Friday, 08 April 2016 06:58
Dominionism, Christian Nationalism and Ted Cruz
BILL BERKOWITZ FOR BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT
(Photo: Gustave Doré)While Donald Trumps theological underpinnings are as
madcap and unstable as the man himself, Ted Cruz believes that not only is
America Gods chosen country, but that he has been chosen to guide the
country back to its Christian moorings. Ted Cruz is a seven-mountain guy and
those mountains have nothing to do with Everest, Kilimanjaro, Whitney or any
of the worlds renowned peaks. Cruzs seven mountains have to do with
reclaiming, rebuilding, and reestablishing America as a Christian country,
which means Christians taking dominion over seven aspects of culture:
family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business and government.
The movement is called Seven Mountains Dominionism and its origin comes from
Isaiah 2:2: Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the Lords
house shall be established on the top of the mountains.
And, if you thought the culture wars was a relic of the past, Ted Cruz will
fight all of the already-settled culture war battles all over again
and
then some. As John Fea recently pointed out in Christianity Today, Unlike
any other candidate in the 2016 presidential race, Cruz has mastered the
rhetoric first introduced by Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and others on the
Religious Right.
Much of Ted Cruzs early religious development came from his father Rafael,
who came to evangelicalism late in life but has been pounding that platform
ever since. It is Rafael who once told a Christian group that he believed
his sons campaign is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
John Fea, who teaches American history at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg,
Pennsylvania and is the author, most recently, of The Bible Cause: A History
of the American Bible Society, reported in a CT piece titled The Theology
of Ted Cruz, Cruzs Christian worldview is on display in virtually every
speech he delivers. His campaign is perhaps best described as a reclamation
project. He wants to restore, return to, or reclaim the
Judeo-Christian values that he believes are the foundation of this
nation.
Christian Nationalist David Barton is one of Cruzs trusted advisors
Fea maintains that Cruzs campaign rests on the notion that America was
founded as a Christian nation; therefore restore, return to, and
reclaim has become Cruzs special mission. Like his father Rafael, and
many culture warriors of the Religious Right, Cruz believes that Christians
need to reclaim the various aspects of culturethe media, the entertainment
industry, education, governmentand take dominion over them.
And thats where David Barton comes in.
David Barton is a longtime GOP activist, the go-to guy for the Christian
Rights Christian Nation theorizing and the founder and president of
WallBuilders, an Aledo, Texas-based Christian ministry. Barton is one of
Cruzs most trusted advisors, according to a previous CT piece by Fea, and
he runs Keep the Promise, a multimillion-dollar Cruz super-PAC.
Bartons work on the history of the American founding has been discredited
by historians, many of whom are his fellow evangelicals, Fea wrote in a
February piece for Religion News Service that was picked up by the
Washington Post titled Ted Cruzs campaign is fueled by a dominionist
vision for America. This does not seem to stop him. His 2012 book, The
Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths Youve Always Believed About Thomas
Jefferson, was roundly condemned for its historical inaccuracies and its
attempt to turn the third president of the United States into a member of
the 20th-century Christian right.
Despite having his work discredited numerous times and having Thomas Nelson,
the publisher of the Jefferson book, pull it from print, Barton is still
considered a Christian Nationalist rock star, as evidenced by the fact that
the book was republished by the right-wing website World Net Daily.
Fea points out that Bartons work is an important part of Cruzs larger
theological and political campaign to take back America. If Barton can prove
that the United States was once a Christian republic, then Cruz will have
the historical argument he needs to sustain his narrative of American
decline.
According to Fea, Cruzs political positions, defunding Planned Parenthood,
opposition to same-sex marriage, the so-called persecution of Christians,
the quest for religious liberty, complaints against the liberal media, all
stem from Seven Mountains Dominionism, the spiritual fuel that motors
Cruzs campaign for president, according to Fea. He is not interested in
crafting new models of American pluralism to respond to the countrys
ever-growing religious diversity. Rather, religious liberty is a code word
for defending the right of Christians to continue to hold cultural authority
and privilege.
As Fea pointed out, Cruz is a smart man and a savvy politician. You will
never hear the words dominionism or seven mountains on the campaign
trail. But it is also worth noting that he has never publicly rejected
these beliefs, wrote Fea.
In short, Cruzs campaign may be less about the White House and more about
the white horses that will usher in the Gods Kingdom in the New Testament
book of Revelation, Chapter 19.
