The Fellowship of the Crooked Cross

PostdigitalScienceandEducation https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-019-00074-7

TheFellowshipoftheCrookedCross:Trump’s EvangelicalHoundsofHell

PeterMcLaren

1,2 & PetarJandrić 3

# SpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2019

Abstract

ThiscriticalragepedagogyarticleexploresintersectionsbetweenAlt-Right movementsandChristianfundamentalistprosperitytheology.StartingfromThe FellowshipFoundationfoundedintheUSAinthe1930sandlookingatsimilar andinterconnecteddevelopmentsin variouscountriesfromSouthAmerica, Africa,andEurope,thearticleexplorestheologicalfoundationsoftoday'sworldwideascendoffascism.UsingtheexampleofAndersBehringBreivik’sfamous terroristattackinNorway,itexplorestheoreticalbackgroundforAlt-Right attacksonpoliticalcorrectnessand ‘culturalMarxism’.Lookingintothe'end oftheworld'theologyanditsmorality,thearticleexplainsdeeprelationships betweenChristianfundamentalistprosperitytheologyandIsrael.Thearticle connectsChristianity’sforward-looking,linearviewofhistorywith ‘endofthe world’ theologyandcapitalism.Itexploresthepostdigitalandpost-truthnature ofevangelicalChristians’ publiccommunicationsand linksthemtovariousantiintellectualisttendenciessuchastheanti-vaccinationmovement.Usinginsights fromMarxism,criticalpedagogy,andliberationtheology,thearticledemystifies Christianfundamentalisttheologyandpointstowardsopportunitesforresistance.

Keywords Criticalpedagogy Liberationtheology Christianfundamentalism Prosperity theology Alt-Right Lineartime Marxism

* PeterMcLaren peter.mclaren1@gmail.com

PetarJandrić pjandric@tvz.hr

1 ChapmanUniversity,Orange,CA,USA

2 NortheastNormalUniversity,Changchun,China

3 ZagrebUniversityofAppliedSciences,Zagreb,Croatia

Gloriousnews,everyone!DonaldTrumpisGod!Everythingmakessensenow, andthefinalpurposeofallthingsisatlastclear.DonaldTrumponWednesday proudlyquotedamessengerwhosaidhewas ‘thesecondcomingofGod,’ andhe describedhimselfas ‘thechosenone,’ lookingupatthesky.AsIsaid,wonderful, good,normalnews!(Petri 2019)

PresidentDonaldTrumprecentlyquotedNewsmaxcommentatorWayneAllynRoot whohaspromotedanti-SemiticandracistconspiracytheoriesagainstGeorgeSorosand PresidentBarackObama inatweetthatcomparedthepresidenttothe ‘second comingofGod,’ andwhoreferredtoTrumpasthe ‘theKingofIsrael’:

ThankyoutoWayneAllynRootfortheverynicewords. ‘PresidentTrumpisthe greatestPresidentforJewsandforIsraelinthehistoryoftheworld,notjustAmerica, heisthebestPresidentforIsraelinthehistoryoftheworld...andtheJewishpeoplein Israellovehim....likehe’stheKingofIsrael.Theylovehimlikeheisthesecond comingofGod...ButAmericanJewsdon’tknowhimorlikehim.Theydon’teven knowwhatthey’redoingorsayinganymore.Itmakesnosense!Butthat’sOK,ifhe keepsdoingwhathe’sdoing,he’sgoodfor...allJews,Blacks,Gays,everyone.And importantly,he’sgoodforeveryoneinAmericawhowantsajob.’ Wow!1

Later,inaninterviewwithreportersonthelawnoftheWhiteHouse,Trumpglancedatthe skyandthenreferredtohimselfas ‘thechosenone’—usingaphrasethatChristian evangelicalsoftenusetodescribeTrumpastheimperfectvesselGodhaschosento undertakehisperfectplanforhumanity(presumablytoridtheworldofgays,socialists, communists,feminists,andproponentsofpoliticalcorrectness).Heusedthetermtoreferto beingdivinelychosentoleadthetradewaragainstChina.Whileself-aggrandizementisthe coinofTrump’srealm,forthepathologicalnarcissistTrumptolayclaimtoGod’sthrone causedheadstoturnevenamongTrump’smostardentsupporters,whosewidelyvoiced disquietcausedTrumptoconfessthathiscommentwassurelyajoke.Yetatthesametime, Trumphaswarned, ‘Politiciansthinkwe’rejoking.Wedon’tjoke’ (Chapman 2019a).

Nevertheless,toclaimdivinekingshipwithinthesamelineageofKingDavidwasa politicallyshrewdmovegiventhatTrump’sChristianbasewillclearlyresonatewiththe messianic ‘endtimes’ associationgeneratedbytheterm ‘thechosenone’ (Easley 2019). ThosewhochoosetodownplaythisasoneofTrump’stongue-in-cheekcomments,oran off-the-cuffjoke,gravelyunderestimateTrump’sMachiavellianmindset.

Westandatthethresholdofuncertaintyandhopelessness,withhumanity’scapacity forproducingtheconditionsofworldpeacerapidlydwindlingasTrump’sregime becomesmoreandmoreentrenchedinnotoriety.TheU.S.underTrumpcannowbrag animplacablecultureofunbridledbarbarismthatcatechizesthepublictobesuspicious ofreasonedarguments,forbearance,andmagnanimityinordertocreateaworldwide spiritualstealthoffensive,onethatclaimstocareaboutthetravailsofthepoorbut insteaddisplaysacruelanimositytowardsthelessfortunate.ItfollowstheRepublican Party’sembraceofseed-faiththeologywhichunderpinsprosperitygospelvalues give moneytoyourpastorandyouwillreapamightyharvestofunprecedentedmagnitude, perhapsworthahundredtimesyourinitialinvestment.Ifthisfailstohappen,well,

1 DonaldTrump’sTwitter@realDonaldTrump,21August2019,1:34PM.

then,remainintheprotectivecustodyofthechurchuntilyoureapyourheavenly reward themostimportantgoalistostayinthegameandavoidbeinglabeledaloser. Theprosperitygospelisallaboutwinners.Thereisnoroomforlosers,theonlysafe harborisforthosewhoembraceunreservedlythecorruptedwillofthepublicmindin whatTrumphasannouncedshouldbeknownas ‘theAgeofTrump!’—aTrumpiantitle suitablygrandioseforthisworldhistoricalprogenitoroffascism!TheAgeofTrump couldprovetobeoneofthemostbizarreandconsequentialperiodsofrecenthuman history,butnotforreasonsextolledbyTrump.

