When War Becomes Holy

For some of Trump’s religious advisers the war in Iran is not political—it’s a prophecy.

Last week, we talked about the war in Iran, and all the confusion and lies by the administration surrounding the purpose and strategy. This pattern of misinformation and distortion is not only common for the Trump administration, but also follows a trend that often accompanies war. In the conversation I had with Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian Christian leader and lawyer specializing in human rights and international law, he made the crucial connections between the war in Gaza and the Iran War. We must all understand that these wars cannot be understood in isolation and are deeply connected to one another.

This week I wanted to continue to talk about the Iran War but focus on the religious aspects, and the very dangerous framing that some of Trump’s closest religious advisers are using to excuse violence as a part of their “Holy War” theology.

In my podcast this week I talked with Matthew Taylor, a visiting scholar at our Center on Faith and Justice and an expert on Christian nationalism. Matthew laid out the growing influence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). He has studied the movement closely and explains how their agenda of “spiritual warfare” is playing out in front of us and shaping real political conflict, including the war we now face.

The NAR, with its self-appointed apostles and prophets is their new form of the old dominionist theology where Christians take dominion or control over key sectors of society through the abuse of power. At its core, dominionism is not truly Christian and stands in direct contrast to the gospel of Jesus which is grounded in love and compassion, and humility. In their framework empire and power intertwine with a deeply distorted and manipulated version of our Christian faith to excuse harm.

A central and particularly concerning part of the NAR movement is the “Seven Mountains Mandate,” which claims that Christians are called to take control of seven major spheres of society. Their targeted ‘mountains’ are government, business and commerce, arts and entertainment, media, education, family and, of course, religion. Each of these arenas are seen as battlegrounds in a larger spiritual struggle that is meant to be uprooted from the local, national, and even global level. Power over gospel is the key here.

In a recent column at The Contrarian, journalist Tim Dickinson describes how some Christian nationalist leaders are now openly celebrating and “loving” the Iran War. They see it as both a prophetic sign and a political opportunity. And, to no one’s surprise, Trump is listening to them. There are reports of this war being described in explicitly biblical terms, with even some military leaders referring to it as a “biblical war” to our troops. This framing takes on a very dangerous dimension and carries real implications.

The old Religious Right, with people like Jerry Falwell Sr., James Dobson of Focus on the Family, and Tony Perkins with the Family Research Council, has largely been replaced by leaders connected to the NAR movement; and their own Paula White now serves as a Senior Advisor to the White House and is the official director of the Faith Office there.

My Georgetown students frequently ask how can so many Christians support a man like Donald Trump, who is not a Christian and has displayed anti-Christian behavior his whole life?

Matthew Taylor answers this question clearly and explains that although Trump might not be a ‘good man’, he is ‘God’s man’ from the perspective of the NAR power brokers. Trump is believed to be an anointed figure, a modern Cyrus chosen by God as an instrument for such a time as this. They believe he serves Christian interests in the same way the biblical Cyrus served Israel’s interests as an outside ruler, despite Trump’s obvious immorality.

What is important to understand is that these New Apostolic leaders are no longer operating from the margins. They are now present in and around centers of political power. They are blessing candidates, advising political campaigns, and weighing in on political matters and policy issues ranging from elections to foreign wars. The NAR movement has gone from their stadium revivals and online prophecy to having a real influence within the highest levels of power in our public life.

At its core, the movement’s vision of America is profoundly anti-democratic, though they will use democracy when it serves their goals. But they are actually restoring the divine right of kings, monarchies, and unaccountable rulers in direct contradiction to the visions of America’s founding fathers who called for the governing by the people instead of autocratic rulers. For the NAR, however, this concentration of power is justified through the language of spiritual warfare. They believe that demonic forces control the seven mountains and that the nation itself is under spiritual siege. They believe that standing with Trump, God’s chosen one, is not simply a political choice but a spiritual duty. Those who oppose him are complacent with the ‘demons’ that exist in their minds.

It is quite scary how comfortably this narrative fits with Trump’s own sense of self. Being portrayed as the new “messiah” aligns easily with his well-known supercharged ego, habitual narcissism, and lust for power, wealth, and total control.

Many people don’t know the term New Apostolic Reformation, yet they are unknowingly encountering and consuming its increased influence in churches and religious media. We see prophetic livestreams about Iran, prayer calls focused on spiritual warfare, and teachings about Christian dominion.

A purely political response to this movement will not be enough. And a merely partisan response will certainly fall short.

Our response must be theological.

This crisis should call Christians back to the teachings of Jesus himself. It must. Jesus was an anti-authoritarian leader, and the kingdom of God he came to proclaim is not an autocratic regime. It was and is a radically different vision of community shaped by love, compassion, justice, and the command to treat your neighbor as yourself without exceptions.

The spiritualized militarism promoted by the NAR must be confronted by the way of Jesus, who taught us that the peacemakers will be called the children of God. Moments of crisis have often become moments of renewal in Christian history. When faith becomes too entangled with power, the response has often been a return to the teachings and example of Jesus.

Despite the danger we face, or perhaps because of them, we are again presented with the opportunity to return to Jesus. Let us not miss it.

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