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Friday, 08 April 2016 06:58
Dominionism, Christian Nationalism and Ted Cruz
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BILL BERKOWITZ FOR BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT
(Photo: Gustave Doré)While Donald Trumps theological underpinnings are as
madcap and unstable as the man himself, Ted Cruz believes that not only is
America Gods chosen country, but that he has been chosen to guide the
country back to its Christian moorings. Ted Cruz is a seven-mountain guy and
those mountains have nothing to do with Everest, Kilimanjaro, Whitney or any
of the worlds renowned peaks. Cruzs seven mountains have to do with
reclaiming, rebuilding, and reestablishing America as a Christian country,
which means Christians taking dominion over seven aspects of culture:
family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business and government.
The movement is called Seven Mountains Dominionism and its origin comes from
Isaiah 2:2: Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the Lords
house shall be established on the top of the mountains.
And, if you thought the culture wars was a relic of the past, Ted Cruz will
fight all of the already-settled culture war battles all over again
and
then some. As John Fea recently pointed out in Christianity Today, Unlike
any other candidate in the 2016 presidential race, Cruz has mastered the
rhetoric first introduced by Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and others on the
Religious Right.
Much of Ted Cruzs early religious development came from his father Rafael,
who came to evangelicalism late in life but has been pounding that platform
ever since. It is Rafael who once told a Christian group that he believed
his sons campaign is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
John Fea, who teaches American history at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg,
Pennsylvania and is the author, most recently, of The Bible Cause: A History
of the American Bible Society, reported in a CT piece titled The Theology
of Ted Cruz, Cruzs Christian worldview is on display in virtually every
speech he delivers. His campaign is perhaps best described as a reclamation
project. He wants to restore, return to, or reclaim the
Judeo-Christian values that he believes are the foundation of this
nation.
Christian Nationalist David Barton is one of Cruzs trusted advisors
Fea maintains that Cruzs campaign rests on the notion that America was
founded as a Christian nation; therefore restore, return to, and
reclaim has become Cruzs special mission. Like his father Rafael, and
many culture warriors of the Religious Right, Cruz believes that Christians
need to reclaim the various aspects of culturethe media, the entertainment
industry, education, governmentand take dominion over them.
And thats where David Barton comes in.
David Barton is a longtime GOP activist, the go-to guy for the Christian
Rights Christian Nation theorizing and the founder and president of
WallBuilders, an Aledo, Texas-based Christian ministry. Barton is one of
Cruzs most trusted advisors, according to a previous CT piece by Fea, and
he runs Keep the Promise, a multimillion-dollar Cruz super-PAC.
Bartons work on the history of the American founding has been discredited
by historians, many of whom are his fellow evangelicals, Fea wrote in a
February piece for Religion News Service that was picked up by the
Washington Post titled Ted Cruzs campaign is fueled by a dominionist
vision for America. This does not seem to stop him. His 2012 book, The
Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths Youve Always Believed About Thomas
Jefferson, was roundly condemned for its historical inaccuracies and its
attempt to turn the third president of the United States into a member of
the 20th-century Christian right.
Despite having his work discredited numerous times and having Thomas Nelson,
the publisher of the Jefferson book, pull it from print, Barton is still
considered a Christian Nationalist rock star, as evidenced by the fact that
the book was republished by the right-wing website World Net Daily.
Fea points out that Bartons work is an important part of Cruzs larger
theological and political campaign to take back America. If Barton can prove
that the United States was once a Christian republic, then Cruz will have
the historical argument he needs to sustain his narrative of American
decline.
According to Fea, Cruzs political positions, defunding Planned Parenthood,
opposition to same-sex marriage, the so-called persecution of Christians,
the quest for religious liberty, complaints against the liberal media, all
stem from Seven Mountains Dominionism, the spiritual fuel that motors
Cruzs campaign for president, according to Fea. He is not interested in
crafting new models of American pluralism to respond to the countrys
ever-growing religious diversity. Rather, religious liberty is a code word
for defending the right of Christians to continue to hold cultural authority
and privilege.
As Fea pointed out, Cruz is a smart man and a savvy politician. You will
never hear the words dominionism or seven mountains on the campaign
trail. But it is also worth noting that he has never publicly rejected
these beliefs, wrote Fea.
In short, Cruzs campaign may be less about the White House and more about
the white horses that will usher in the Gods Kingdom in the New Testament
book of Revelation, Chapter 19.
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