Justwhenyouthinksuchacultureofnarcissismhaspasseditshigh-watermark,it exceedsourexpectations.Trump’s Nebelwerfer2 tweetshavethegreatadvantageof offeringapostdigital(Jandrić etal. 2018)smokescreendesignedtodistractusaway fromhispolicydecisionsthroughapanoramicspectacleofpurevileanditscatalytic effectonhis Nebeltruppen3 base,includinghisimpassionedevangelicaldefenders. Thesetweets nurturedbylies,upheldbydeceit,andimpelledbyatoxicnarcissism, dumpmortarshellsofincendiaryravingsdirectlyintothesocialmediaapparatusesthat nowmakeupaconsiderableportionofthepublicsphere.Butasexplosiveasthese tweetsare,theyworkmorelikeanaccumulationofbilecloggingthenationalbrainpan, whichsoonerorlaterbeginstoleak,permittingthepoisonousmulchtopassthrough thepublicblood/brainbarrierresultinginwhatwerefertoastheCollectiveAmerican PsychoPhenomenon(CAPP).TheCAPPworksthroughtheslownormalizationof barelyfetteredrage,aragedesignedtoappeartohaveanexternalbreakingmechanism bymeansofgovernmentchecksandbalances,butwhichcanoverridethosechecksand balancesbythesheerforceofitsemotivepowerandsupernaturalclaims.Theragegets amplifiedtoWagnerianproportionsinthecyberspaceforumsof8chanand4chan,by trollsandsocialmediapersonalities,andby defacto statemediasuchasFoxNews.

ArecentexampleofTrump’sdisinformationstrategyequatesAntifawithterrorism (adubiousclaim),yethehasnotcondemnedwhitesupremacistmilitiamovementsand militantright-wingorganizationsasdomesticterrororganizations.Ithasbeenreported thatinnewslettersandcommunicationstoandfromTrump’sJusticeDepartment,Labor Department,ImmigrationandCustomsEnforcement,DepartmentofHousingand UrbanDevelopment,andtheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity,therewerelinksto antisemiticracistwebsites,andpublicationssuchastheEpochTimes4 thatislinkedto theChineseFalunGongmovement(amovementoutlawedinmainlandChina),who havepushedthroughtheirrelatedmediaproperties,theQAnonconspiracytheory5 (Brigham 2019).RepublicanGovernorGregAbbottclaimedrecentlythatundocumentedimmigrantchildrenshouldnotbegivenapubliceducation,astheSupremeCourt ruledinthelandmark1982casePlylerv.Doe.RepublicanpoliticianssuchasAbbott aretryingtooutdothemselvesinmakinganti-immigrantassertions,withtheintention ofattractingsupportfromTrump’sfollowersandensuringtheirreelectionchances. Andthissamegovernor,accordingtoTheMexicanAmericanLegislativeCaucusof theTexasHouseofRepresentatives,onlyadaybeforetheAugust3massmurderof22 peopleataWalmartinElPaso,Texas whichwascommittedbyawhitesupremacist

2 The Nebelwerfer wasaseriesofpoisongasweaponsdevelopedandusedbyGermanarmyinWorldWarII.

3 The Nebeltruppen wasabranchofGermanarmywhichdevelopedandusedthe Nebelwerfer.

4 See https://www.theepochtimes.com/

5 QAnonisaconspiracytheoryaboutasecretplotagainstDonaldTrumpandhissupporters.

whowastargetingLatinos―‘sentoutanti-immigrantmailerscallingforTexansto ‘‘takemattersintoourownhands’’’ (Russo 2019).

Trumphimselfhasbuilthisreputationonattackingimmigrants,andhisadministrationhasbeencriticizedforseparatingrefugeechildrenfromtheirparentsandplacing themincages.Hewantstoabolishbirthrightcitizenship;hehascalledforviolence againstprotestersathiscampaignrallies;hehasmockedadisabledreporter,bragged aboutgrabbingwomen’sgenitals,andaccusedMexicanimmigrantsofbeingcriminals, drugdealers,andrapists;hehascalledforabanonallMuslimsfromenteringtheUSA, exhortedhisfollowerstobeatupprotestorsduringhisrallies(andofferingtopayany resultantlitigationcostshimself),anddescribedneo-Nazisas ‘veryfinepeople;’ he attackedwithunrelentingfervortwoDemocraticcongresswomen,Rep.IlhanOmarof MinnesotaandRep.RashidaTlaibofMichigan;heclaimedthatwhitesupremacyisnot agrowingproblemintheUSAandrefusedtonamemassshootingsbywhitesupremacistsasdomesticterrorism;heaccusedAmericanJewsofbeingdisloyaltoIsraelif theyvoteforaDemocrat;referstothemediaasthe ‘enemyofthepeople’;andliesto theAmericanpeoplesofrequentlythatthenewsmediacanbarelykeepupwith reportingonhisblatantlyfalsestatements(Politifact 2019).Trump’sadministration constitutesoneofthevilestexcusesfordemocraticgovernanceinthemodernhistoryof humanity.Wecanonlyhopethatnoothergovernmentwilleverclaimitsplace.Many U.S.citizens,Republicanincluded,founditreprehensibletohaveapresidentcallfora militaryparadetocelebratehimself(undercoveroftheFourthofJulynational holiday).Andyet,thisisthepresidentthatmanyevangelicalChristiansbelieveis ‘thechosenone'ofGod,avilesinnerbroughttohisspiritualkneesintheserviceofa Godofrighteousness.

