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, 2018, after its troublesome travel ban ruling in Trump v. Hawaii. "We are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s refusal to repudiate policy rooted in animus against Muslims.”
What is Christian nationalism?
On the Respecting Religion podcast, Amanda Tyler and her co-host, Holly Hollman, discuss the definition of Christian nationalism used by the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. This clip is from Episode 18 of Season 4, released April 13, 2023. Click here to listen to the entire episode.
For more videos from Amanda, visit BJC’s YouTube page. There, you can see sermons, podcasts, appearances on major media outlets, answers to frequently asked questions, and more.
To schedule an interview with Amanda, contact Karlee Marshall at kmarshall@BJConline.org.