What's the evangelical theology behind Trump's Israel (& Iran) strategy?

Many analysts & pundits point to "Dispensationalism" (a.k.a. Rapture theology), but it's actually much weirder & more alarming than that.

Here's a sample from Dutch Sheets... 1/

A bit of background: Popular evangelical theology in the 20th century was shaped by "Dispensationalism."

Most 20th-cent American Christian Zionism is rooted in Dispensational views of the Rapture & Israel.

Here's a 5-minute briefing I did about it. 2/

WHISTLEBLOWER REPORT ON SEAN FEUCHT

A full-blown website written & sourced from ex-employees & ex-leaders in Sean Feucht's various ministries detailing his abuses, financial misconduct, & general scumball-ery.

Let me detail why this is important... 1/

truthandfreedomstories.com Feucht is 1 of the most popular evangelical Christian Trump supporters & MAGA activists.

He rose to prominence with guerilla-warfare style Let Us Worship COVID-restriction-defying concerts in 2020 and 2021.

He now has many imitators.

2/

https://x.com/TaylorMatthewD/status/1926518830563524747

This is one of the most disturbing videos I've seen recently, so prepare yourself...

I'll give some context for what's happening here, and why it should have all of us concerned about the spread of far-right Christian supremacy in America. 1/

instagram.com/reel/DKD4zhGRc… My recent book tracks the political emergence of a network of Christian extremist leaders called the NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION (NAR).

They were some of Trump's 1st Christian endorsers & have become his chief Christian propagandists. 2/

broadleafbooks.com/store/product/…

I was asked to identify which NAR or NAR-affiliated people I see in this pic of religious leaders from the White House today.

I did you one better and labeled the picture with all the major nondenom charismatic players I see in the room. I probably missed some in the back:

1/ From Right to Left, I see:

-Malachi O'Brien - acolyte of Paula White-Cain, apologist for IHOPKC abuses, I believe he's S. Bapist

-Todd Lamphere - Paula White's right-hand pastor assoc

-Pasqual Urrabazo - respected NAR prophet, a pastor at ICLV who prophesied over Trump

2/

Amid the many crises & distraction-chaff of Trump 2.0 we're all reeling, but you should pay attention to what Trump announced today at the Nat'l Prayer Breakfast.

He not only aligned his admin w/ Christian nationalism, he's plans on enforcing it. 1/

apnews.com/article/trump-… The 2 big announcements at the Prayer Breakfast were

1) He's creating a WH "Faith Office" & appointing his personal pastor Paula White (Cain) to lead it.

Not surprising. In fact, having written a whole book chapter on PWC & Trump, I'd be surprised if he chose anyone else. 2/

I've argued for years that, in the Trump era, charismatic (i.e. ecstatic, supernaturalist, revivalist) evangelicals have displaced the old guard of the relig right & brought a new more aggressive evangelical politics.

That was on vivid display in TX today.
h/t @RobertDownen_ 1/

https://twitter.com/RobertDownen_/status/1879261230344384552

That video is of charismatic prophet & pastor, Brandon Burden--who's associated with the Dutch Sheets wing of the extremist New Apostolic Reformation networks--praying Ekklesia/dominion theology (that Christians should rule over all societies) over a group of lawmakers. 2/

Crucial profile of Jenny Donnelly (NAR apostle, anti-LGBTQ "parental rights" advocate, and leader of an activist network with 1000s of "mama bears") by @aliceraeherman | @guardian.

These networks were a major force galvanizing Trump's Xn base in 2024. 1/

theguardian.com/us-news/2024/d… FWIW, centrist/Leftist activists & orgs who are opposed to the Trump admin's agenda would do well to learn from the vast organizing infrastructure & impact of these -- sometimes grassroots, sometimes grass tops -- networks on the right.

They reach people media can't reach. 2/

Eric Metaxas is one of the most toxic voices in American Christian politics.

Now he's labeling (w/ zero evidence or cause) the close relatives of Dietrich Bonhoeffer "Jew-hating fanatics."

This story needs more coverage (shout out, @baptist_news!). Here's some background... 1/

https://twitter.com/baptist_news/status/1861923216089837977

A decade ago, Metaxas was on track to be a popular & respected evangelical public intellectual. Raised in NYC & educated at Yale, he styled himself as an erudite & engaged public figure.

He wrote pop biographies of William Wilberforce, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, & Martin Luther. 2/

Yesterday Trump announced he's nominating Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense.

Hegseth's a prominent Fox News personality & veterans advocate, but he also has strong ties to the Christian far right that I've not seen fully exposed yet.

Here's a thread w/ receipts... 1/
1st, what's the Christian far right?

It's a coalition of different Christian social movts bound together by aggressive theologies & (often but not always) white supremacy.

This is the extreme, militant end of the spectrum of what is popularly called "Christian nationalism." 3/

It's bracing to hear the dauntless words that theological giants used to hold each other to the cause of resisting fascism.