HowfarintothefuturewillitbebeforetheU.S.governmentbecomes overpopulatedwithbeliefsandattitudesresemblingthoseofofficialslikethegoosesteppingUkrainianlawmaker,ArtyomVitko,whoenjoysbeltingoutthelyricsofa Russianneo-Naziband,praisingAdolfHitlerwithverseslike ‘AdolfHitler,together withus,AdolfHitler,ineachofus,andaneaglewithironwingswillhelpusatthe righttime?’ (Sokol 2019)HowlongbeforeU.S.fascistsareofficiallyenjoinedtofight onbehalfofwesternChristiancivilizationhere?

Manycapitalistsmaywishtoassistprogressivelyincreatingbetterliving standardsforhumanitythroughtheacquisitionofcapital,themanufactureof products,theinvestmentofprofits,andthroughresearchanddevelopment. However,thisgrievouslymissesthepoint thatitisvalueproductionthatdrives capitalism,notaltruism.Wedonotdenythattherearealtruisticcapitalists,but thenatureoftheproductiveprocessitselfmandatestheexploitationofhuman laborthroughthesaleofthelaborpoweroftheworking-class aprocess inextricablyinterlinkedwithasystemunutterablyrivenwithcontradictionsfatal totheaggrievedandunderserved.Withouttheaugmentationofsurplusvalue, capitalismcannolongercontinuetoexist.

Weareconcernedinthisessaywiththosethatimbuecapitalismwithadivineforce, withthoseunswervinglydevotedtheprosperitypreacherswhomaintainthatDonald TrumpisservingthedivinewillofGod.Thesepreachersandtheirorganizationshelp givespirituallegitimacytotheTrumpregimeand,inreturn,Trumpgivesthemthe moralandpoliticallegitimacythattheysocraveaswellasremovinganyobstaclesto theirgenerationofwealth.

God’sWorkintheDevil’sPlayground

ThefactthatJesusworkedasacarpenterandhisapostlespresumablycarriedmoney bagsisinnowaysayingthatJesusapprovedofcapitalism.Thereareplentyofpassages intheBiblethatconfirmjusttheopposite(seeMcLaren 2015).Thereisaclearand presentdangertodayinviewingutopiaasunattainable,butjustasdangerousis believingthatagroupofbusinessmencouldcreateasocialuniverseofleadersledby GodsincethissetsinmotionthecreationofaGod-fearingpeople.Theproblemisthat thisfearisoptimallycultivatedbymega-weaponizingreligion,saturatingitwiththe ideathattheUSAholdsafavoredstatusamongGodandhisangels aperceptionthat toooftentranslatesasMightMakesRight.TheNaziswereexceptionallyefficientinthe creationoffearbyturningNazismintoamillenarian,messianic,andesotericcult utilizingAriosophy(Aryanwisdomwritingsundergirdedbyaheavilyracialized völkisch ideologythathighlightsoccultist-racialdoctrinesemphasizingtheideaofroot races),postulatingmythicalhomelandssuchasThuleandHyperborea,adopting conceptssuchasthemasterraceandthe Untermenschen (lesserraces),andcleaning Christianity(knownaspositiveChristianity)ofitsattachmenttoJudaism(see Steigmann-Gall 2003).

WewonderifChristianfundamentalistsintheUSAsometimesconfuseGodandhis angelswiththeWickedWitchoftheWest6 andherwingedmonkeys.Whatelsecanwe thinkwhenevangelicalChristianswhocheerthe ‘publiccharge’ provision(stipulating thatimmigrantsshouldnotbeallowedintothecountryifitsuspectedthattheyhave insufficientfinancesandwillbeforcedtousepublicservices)thatTrumpispushingso thattheUSAcanbarmoreclassesof ‘aliens’ andmoreimmigrants?Andcanpermit onlythewealthytoenterthecountry?WeknowwhathappenedwhentheState DepartmentappliedthepublicchargeclausetoJewishrefugeesfromGermanyseeking toescapeNazipersecutionwhentheyarrivedatEllisIsland.Manyofthemwereforced backtoGermanyandmurderedinNaziconcentrationcamps.

Dystopiasofallmeasuresandstripebecomefiercelyattractiveasalienatedyouth becomemoreandmoreirresponsiblebyfollowingthoseChristian ‘leaders’ whowould counselthemtousetheirhatredresponsibly.Thosewhoproffersuchwisecounselare noneotherthanpastors,priests,andpoliticiansatwarwithpoliticalcorrectness.They areabletoraiseuparmiesoftherighteousbyimposingtheircollectivemoralityupon the(re)distributionofviolence.Itisnotonlynerdishpersonalitiesimitatingancient alchemistsobsessedwithdecodingBiblicalpropheciesormodern-dayscholarsspendingalifetimeattemptingtounlockthekeytotheVoynichmanuscript7 whoaredrawn toextremistgroupsonthefarright.Rather,itisoftenthosewhopreferreadymadeand undercookedsolutionstooverthinkingthemanychallengesrelatedtolivingtogetheras ahumanspeciesandsharingintheresourcesofourplanetearth.Wearewitnessinga frighteningaccelerationofcitizensalltoowillingtothrowcautiontothewindwhenit comestoMakingAmericaGreatAgain(MAGA).WearetalkingaboutTrump’s minionswhoorganizeunderchillingcovenantssuchasIronmarch,8 whoareconnected

6 TheWickedWitchoftheWestisanegativecharacterin TheWizardofOz (Baum 1900).

7 TheVoynichmanuscriptisanearly15-centuryillustratedcodexwritteninanunknownsystemwhichhas neverbeendeciphered.

8 Ironmarchwasafar-rightwebsitespecializedinsocialnetworkingforfascists.

toextreme-rightgroupssuchasthe Atomwaffen Division9 andthe Feuerkrieg Division,10 orwhoareaffiliatedwithSatanicandLeft-HandPathoccultgroupssuchasthe OrderofNineAngels,basedintheUnitedKingdom.Canyounothearthesoundof spit-polishedhob-nailedbootsmarchinginunisonwithHerrTrump?

