Paula White : “Christian Nationalism Glossary: Decoding Confusion”

DEEP DIVE

Deciphering the Enigmatic Language of Christian Nationalism: An In-depth Guide for the Perplexed

Published May 26, 2024 9:00AM (EDT)

Paula White and Michael Flynn (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images)

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While President Joe Biden’s recent stance on Israel’s Gaza conflict has stirred controversy among his supporters, former President Donald Trump has maintained a steadfast lack of interest in Palestinian rights. Trump’s evangelical allies, constituting his most loyal base, interpret Middle Eastern geopolitics through a biblical perspective that grants Israel sovereignty over the lands from the Nile to the Euphrates. Moreover, they anticipate the apocalypse as a desirable event ordained by God, viewing efforts for peace and human rights as contravening divine will.

A prominent figure embodying this worldview is John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel, boasting a membership exceeding 10 million, outnumbering the entire American Jewish population. Established in 2006 following the publication of Hagee’s book, “Jerusalem Countdown,” the organization posits a U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran as both biblically prophesied and essential for instigating Armageddon and the Second Coming. In 2008, John McCain disavowed Hagee’s endorsement in the presidential campaign after a sermon surfaced where Hagee portrayed Hitler as fulfilling God’s will by expediting Jewish return to Israel.

However, Hagee represents merely one facet of the enigmatic Christian dominionist movement supporting Trump and the MAGA Republicans. Their objective is the transformation of America into a conservative Christian theocracy. Scholar André Gagné’s recent book, “American Evangelicals for Trump: Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and the End Times,” delves into the evangelical sect of this movement, known as the New Apostolic Reformation, elucidating its beliefs through their own words.

Highlighted in a previous article were three prominent NAR leaders—Lance Wallnau, Paula White-Cain, and Dutch Sheets—who played pivotal roles in Trump’s ascension to power, continued support, and post-2020 election defense. Since 2020, Gen. Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, has co-led the “ReAwaken America Tour,” affiliated with multiple NAR figures, as detailed in a report by Jennifer Cohn in 2022. Recent developments include Salon contributor Frederick Clarkson’s coverage of Wallnau’s latest political endeavor, the “Courage Tour,” targeting 19 crucial counties determining America’s future.

Deciphering the beliefs and actions of NAR leaders amid this pivotal presidential election poses a formidable challenge. Religious movements exhibit intricate nuances, conflicting currents, and diverse shades of belief and practice, compounded by the NAR’s unconventional membership structures, often shrouded in obscurity.

Media portrayal of social and religious movements often lacks clarity and understanding of their mechanisms. A comprehensive glossary can aid in clarifying these complexities, elucidating overarching concepts like “dominionism” and ambiguously phrased terms such as \”covenant marriage\” (associated with House Speaker Mike Johnson) or \”government schools\” (instead of public schools).

To address this challenge, a detailed glossary is compiled, drawing from various sources. The glossary is categorized into three sections: general terms with broad relevance, terms describing dominionism and its prevalent forms, and terms utilized by dominionists themselves, often imbued with divergent meanings from conventional definitions.

Preliminary Definitions

Christian nationalism: The belief that America was established and intended by God as a Christian nation, rooted in an Old Testament-based fusion of Christian and American identities. Advocates seek to restore or reclaim this mandate, justifying conservative causes such as the anti-abortion movement and the promotion of a theocratic society.

Christian Zionism:  Primarily an evangelical doctrine supporting the State of Israel to fulfill prophecies in the Book of Revelation, culminating in the battle of Armageddon. Extreme Christian Zionists advocate for Israel’s expansion from the Nile to the Euphrates and advocate for conflict with Iran.

Demonization: Portraying individuals or groups as malevolent or evil, often as a pretext for discrimination or violence, with some dominionists attributing earthly events to actual demonic influence.

Imprecatory prayer: Praying for God to punish his enemies, a practice endorsed by modern Christian Right activists.

Intercessory prayer: Praying on behalf of others, commonly practiced among NAR affiliates.

Pentecostalism: A subset of evangelical Christianity emphasizing spiritual gifts and traditionally apolitical prior to engaging with Christian reconstructionists in the 1980s.

Philosemitism: Exaggerated affection displayed by Christian Zionists towards Jews, often coexisting with end-times beliefs requiring Jewish conversion to Christianity.

Postmillennialism: The belief in Jesus’ return after a thousand-year messianic age marked by Christian prosperity.

Premillennialism: The belief in Jesus’ imminent return heralding a literal thousand-year age of peace, prominent among fundamentalist and evangelical Protestants.

Theocracy: A form of government where religious leaders also hold political power.

Theonomy: Government ruled by religious law, closely aligned with theocratic systems.

Insights into the Dominionist Landscape

Dominion: The purpose for human creation, often interpreted as male dominion over all aspects of society.

Dominionism: The theocratic ideology advocating Christian control over political and cultural spheres to establish a biblical society. Two prevalent forms in America are Christian Reconstructionism and the New Apostolic Reformation.

Christian reconstructionism: A theocratic movement founded by R.J. Rushdoony outlining a biblically-based societal framework, influencing aspects like Christian homeschooling and political activism.

New Apostolic Reformation: An evangelical dominionist movement aiming to restore the “fivefold ministry” of the 1st century through prophecy-guided governance structures.

Fivefold ministry: The offices of the church—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—crucial in the NAR’s vision of restoring ancient church structures.

Apostolic network: Autonomous churches and ministries united under apostolic leadership, fostering new generations of apostles.

Apostolic center: The central hub of an apostolic network, transcending traditional church functions to impact society economically and socially.

Seven mountains mandate: A campaign by NAR leaders to conquer seven metaphorical realms (religion, education, government, family, media, business, and arts & entertainment) to eliminate demonic influences.

Spiritual warfare: The battle against supernatural evil forces believed to influence conflicts and societal issues, combated through prayer and activism.

Strategic-level spiritual warfare: An NAR doctrine positing demonic control over nations and regions, prompting organized prayer battles against these forces.

Decoding Dominionist Narratives

Biblical worldview: A comprehensive perspective where the Bible informs all facets of life, utilized by dominionists to justify conservative values and oppose secular democracy.

Biblical spheres of authority: The concept of distinct spheres of government—ecclesiastical, civil, and family—each with delegated authority under God, often used to challenge government intervention in areas like business and education.

Civil government: A term emphasizing government’s authority in dominionist discourse, reflecting theological underpinnings.

Covenant marriage: A patriarchal form of marriage sanctioned by ecclesiastical authorities, reflecting biblical principles and challenging civil marital norms.

Government schools: A derogatory term used by dominionists to oppose public education, viewing it as contrary to biblical principles of family responsibility for education.

Lesser magistrates: Officials who resist higher authorities deemed illegitimate, based on Calvinist principles and utilized in movements like “constitutional sheriffs” challenging federal mandates.

Patriarchy: A familial structure central to dominionism based on male authority, denouncing gender equality as contrary to biblical teachings.

Religious freedom: A term redefined by the Christian right to advance exemptions from civil rights laws, enabling discrimination against LGBTQ and reproductive rights.

Support for Israel: In Christian Zionist terms, backing Israel to fulfill biblical prophecies, irrespective of the consequences for the nation.

Dominionists, despite being a minority, wield considerable influence through obscurity and deceptive presentation, acknowledging their engagement in a long-term propaganda battle. The sincerity of individuals like Mike Johnson, embodying dominionist values, is secondary to their actions and objectives.

Paul Rosenberg is a California-based writer/activist, senior editor for Random Lengths News and columnist for Al Jazeera English. Follow him on Twitter at @PaulHRosenberg.

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