This 1933 letter from Karl Barth to Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- "You are a German & the house of your church is burning" -- summons us to Christian courage. 1/

https://twitter.com/_kljohnson/status/1854638769963516182

We don't know whether 2025 will be a 1933. These things can happen fast. Dachau concentration camp was opened in March 1933 -- 2 months after Hitler came to power.

But we do know that's where casual dehumanization & demonization of vulnerable communities leads eventually. 2/

I've tried to approach this election unflinchingly & w/ clear eyes, but this is the absolute worst case scenario.

We're in an epochal shift in American history of the worst sort, &, while it does not spell the absolute end of Amer liberal democracy, MAGA is a fatal illness. 1/ I've been ruminating since last night over this quote from John Adams:

"Remember Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes exhausts & murders itself. There never was a Democracy Yet, that did not commit suicide. It's in vain to Say that Democracy is less vain, less proud... 2/

This is a disgusting & unbelievably irresponsible thing for a pastor to post on election day!

Landon Schott is a pastor at Mercy Culture, a hyper-political, charismatic church in the DFW area. Sean Feucht shows up there regularly, & he shared a stage w/ Feucht in DC on 10/26. 1/ If you don't know the reference here, many charismatics have railed for decades against the "spirit of Jezebel" (a demon representing feminism, LGBTQ rights, abortion, etc.) taking over the US.

More recently they've begun equating Kamala Harris w/ Jezebel & Trump w/ Jehu. 2/

I know Trump's rally at MSG got lots of press attn for its fascistic undertones, but the most fascistic thing to happen this week in Trump world -- in my view -- is this prophecy spoken over Trump by Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn at a relig ldrs event. 1/

You'll need some context to understand what he's saying in this prophecy, but I promise: When you understand the message he's conveying to Trump & to this audience, it's chilling.

1st, who is Jonathan Cahn?

He's mostly likely the most famous Messianic Jew in America today. 2/

Excellent (& terrifying) reporting here from @AndyKroll & @mtredden about how Russ Vought, a far-right extremist former OMB director & likely 2nd Trump Admin cabinet member, is thinking about the agenda for Trump 2.0...

Hint: It's all aggression! 1/

propublica.org/article/video-… Something we must all grasp heading into this election is how much Trump's lies about the 2020 election have become a new "lost cause" narrative, propagandizing & radicalizing many far-right actors to attack democracy in the name of defending the Constitution. 2/

In case everyone missed this: This photo is Donald Trump being prayed over by faith leaders at a Turning Point Action event in Georgia on 10/23.

The two most prominently featured faith leaders (next to Ben Carson) are Ché Ahn & Jenny Donnelly. Remember them? *It's important* 1/ Ché Ahn is one of the most respected apostles in the New Apostolic Reformation, a Christian supremacist network of charismatic leaders.

Ahn rejects the separation of church and state, because he believes Christians should control the "Seven Mountains" of culture. 2/

I was at the New Apostolic Reformation's "Million Women March" event on the National Mall today.

I gave comments to several reporters there but thought I'd offer a more extended set of reflections on this very alarming Christian nationalist episode. 1/

amillionwomen.org 1st, on crowd size: I'm suspicious of almost all claims about counting large crowds (unless there's a long history of benchmarking that exact space, e.g. Presidential inaugurations).

To illustrate: the NT Times story says there were "hundreds" there. 2/

nytimes.com/2024/10/12/us/…

The most important film you'll see this year--perhaps your entire life as a democratic citizen--is "Stopping the Steal" (HBO, released Sept 17, directed by @danreed1000)!

This is the inside story of the United States' recent past & impending future. 1/

hbo.com/movies/stoppin… If you are a true citizen, this movie will keep you up at night. This is the inside story of the anti-democratic campaign to overturn the 2020 election.

And I know you think, "OK, another January 6th documentary," but No.

This is the human story of how we came to the brink. 2/

Very important news: J.D. Vance is planning a town hall on Saturday, hosted by the Lance Wallnau Show at the Courage Tour.

This is Vance's endorsement of one of the worst, most conspiratorial, Christian supremacist spectacles in the country. 1/

donaldjtrump.com/news/90bcf4fd-… If you're not familiar w/ the Courage Tour, get educated ---

@7im:

@FredClarkson:

@anelsona:

@rickpidcock:

@chrissyjones316, @MajorCBS, @ArdenFarhi: 2/rollingstone.com/politics/polit…
religiondispatches.org/wheres-wallnau…
washingtonspectator.org/michigan/
baptistnews.com/article/how-co…
cbsnews.com/news/trump-lan…

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/

rightwingwatch.org/post/michael-f…

There's an undercovered, ongoing scandal involving sexual & spiritual abuse by unaccountable nondenominational Christian leaders. Sound familiar?

Except, because this segment of Christianity is nondenominational, people tend not to see the pattern. 1/

julieroys.com/president-morn… 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/

🧵-- 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.

See my audio-doc series. 2/

icjs.org/charismatic-re…