Whilesomeoftheseperfidiouscharactersareunwittinglyindulgingtheirdarkest desires,othersdisplaywithanopendefiancetheirflirtationswiththe ‘astrallifeforceof pain’ emanatingfromtheworksofsinistericonssuchasAleisterCrowley,Anton LaVey,andAynRandandmembersoftheNoctulianelite.11 Withconnectionstothe Qliphoth12 andGoeticMagick,13 theyhopetosteelthemselvesintolivinggods.They wanttoabsorbthe ‘darkspirituality‘ thatissofavoredbyauthorspublishedbyIxaxaar OccultPublications14 orMartinetPress.15 Intheirpagesandplotlines,theyareableto getintouchwiththeirownpersonal ‘helterskelter‘ anddreamofapost-apocalyptic ‘cultofthecommandant’ rightoutof IronGates byTempleovBlood(2014).We mentionthesespiritualgurusfromtheextremistrightbecausetheyrepresentthedark underbellyofthe ‘respectableright’—thosefromreligiouslyconservativefamilieswho havechosentotakethemore ‘cleancut’ pathofTheFellowshipFoundation(seeMoss 2019).Donotactsosurpriseddearreaders;someofthemcouldeasilyhavebeenyour classmatesatUSCorYalebeforetheywenttoIvanwald16 fortheirinitiation.The FellowshipisasecretiveChristomonistorChristofascistnetworkofevangelicalChristiansbasedintheUSAthathasworldwidereach,andisdesignedtoconvertworld leaderstoChristianity.ItisinformedbytheimperativesofChristianZionismand createsworldwidesupportforIsrael.(ItisworthrememberingthatChristianZionism thebeliefthatBiblicalprophecyisinaccordancewiththecreationofthestateof Israel canbetracedtoatimewellbeforeJewishZionism,atleasttotheseventeenth century.TheAnglosphere theUSA,Canada,Australia allofthemsettlercolonial societies,stronglysupportIsraelmorethanothercountriesandsharestrongChristian Zionistreligiouscurrents.)

Begunin1935,itissometimesreferredtoasTheFamilyandorganizestheannual NationalPrayerBreakfastinWashington,D.C.Itsmostinfluentialleadertodatewas DougCoe,whodiedin2017.TheFellowshipoftheRingitisnot,althoughitdoesbear someattributesofTolkien‘sTraditionalism(whichsomecriticsdescribeasneo-fascist). Wearereferringtoasecretivenon-organizationalnetworkofevangelicalChristians bentonastealthspiritualoffensive business,political,military,andreligiousleaders andothers(butnotlikelyyouraverageshoesalesmanorlatheoperator) whose ideologicalrootshavebynowanchoredthemselvessofarintoourstructuralunconsciousthattheyeffectadeep-veinthrombosisblockingthereligio-politicalarteriesof

9 The Atomwaffen Divisionisaneo-NaziterroristnetworkformedintheSouthernUnitedStatesin2015.

10 The Feuerkrieg Divisionisaneo-NaziterroristnetworkformedintheBalticin2019andmodeledafterthe Atomwaffen Division.

11 TheNoctulianelitearemembersoftheOrderofNineAngelsbasedintheNoctuliantemple.

12 InJewishmystcism,theQliphotharerepresentationsofevilorimpurespiritual forces.

13 Goetiaisthepracticeofconjurationofdemons.

14 IxaxaarOccultPublicationsisapublishinghousespecializedinoccultliteratureintheNecrosophicQayiniteandQliphothicTradition,aswellasthecultivationofSpirit.See https://www.ixaxaar.com/

15 MartinetPressisapublishinghousespecializedinpublishing ‘textsthatreflectthedarknessthatisendemic torealantinomianspirituality’.See https://martinetpress.wordpress.com/author/martinetpress/

16 IvanwaldisthecommunallivinghousewhichbelongstoTheFellowshipFoundation.

ourpostdigitalsociety,preventingcriticalideasfrompassingthroughtheblood/brain barriertothejuncturewhereneuronalcircuitsandethicalimperativesmeet.

Someofits Leibstandarte17 members,suchasFranklinGraham,begantosupportPutin asanallyforconservativeChristianfamilyvaluesasearlyas2013,withsomeeven proclaimingtheRussianOrthodoxChurchtobethemoralleaderoftheworld(inRussia, same-sexcouplesandhouseholdsheadedbysame-sexcouplesareineligibleforthelegal protectionsavailabletoopposite-sexcouplesandin2013,anamendmentofthechild protectionlawwascreatedthatcriminalized thedistributionofmaterialsamongminors thatadvocatedanynon-traditionalsexualrelationships).ThisyearPutinjumpedontoaUral motorcycleatBabylon’sShadowinternationalbikefestivalnearinSevastopol,Crimea,and rodealongwiththeinfamousanti-gayRussianbikergangknownastheNightWolves(or ‘Putin’sAngels’ astheyaresometimescalledinthewest),ledbyaformersurgeon nicknamed(ofallthings!) ‘TheSurgeon.’ Streamingpatriotically fromtheirmotorcycles areredflagswithportraitsofStalinandthewartimeslogan ‘FortheMotherland!ForStalin!’ (Popov 2015).MembersoftheNightWolveshaveadvocatedfortheseizureofUkraineand supportedRussiananti-Maidanmovements,andsomewithadvancedmartialprowess participatedintheinvasionofCrimeaandfoughtforthepro-RussiansideintheDonbass war.Severaltimesayear,theyparticipateinmotorcyclepilgrimagestoholyRussian Orthodoxsites.TheNightWolvesreceivefundingfromtheKremlin;andinturgid commentsonpatriotism,Putinhaspraisedthemforsetting ‘manly’ examplesforRussian youth,regardingtheirbrutalloyaltyasthepureststrainofRussianmanhood.Somuchfor FranklinGrahamandhissupportforRussia’smoralleadership.AsktheSlovakiangovernmentwhattheythinkoftheNightWolves’‘Europeanheadquarters’ stationedintheir country,abasethatcontainsoldmilitaryvehicles,includingtanks,andliessnuglyinthe quaintvillageofDolnaKrupa,70km(44miles)fromthecapitalBratislava(Peter 2018). TheUSequivalentofRussia’sNightWolvesaretheBikersforTrump.JackHolmes citesaninterviewTrumpgavetoBreitbartNewsinMarch2019:

