Thread by @jackmjenkins

1. Just posted my newest piece on ties between the Religious Right and Russia, tracking interactions over recent years.

The focus: Relationships between Russians and Franklin Graham, who, among other things, met with Vladimir Putin in 2015.

Let’s unpack. religionnews.com/2018/08/07/the…

2. It should be noted that some of this has been reported on before, and most of it has been pretty public for a while.

We just haven’t done a great job of putting them all in one place.

But that’s why I’m here! (Also I got some new info as well!)

3. Taken together, it all may help explain why religious groups might be targeted by Russians, like how Mariia Butina allegedly exploited the National Prayer Breakfast, according to the Department of Justice (who just arrested her for conspiracy)… religionnews.com/2018/07/18/why…

4. …Or how Butina and/or her supposed ally Alexander Torshin reportedly tried to use (via an “emissary”) a “persecuted Christians” summit to forge a meeting between Trump and Putin in 2016.

Yes, seriously.

5. But let’s back up: what’s going on here?

First, it’s important to understand that while the Russian Orthodox Church isn’t an arm of the Russian govt per se, they’ve been working in tandem with them for YEARS, helping spread Russian influence abroad —> nytimes.com/2016/09/14/wor…

6. So when high-ranking Russian Orthodox (ROC) officials travel around meeting American conservatives, that’s…interesting.

Like, say, when ROC official Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev traveled to the U.S. in 2011 to meet with a bunch of conservatives…

7. He spoke at Catholic University of America, one of the most conservative Catholic schools in the country, and Dallas Theological Sem­inary, a prominent conservative evangelical institution.

He also reportedly met with…George W. Bush? christiancentury.org/article/featur…

8. (Side note: made props to the @ChristianCent for doing some of the research on that.)

9. Anyway, 3 years later in spring 2014, Putin appeared on the cover of Decision magazine, a publication of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Franklin Graham offered praise of Putin in an op-ed, specifically regarding his stance on LGBTQ issues. billygraham.org/decision-magaz…

10. Later that same year, Hilarion comes to the U.S. again, but this time drops by Billy Graham’s house in Montreat, NC, to celebrate his 96th birthday.

Hilarion mentioned this meeting in his condolence letter when Graham died earlier this year. mospat.ru/en/2018/02/22/…

11. Hilarion then trips over to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association HQ with Franklin Graham, where there is a small summit of Russian faith leaders (both evangelical and Orthodox) and evangelical Christian leaders.

There, Hilarion gives a speech knocking sanctions.

12. Note: participants of this 2014 meeting (those willing to talk) gave conflicting assessments as to the nature of this event.

Some saw it as a bridge-building exercise.

Others were, well, kind of weirded out.

13. Anyway, Hilarion and several of the Russian faith leaders then traveled to Washington DC where they met w/State Department officials and visited the HQ of the National Association of Evangelicals…

…Except only the Russian evangelicals went to the NAE. The ROC folks were…?

14. @CTmagazine (specifically @Mepaynl) reported on it at the time, here: christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/novemb…

15. Fast forward to late 2015, and Franklin Graham just straight up travels to Russia himself, where he

* toured around preaching at churches
* knocked sanctions
* hung out with Hilarion and plans a summit for persecuted Christians
* Met w/Putin for a solid 45 minutes

16. So THEN the summit is set for 2016 in Moscow, and, allegedly, folks try to broker a meeting between Putin and Trump there.

That doesn’t happen, and the summit itself gets moved to the U.S. in 2017 in response to Russia, in an ironic twist, cracking down on evangelization.

17. That summit happens, and Vice President Pence addresses the crowd…

…But also meets with Hilarion backstage, where the two discuss terrorism, but the exact conversation (and the identities of all present) remains unclear.

18. Oh, and that summit?

Participants later dined at the Trump International Hotel —> theintercept.com/2017/05/16/mik…

19. Oh also Trump reportedly gave decent amounts of money to Graham’s organizations and Graham has been a stalwart supporter of Trump’s for some time.

20. Long story short: there were a lot of high-level meetings between the Religious Right and Russia in the years leading up to Trump’s campaign.

As such, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that evangelical/religious groups may have been exploited. religionnews.com/2018/08/07/the…

21. Also, to be sure: there are likely more stories to tell.

Read more here: religionnews.com/2018/08/07/the…

22. OH and also if you want to send me tips or info or leaks feel free to shoot me a line through one of the methods listed here (or via DM): jackjenkins.me/contact.html