In sum, the Courage Tour is a 2020-election-denying, Christian nationalist, conspiracy propagation machine masquerading as a Pentecostal-style Christian revival.
I witnessed this reality distortion field up close at their Eau Claire, WI stop. 3/
This Pennsylvania stop of the Courage Tour has had extra build-up & hype, because they're staging it just a few miles from Butler, PA, the site of Trump's 1st assassination attempt.
They believe Trump's survival is a miracle presaging his divinely mandated electoral victory. 6/
If we pay attn to the ramp-up of rhetoric & protests that led to January 6th, the Courage Tour very much fits the pattern of partisan-spiritual-warfare, conspiratorial prophesying, & demonization of opponents that fed directly into the Capitol Riot. 7/
Journalists & editors: The Amer people need to understand what kinds of far-right Christian extremists Vance is cozying up to (Trump is already their snuggle bear).
This signals the further integration of Christian supremacy & anti-democratic mobilization into the Repub core. 8/
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If we weren't so used to Christians theologizing Trump, his clip of Mike Johnson would be headline news:
"Authorities are est'd by God... It seems apparent to us that God has chosen [Trump] to lead the greatest nation in the world for a 2nd time." 1/
He said this on a prayer call organized by Trump's National Faith Advisory Board, the latest version of Trump's evangelical advisory council, a group that has theologically propagandized Trump & helped mobilize Christians for January 6th. 2/
Specifically, the series of abuse revelations are occurring in what are known as "fivefold" or "apostolic & prophetic" ministry circles.
These ministries take their inspiration from Ephesians 4 & believe the primary leadership of apostles & prophets should be restored today. 2/
The fivefold/apostolic & prophetic concepts & leaders are sometimes labeled as part of the "New Apostolic Reformation," but the NAR is merely one set of such networks, & many other similar networks are involved in this scandal. 3/
🧵-- I've spend the past 3.5 yrs researching the Christian leaders, theologies, & movts that gave us the chaotic, Christian nationalist violence we witnessed on #January6th.
We are currently seeing similar (if not more alarming) patterns emerging in this election cycle... 👇 1/
1st, if you're unfamiliar w/ my research, I've argued that a little-understood network of Christian leaders called the New Apostolic Reformation was at the heart of Xn organizing & theologizing of the January 6th Insurrection.
Today's ep. of Dutch Sheets' "Give Him 15" podcast exemplifies a LITTLE NOTICED THEOLOGICAL SHIFT in the Christian right that could seriously impact the 2024 election.
In short, many leaders on the Christian right have moved beyond "Rapture theology." 1/
I've had a number of reporters ask me about the phrase "the remnant" that you often hear among New Apostolic Reformation & other Independent Charismatic leaders.
Perhaps b/c of my own background, in the past I've generally chalked it up to a charis. stock phrase, one of many. 2/
I've also noticed that, if there's 1 cocktail-party fact that casual observers of the Christian right can cite, it's the idea of "the Rapture" (Jesus suddenly taking the Xns away to heaven).
More sophisticated watchers will use the phrase "dispensational premillennialism." 3/
@NormEisen outlines how the America First Policy Institute (Trump Admin 2.0 in waiting) & the new *2020 ELECTION-DENYING MAJORITY* on the Georgia state election board are making it easier for local election officials to halt counting at their discretion. 2/
Imagine a Trump-aligned GA local election official wants to, say, gum up the works of the vote-counting in a probable Harris-Walz county.
Using this rule, they could throw a spanner in the works, & functionally decertify votes on a whim + thin assertion of "irregularities." 3/