Youknow,theleftplaysatoughergame,it’sveryfunny.Iactuallythinkthatthe peopleontherightaretougher,buttheydon’tplayittougher.OK?IcantellyouI havethesupportofthepolice,thesupportofthemilitary,thesupportofthe BikersforTrump Ihavethetoughpeople,buttheydon’tplayittough until theygotoacertainpoint,andthenitwouldbeverybad,verybad.Buttheleft playsitcuterandtougher.LikewithallthenonsensethattheydoinCongress withallthisinvest[igations] that’salltheywanttodois youknow,theydo thingsthatarenasty.Republicansneverplayedthis.(Holmes 2019)

HolmesremarksthatthiswasnotthefirsttimeTrumphasmentionedthatoppositionto hisregimecouldbemetbybikerforce.Earlier,inSeptember2018,Trumpsaidthisat oneofhisrallies:

They’resoluckythatwe’repeaceful.Lawenforcement,military,construction workers,BikersforTrump howaboutBikersforTrump?Theytravelallover thecountry.TheygotTrumpallovertheplace,andthey’regreat.They’vebeen

17 ‘Leibstandarte SSAdolfHitler’,orthe1stSSPanzerDivision,wasaGermanelitearmyunitinWorldWar II,responsibleforguardingAdolfHitler.

great.Butthesearetoughpeople.Thesearegreatpeople.Butthey’repeaceful people,andAntifaandall they’dbetterhopetheystaythatway.Ihopethey staythatway.Ihopetheystaythatway.(Holmes 2019)

Bycouchinghisviolenceinthephrase ‘Ihopetheystaythatway,’ Trumpisgranting himselfspacetoclaim ‘plausibledeniability’ shouldhissupporterstakehiswordsto meanthatTrumpwouldreallyliketoseehisopponentsbesubjectedtoviolence(after all,hiswordsdoresonatewiththemilitantrightinwaysthatTrumpmostsurely understands).Plausibledeniabilityisdefinedas

circumstanceswhereadenialofresponsibilityorknowledgeofwrongdoing cannotbeprovedastrueoruntrueduetoalackofevidenceprovingthe allegation.Thistermisoftenusedinreferencetosituationswherehighranking officialsdenyresponsibilityfororknowledgeofwrongdoingbylowerranking officials.Inthosesituationsofficialscan ‘plausiblydeny’ anallegationeven thoughitmaybetrue.(USLegal 2019)

IfyouthinkBikersforTrump Trump’s Schutzstaffel18 -arejustabunchoftattooed beerguzzlers,toughguysstumblingaroundinbarsandcheeringonthemostbuxomwet t-shirtcompetitors,thinkagain.Notonlydotheyidentifyrabble-rousersatTrumprallies andoccasionallyroughupprotesters,their100,000-memberorganizationsponsorslarge pro-Trumpeventsthroughasophisticatedpoliticalactioncommittee.Intheageof Trump,organizedchaosisinrequisition,providingtheculturalnutrientsbestableto nourishthebacillusoffascismwhichviewsallopponentstoTrumpasactivelymalign.

Thiscurrenthistoricaljunctureconstitutesthereal-worldprecinctsthatserve asbattlegroundsforsocialjusticethatincludechurches,schools,courts,social media,corporateboardrooms,factoryshop floors,universityseminarrooms,and communitycenters.Wait.Didwejustsay ‘socialjustice’?Thatisaterm unlikelytobefoundinthecatechismofTheFellowship.FortheFellowship FoundationseemstohavefollowedtheRepublicanParty’sshifttowards Trumpismandbecomeresolvedonanotherhazardatthehandofdestiny the prosperitygospelandDonaldTrump.ThatithasachampioninTrumpisvery telling.TheideathatTrumpwasputinpowerbyGodamounts,ofcourse,a circularargument itisalogicalfallacyinwhichthereasonerbeginswithwhat heorsheistryingtoprove.Butitisaneffectivepropagandatool itsignificantlyhelpedtodistinguishAmericafromthoseatheistcommiesduringtheCold War.Itisafaith-basedcongame.Afterall,itcannotbelogicallydisproventhat TrumpisdoingGod’sworkinthedevil’splayground nomatterhowhorrific hispresidencyappearstomany,includingus.Itcannotbedisproventhatthe USAhasaspecialprovidentialmissiontobringthenationsoftheworldto Jesus.Forthosewhowishtooutlawabortion,then,Trump’sstackingofthe SupremeCourtwithconservativejudgesoutweighsallofTrump’sobscene personalfailures,revealingtodiehardbelieversthatGodalwaysusesimperfect vesselstodohisperfectwork.

