War and Prophetic Ecstasy
Bombing Iran and Evangelical Dreams
Yes, this is a second post from me - a departure from my usual practice. Sunday Musings was written before the breaking news late yesterday. I hope you enjoy the reflection on Galatians.
Please read this additional post about the theological motives behind the news. It is important - and needs to be said.
Last night, Trump bombed three nuclear sites in Iran.
In the wake of these events, there has been little to no discussion of the theological motives behind all this. But theology matters, and it may be what tipped the scales in favor of attacking Iran. Just a few days ago, Mike Huckabee, the ambassador to Israel, texted this to Donald Trump:
Mr. President,
God spared you in Butler, PA to be the most consequential President in a century—maybe ever. The decisions on your shoulders I would not want to be made by anyone else.You have many voices speaking to you Sir, but there is only ONE voice that matters. HIS voice.
I am your appointed servant in this land and am available for you but I do not try to get in your presence often because I trust your instincts.
No President in my lifetime has been in a position like yours. Not since Truman in 1945. I don’t reach out to persuade you. Only to encourage you.
I believe you will hear from heaven and that voice is far more important than mine or ANYONE else’s.
You sent me to Israel to be your eyes, ears and voice and to make sure our flag flies above our embassy. My job is to be the last one to leave.
I will not abandon this post. Our flag will NOT come down! You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!
It is my honor to serve you!
Mike Huckabee
It is worth remembering that in 2018, Trump moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem.
At that time (before The Cottage existed!), I wrote about the theology behind Trump’s decision to relocate the embassy.
This piece for CNN is a clear and concise primer on the religious motives of evangelicals and Pentecostals regarding Israel — and larger Middle East politics:
For Many Evangelicals, Jerusalem is about Prophecy, Not Politics.
To his evangelical base, Trump is fulfilling end times prophecies before their eyes. Moving the embassy was but the first step in reorienting US policy toward prophecy. What is happening right now — with the US joining with Israel in this bombing — is nothing less than God's work, and they believe that they are the recipients of the long-awaited promise of Jesus' return.
As I explained in the CNN piece, the MAGA "Jesus" and their particular prophecy tradition only dates to the mid-1800s. It was a completely invented theology about 200 years ago.
Yet that theological innovation has been one of the most wildly successful heresies in the history of Christianity in terms of spread and influence — mostly via Pentecostalism, the largest and most sustained global religious movement of the last century.
Modern Pentecostalism began among the poor and dispossessed and was originally influenced by progressive politics. Movements change, however. And partisans often wind up far from where they started.
In the last four decades, Pentecostals fully embraced both prophecy theologies (previously these theologies had been the purview of rather staid evangelicals and fundamentalists — most of whom eschewed Pentecostalism) and nationalist politics.
It is proving a toxic and dangerous combination.
And one of its chief proponents is the Ambassador to Israel — sending notes of divine favor to the President. And, of course, almost all of Trump’s religious advisors are preachers and evangelists of prophecy theology.
Last night, Trump ended his brief address about Iran with these words:
“I want to just thank everybody, and in particular, God. I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel, and god bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you.”
About half of the commentators on the breaking news last evening mentioned how bombing Iran would “split” MAGA.
I can’t speak for MAGA as a whole. But I absolutely know that Trump’s evangelical and Pentecostal supporters — the core of MAGA — are cheering.
This all does EXACTLY what Mike Huckabee said. Bombing Iran secures Trump’s status as God’s man, the one sent to fulfill the prophetic promises that lead to the return of Jesus.
While the rest of us are trying to discern signs of fascism, many American are discerning the "signs of the times."
We think Hitler. They think Jesus. We think of the innocent suffering. They think of the final judgment. We pray for peace. They believe that the Prince of Peace is returning with a sword.
That's how completely far apart the narrative worlds are.
You may want to ignore this. You may think it is a fantasy.
But stories inspire. Stories shape worlds. And it seems obvious that millions and millions of Americans — including the ones in the Pentagon, our embassies, and the White House — believe that this is prophetic truth. Bombing Iran is God’s will. History is unfolding and they are part of it.
I’m certain that the evangelical base is ecstatic this morning — thrilled by these events.
And they will be more devoted to Trumpism than ever. There will be no prayers for peace — only praise choruses of glory and victory.
However widespread these views are, far more Christians around the world will appreciate this prayer from the Jesuits:
God of mercy and compassion,
of grace and reconciliation,
pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East:
Jews, Muslims and Christians,
Palestinians and Israelis.
Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces,
and peace and justice could be experienced by all.
— Reverend Said
JULY AT THE COTTAGE — THE PAST IS PROLOGUE
The summer spiritual journey at The Cottage is about to begin!
During the entire month of July, paid subscribers will be treated to a special series on history as a spiritual practice.
We’ll take a trip through 2,000 years of church history by revisiting my book, A People’s History of Christianity, where I deconstruct “Big-C Christianity — Christ, Constantine, Christendom, Calvin, and a Christian America” and offer a more generous, constructive, and generative narrative of “Great Command Christianity” in its place.
There will be video presentations, interviews with historians, discussions about the use and misuse of the past, and some thoughts on what I missed in the earlier book.
I love history. Being a historian has literally enabled me to stay Christian.
It will be fun. And important. Because history is on the front lines of the fight against authoritarianism — understanding the past is key to envisioning the future.
It will be like Vacation Bible School for grown-ups (but church history instead of Bible class!) — and suitable for your adult education and book groups, too. If you’re going to be on vacation or away from your email in July, all paid subscribers will be able to access the material afterward to review or for later use.
The seasonal series (Lent, summer journey, and Advent) are for paid subscribers only. This creates a more intimate online atmosphere! If you’d like to take part and can’t afford a paid subscription, email us and we’ll make sure you are included. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds.
If you want to read the book as well as being part of the series, you can find affordable copies of A People’s History online — new, used, paper, and ebooks are available.
(As an aside, A People’s History of Christianity has always been Fr. Richard Rohr’s favorite of my work! He has often featured it in his daily meditations. You might have seen the book there.)
The Diameter of the Bomb
by Yehuda Amichai
The diameter of the bomb was thirty centimeters
and the diameter of its effective range about seven meters,
with four dead and eleven wounded.
And around these, in a larger circle
of pain and time, two hospitals are scattered
and one graveyard. But the young woman
who was buried in the city she came from,
at a distance of more than a hundred kilometers,
enlarges the circle considerably,
and the solitary man mourning her death
at the distant shores of a country far across the sea
includes the entire world in the circle.
And I won’t even mention the crying of orphans
that reaches up to the throne of God and
beyond, making a circle with no end and no God.
Mike Huckabee’s reference to Truman is truly eerie.”No President in my lifetime has been in a position like yours. Not since Truman in 1945.” It is like egging Trump on to do what only Truman did: to once more throw a nuclear bomb in the name of God and “peace.” This is what Christendom theocracy looks like. Thank you for your voice of theological sanity in a sea of insane theology.
Thank you! I hope that this essay will be your most widely read and reposted to date. I also hope that journalists who write about the U.S. bombing of Iran last night will read your essay and realize that it's impossible to write about the Trump administration without understanding the theology and religious history that have shaped it.