1. So, I recently took a trip out to North Idaho.
I was tracking down rumors about Christian nationalism(s) rising in the region.
But I wasn't prepared for just how *big* it'd become, how powerful it is in the state, and how it may impact the future GOP. religionnews.com/2023/02/22/how…
2. I should note that this is likely the first in a series of pieces, some of which will look at Idaho (which is beautiful, by the way, albeit cold).
But as I'll explain, I found surprising trends at work here that may impact lots of places in the U.S. in different ways.
3. The first big factor is actually pretty unique to Idaho and the surrounding region: The American Redoubt.
Back in 2011, a survivalist blogger named James Wesley, Rawles (he adds the comma) called on followers to participate in what he called a religious separatist movement.
4. He wanted people to move to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and eastern slices of Oregon and Washington to establish a (conservative) Christian society.
It's unclear how many people actually did this, but it became a sort of subculture, and even sparked a "Redoubt Realtor" industry.
5. Meanwhile, another major trend emerged: a growing exodus of blue state expats fleeing states like California for states Idaho.
Most of these folks likely weren't Redoubters, but their impact is significant: Per a recent study, *1 on 4 Idahoans didn't live there 10 years ago.*
6. There's actually a *lot* going on with this blue state Exodus, and I should note a scholar explained to me the effect is heightened by significant movement *out* of Idaho as well.
It's impacting Montana too, as the NYTimes Mag recently noted: nytimes.com/2023/01/11/mag…
7. And then another *major* thing happened that supercharged everything: The pandemic.
Lots of conservatives in blue states fumed over COVID restrictions, and sought refuge in places like Idaho, a red state that drew national attention for churches outright *refusing* to close.
8. And you know what *also* happened during that time?
Christian nationalism, already ascendant under Trump, fused with anti-lockdown, anti-mask, and anti-vaccine sentiment that was spiking among a subset of conservatives. religionnews.com/2021/09/14/pos…
9. One church just south of North Idaho — Christ Church in Moscow — drew national attention when members were arrested protesting local COVID measures.
Trump got involved, posting footage of the arrests. religionnews.com/2020/10/07/hym…
10. The church's pastor is Doug Wilson, who also founded schools and other churches in Moscow and has been controversial for a long time.
But he recently took a turn into Christian nationalism — largely by elevating others, acting as a Christian nationalist influencer of sorts.
11. E.g., Last year Wilson blurbed a book on Christian nationalism co-written by Andrew Torba (who founded Gab and has been widely condemned for posting antisemitic messages) and Andrew Isker (who graduated from one of Wilson's schools).
In addition…
12. Wilson's publisher, Canon Press, published a book last year titled "The Case for Christian Nationalism" by Stephen Wolfe, which caused lots of controversy for a variety of reasons — including Wolfe's…views on interracial marriage?
13. I talked with Wilson about his own views regarding Christian nationalism, but a bigger dynamic at play here is the political impact he and others are having — sometimes indirectly (in Wilson's case), sometimes explicitly.
For instance…
14. Shortly before the midterms, The Altar Church, a congregation in Coeur d'Alene, called 15 candidates for state and local office up on stage. Most had basically already won (the primary is often the main battle), but all pledged to vote for "biblical values" while in office.
15. One of those candidates, State Sen. Ben Toews, was reportedly a founding incorporator of the Idaho Family Policy Center, a new group that has championed or authored some of the most conservative bills in the state Legislature.
The head IDs as a Christian nationalist.
16. What's more, two of the IFPC's board members have connections to Wilson's projects in Moscow — one is on the board of his college, and the other pastors one of his church plants.
17. Meanwhile, many of Idaho's new residents — especially in North Idaho — have rallied around conservative causes shortly after arriving in the state.
In fact, when they show up at local government meetings, many are pretty open about the fact that they just arrived.
18. All of this creates an environment where it isn't surprising when figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who IDs as Christian nationalist, come to speak. Or when the Reawaken America tour, whose headliners also ID as CN, chooses a tiny North Idaho town to stage an event.
19. Now, North Idaho has a particular history, and some of these trends seem specific to the general region.
But as Politico noted this week, there are *similar* things happening elsewhere, hinting at multiple versions of a similar phenomenon. politico.com/news/magazine/…
20. Anyway, this super-long thread doesn't even get to many of the things I cover in the piece.
So read more here! religionnews.com/2023/02/22/how…
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