18 The Schutzstaffel,commonlyknownundertheabbreviationSS,wasamajorparamilitaryorganizationin NaziGermany.

Butitgetsworse.ForprosperitypreacherssuchasPaulaWhite,ifyouareagainst Trumporfailtorenderpropersupport,youare defacto againstGod.SarahPosnerwrites:

Onarecentappearance,afterCharlottesville,onthetelevisionprogramofoncedisgracedtelevangelistJimBakker,WhitedeclaredthatoppositiontoTrumpis akintobeinganti-God.Trump,shesaid,hasbeen ‘raisedupbyGodbecauseGod saysthatHeraisesupandplacesallpeopleinplacesofauthority.ItisGodthat raisesupaking,itisGodthatsetsonedownandsowhenyoufightagainstthe planofGod,you’refightingagainstthehandofGod.’ Shealsoseizedthe opportunitytopromoteherrecentbook, DaretoDream,anditsfront-coverblurb fromTrump: ‘Readthisandyou’llbereadyforgreatsuccess.’ (Posner 2017)

Atthispoint,weneedtosaymoreaboutPaulaWhite.PaulaWhiteisacompletely bizarrepreacherthatcouldbeacharacteroutofaStephenKinghorrorfilm.Sheis PresidentTrump’sspiritualadvisor,whofamouslydedicatedtheWhiteHouseas ‘holy groundsanctifiedbythesuperiorbloodofJesus.’ InasermoninCalifornia,she attackedsexeducationasfollows: ‘Rightnow,we’refightinginCalifornia inthird grade,infifthgrade theyputcertainthingsoncertainvegetablesandteachthemhow toinsertthemincertainpartsoftheanatomy’ (Reed 2019b).Sheclaimedthatmobile appSnapChatwasdesignedforthepurposeofhumantraffickers.Shethenwentonto attackfreegovernment-fundedhealthcareandhighereducation: ‘Youwantfree education?Really?Youwantfreehealthcare?Really?’ sheasked(Reed 2019b). ‘LyndonJohnsonsent100,000socialworkersout,lookedforeveryblackpregnant woman,createdasystemcalledwelfareanddrovethemaleoutofthehouseholdand said, “We’regoingtodestroytheblackcommunitybecausewe’regoingtodestroythe family”’ (Reed 2019b).Cananyonelistentoherwithastraightface?Thatthesaid, ‘We’regoingtodestroytheblackcommunitybecausewe’regoingtodestroythe family’ (Reed 2019b).Cananyonelistentoherwithastraightface?

Thattheinhabitantsof133CStreet19 whomixchurchandstatesoseamlessly throughtheirinvisibility genuinelybelievetheyareinstrumentsofsuchpolitical powerwouldbemoreplausibleiftheywould,say,seektobetterthelivesofthe world’spoorandoppressed,iftheywouldseektodoasmuchforthosewhoarealready born,asfortheunborn.Ifonlythese ‘godlyguyswithguns’ wouldjusttrytocleanup thepoliticalmessmadebytheirformervesselsofpower BushSr.andBushJr., Reagan,Clinton,Nixon,andCarter.Toshowtheir ‘goodfaith,’ perhapstheycould counselTrumpnottoordertheU.S.NavytopatrolVenezuela’scoastlineandcutoffall suppliesoffoodandmedicine.OrsignbackontotheParisAgreement.Ortossthe neoliberallogicasideinfavorofadialecticsoftheconcrete.

MatthewChapmanreportsthatU.S.governmentprosecutorshavechargedadozen religiousleadersinCaliforniawithforcedlaborofhomelesspeople.Chapman writes:'AccordingtoprosecutorswithU.S.AttorneyRobertBrewer,Imperial ValleyMinistries whichoperatesgrouphomesandnondenominationalchurches aroundthecountry tookinhomelesspeoplepromisingfoodandshelter,onlyto forcethemtosurrendertheirwelfarebenefitsandbegformoneyninehoursaday,

19 The133CStreetCenterisatownhouseinWashington,D.C.operatedbyTheFellowship.

sixdaysaweek, “forthefinancialbenefitofthechurchleaders.”'(Chapman2019b) TheUnitedStatesAttorney’sOfficeexpandsonthechargesasfollows:The indictmentallegesthatchurchleaderslockedvictimsinsidegrouphomeswith deadboltlocks;confiscatedidentificationdocumentssuchasdriver’slicenses, passports,immigrationpapersandidentificationcards,inordertopreventvictims fromescaping;stolevictims’ welfarebenefits;andrequiredadherencetorulessuch as,'youarenottodiscussthingsoftheworld'and'theonlythingtobereadisthe holybible'and'ifanyoftherulesarebrokentherewillbediscipline.'Windowswere nailedshutatsomegrouphomelocations,leadingadesperate17-year-oldvictimto breakawindow,escape,andruntoaneighboringpropertytocallpolice.Theteen wasbroughttotheElCentroMedicalCenterforcutssustainedfromtheescape. (TheUnitedStatesAttorney’sOfficeSouthernDistrictofCalifornia2019)

Amongotherthings,neoliberallogicisalogicofthelowestcommondenominator,a technocraticrationalityinwhich,whenappliedtoeconomics,themainaimistoextract andaccumulateasmuchsurplusvalueaspossible.Financeorassetcapitalism, accumulationbydispossession,disastercapitalism,cronycapitalism allofthese incarnationsofcapitalistexploitationareanoutgrowthofneoliberalideology.Inorder tobeabletothinkoutsideofneoliberalism’sownlimitsrequiresthefertilizing influenceofMarx(Hudis 2012).Utilizingahistoricalmaterialistcritiquecanhelpus thinkmoredeeplyabouthowwemightlivedifferentlyinthepresentandimagine futuresofconcretepossibilityoutsideofneoliberalismandthelogicofvalueproduction.Itcanhelpustobreakfreefromtheproductionofthoseformsoftime,space,and selfwhicharepresentlyinthethrallofcapital.

Historicalmaterialistsgenerallybelievethatitispossibletograsptheobjectof knowledge,thataworldexistsindependentofourexistence,andthatthisworldcanbe directlygrasped(althoughnotfullygrasped)initself.Criticaltheorists,includingthe greateducator,PauloFreire,wagerthattheobjectiveworldneedstobeunderstoodin relationtoothers,tothesocialcharacterofbothourbeinghumanandourbecoming morefullyhuman.Thisiswhatiscalledfosteringtransformativevolition,or protagonisticintent,apraxisofthepossiblethatmovesinandonandthroughthe worlddesignedtotransformthematerialandsocialconditionsthatshapeus(andare shapedbyus)sothatourcapacitiesareenhancedandourhumanityenlarged(McLaren 2015).Here,theworldcanbeconceivedasaconcretetotality,arealitythatisalreadya structured,self-formingdialecticalwholeintheprocessofcomingintoexistence.The challengeistoavoidsolipsismandidealismthroughamethodofanalysisanda conceptionoftheworldthatinvolvesadialecticalanalysisofrealityandadialectical unitywiththeoppressed.

ThisideaisconsistentwiththeholistichumansciencedevelopedbyMarx.Marx wasahumanistandinnowaywasheaneconomicdeterminist.Marxwasinterestedin historicallawsoftendencyofcapital,which,forMarx,werenotthesameasnatural laws.Contrarytomanyofhiscritics,Marxinnowayascribedtotheideathat capitalismfollowsuniversalevolutionarylaws.Historydoesnotfollowasingle

trajectory;therearemanycontingenciesandregularities,broadlypredictabletendencies andpossiblefutures.ItistruethatMarxbelievedintheprimacyofmaterialrelationshipsasagainsttheprimacyof ‘spirit,‘ andthroughhisgreatcorpusofworks,hemade usawarethatprofitdoesnotcomefrommarketrelations(buyinglowandsellinghigh) butfromhumanlaborpowerandthesweatedlaborofthetoilingclass.Innoway,are wearguingthatspiritualvaluesareunimportant.Whatwearesaying andIbelieveit isconsistentwithmanyliberationtheologians isthatweneedcertainmaterial conditionstoobtaininsocietybeforethequestforspiritualvaluescanbepursued effectively.Inotherwords,weneedtoeatinordertofunction.Whichisnotto admonishthose,likeSaintFrancis,whochosetotakeavowofpovertyandtolive asamendicant.Ifwewantasimpleformulatoexaminehumanity,wecouldsaythat thosewhohavetoselltheirlaborpowertoearnaliving(thosewhoproducetheprofit forthecapitalist)arepartofoneclass theworkingclass.Thosewhopurchasehuman laborandtaketheprofitawayfromlaborarepartofanotherclass thecapitalistclass. Itisnotlaboritselfthattakesthecommodityformincapitalism,itislaborpower,the capacitytolabor.Itisnotthephysicalactoflaboring,butthepotentialtodowork, givenallourcreativeandproductivepowerinaggregate.Wesell,ineffect,ourability tolabor.Butworkersaretreatedasanabstractforce,anditalienatesworkerswhenitis soldtocapitalists.Thevalue-formoflaborcannotabsorballthesubjectivityofthe worker,sincetheworkercanchoosetoresistthecapitalist’sabstractformsofdomination.Workerscanfighteffortsbythecoldcalculusofcapitalismtosubsumeallofthe workers’ subjectivityandhumanity,topackageitasadeadcommodityform.

FollowingMarx’sfocusonthedevelopmentofhumanproductiveforces a verycomplexprocessthatishistoricallyrelatedtothematerialconditionsof productionandtheclassstruggle itbecomesnecessarytounderstandsocial relationsandorganizationsasregimesofexploitationandalienation.Everygiven stageofdevelopmentoftheproductiveforcesofsociety thatis,ofthehuman species,andofthedivisionoflabor isbounduphistoricallywithcertainsocial relationsofproduction,particularlyclass relations.Onceaparticularformofclass dominationcomesintoexistenceasaresultofthiscomplexprocessofhistorical development,thedominantelementintherelationsattemptstofreezeitintoplace, andtheexistingsocietylosesitsprogressivecharacter.Despitechangesinthe materialconditionsofproduction,anyrulingclasswillseektopreserveitsruleat allcost,thusbecomingafetteronfurthersocialandeconomicdevelopment.The state,law,religion,andtheentirerealmofideas,totheextentthattheyrepresent theoverarchinginterestsinsocietyandareconditionedbytheunderlyingsetof socioeconomicrelations,willallbeenlistedforthepurposeofdefendingthe statusquoandofpatchingupsociety’scontradictions,oftenthroughthedisheveledfantasiesofHollywoodorthebrittleenchantmentsofpopularculture.Since mostChristianevangelicalsfocusonindividualsinandaccountability,itisa challengetoinstructthemtoconsider capitalismasinternallyrelatedtothe sufferingofthepoorandtheoppressed.Itisimperativethatwerecognizethe needtomovebeyondcapitalismifweeverhopetobringaboutgenuineequality andagreaterunfoldingofhumanpowersandcapacities.

MarxismandChristianityareinnowayasincommensurableaslanguagesas evangelicalChristiansfromTheFellowshipwouldhaveusbelieve.BothMarxism andChristianityarehelpfulinexplainingrealityandhelpingustounderstandwhat

forcesandrelationsshapethehumancondition.Botharepartofthepraxisofhistory andcanbeviewedashistoricallyconditionedactionsystems,definedbytheir relationshiptohistoricalcontingencies.DenysTurner(1983)hascorrectlystipulated thatMarxismrequiresabolishingtheconditionswhichrequiresit capitalistexploitation.Similarly,accordingtoTurner,Christianitywillrealizeitselfonlyatthecostofits abolition asChristianity sinceitsrealizationwillbecomeafullyhumanrealityrather thanasacredreality afullysocializedhumanityandafullyhumanizedsociety consistingoflove,whichispresumablywhattheKingdomofGodisallabout.

Turner(1983)alsorecognizedthatbecauseGodisnon-identicalwiththecontingencies ofanyparticularformofhistory,ourfullhumanitycanonlybeknownthroughaspirations forliberationwhichcannotberealizedinpracticebutonlythroughanticipation.Wecan onlysymbolizeandunderstandthesacredaspectofourlivesheuristically.Sowhile Marxismarguesabout ‘theimpossibilityofmoralknowledgeincapitalistconditions,‘ it existsasarevolutionaryformofpraxis inthatitpointsouthowitisimpossiblefor capitalismtoconformtoitsowntruthinpracticesincetoconforminthismanneris ‘structurallyimpossibleforcapitalism‘ (Turner 1983:213).LikeFreireandothers,who speakabouttheontologicalvocationtobecomemorefullyhuman,liberationtheologians refusetoadmitthat ‘whatismostfullyhumancouldbecompatiblewiththeconditionsof alienationandexploitationwhichhistoricallyobtain‘ undercapitalism(Turner 1983:213). Undercapitalism,humanityremainssycophanticbeforearistocracyandcanonlybe anticipated.Thus,theabsenceofmoralityinMarxismisnotinanysensea ‘mere amoralism‘ becauseitrevealsthatitiscapitalism, notMarxism,whichisamoralistic.In otherwords,Marxismrevealsthe ‘platitudinousimperatives,soforthcomingfromChristians,to"love"withinconditionsofgrossandsystematicexploitation‘ (Turner 1983:216). DoesnotChristianityrejectitsfundamentalprincipleswhenpresentedasanalready writtenmoraltexttowhichonlyChristiansorparticularlyenlightenedChristianshave access?Butfortoday’sMAGAwarriors,whetherthosewhohavesurrenderedtothe Nazicultureof Stormfront, 20 orthosewhohavesetuptheircaptainbedsinthe rowhouseof133CStreet,whateverhappensasaresultoftheirconnectionstonational orworldleaderswillbeconsideredas defacto God’swill.Justreplacethenebulous aphorism ‘itiswhatitis‘ with ‘itmustbeGod’swillbecauseithappened.‘ Thatisone ofthegreatdangersofsomeformsoffundamentalistChristianity.Anothergrave dangerisnotsimplythattheyaredismantlingtheFirstAmendmentbutthattheyare susceptibletotheleadershipcovenantofinfamousNazisintheirweaponizingofGod inanattemptcreateaNewWorldOrder.AndtheNewWorldOrderisnotonly inhospitabletolaborbutdangeroustothesanctityoflife.WhentheFamilywasin itsearlydays,itsupportedMayorandthenGovernorArthurLangleywhocrushedthe labormovementinWashingtonState.

TherecentlydeceasedleaderofTheFellowshipandfounderofWashingtonD.C.’s AnnualPrayerBreakfast,DouglasCoe,oncecomparedthecommitmentoftheNazisto theirgenocidalcausetothesamefanaticalcommitmentwemustmustertowardstothe demandsofJesus.SharletrecordsCoeassaying:

Hitler,GoebbelsandHimmlerwerethreemen.Thinkoftheimmensepowerthesethree menhad,thesenobodiesfromnowhere.Actually,emotionalandmentalproblems.

20 Stormfront isaneo-Nazi,Holocaust-denialwebsite.See https://www.stormfront.org/forum/index.php

Prisoners.Fromthestreet.Buttheyboundthemselvestogetherinanagreement,and theydiedtogether.TwoyearsbeforetheymovedintoPoland,thesethreemenhada studydone,systematicallyaplandrawnoutandputonpapertoannihilatetheentire Polishpopulationanddestroybynumberseverysinglehouse...andeverysinglebuilding inWarsawandthentostartontherestofPoland.Itworked,Coesays;theykilled61/2 million ‘Polishpeople.’ (Sharlett 2008:253-254)

SharletthendescribesCoerecollectingpicturesCoehadseenofyoungChineseRed Guards,executingpeopleanddescribingthisactas ‘acovenant,aspledge’ andending withthewords, ‘ThatwaswhatJesussaid’ (Sharlet2008:255).Coewantsusto emulatetheextremistconvictionofgenocidalkillersinourpledgetomakeJesus’s salvicgraceknowntoallofhumankind.Thereissomethingquitedarkandominousin thisvisionofcreatingacovenantwithalovingChrist.

InthescriptfortheNetflixdocumentary, TheFamily,avoiceover(presumably citingthewordsofDougCoe)proclaims:

Christianityisnotaweakthing.Woetothepussy-footing,namby-pamby,wishywashy,dilly-dallyingindividualwhobearsthenameofChristandwhofailsto recognizethatindividualwhobearsthenameofChristandwhofailstorecognize thatallthingsarepossibletohimthatbelieveswithcourageandconfident boldnessPutonthewholearmorofGod.(Moss 2019)

Coe’sremarkssuggesthemightbefamiliarwiththeworksofJuliusEvola,aniconic Italianphilosopheroffascism,whosemagnumopus, RevoltAgainsttheModernWorld, firstpublishedinItalianin1934,describesaworldindisarrayduetoindustrialization andculturalmiscegenation,antisepticallycleavedfromthemythicaltraditionsand wisdomoftheancientmyths(Last 2017).Evolasoughttoresurrectthemythsof ‘traditional‘ societiesthroughart,religion,andfascistpolitics,amovethatwasto becomeknownasTraditionalism.EvolawroteaworkforfascistdictatorBenito Mussolinionthedoctrineof ‘spiritualracism‘ thatrankedtheworld’sracesaccording totheirfidelitytotraditionalmythicfoundations.Evola,however,didnotembracethe ‘scientific‘ racismandtherhetoricof ‘progress‘ thatcametodominateItalianand Germanfascism(Last 2017).Infact,manyofthefollowersofTraditionalismbecame attractedtotheworkofJ.R.R.Tolkien,whosefamousworksonhobbitshavebeen criticizedbysomeascrypto-fascist.

Tolkienhasbeenaccusedofcrypto-fascism(rankingofdifferentracessuchas hobbits,dwarves,orc,elves,andhumans;orcswithcockneyaccentsbecomestandinsforaggrievedproletarians;loveofShirelifeisreflectiveofbourgeoiselitism).The culturalupheavalexperiencedinItalyinthe1970swasstronglyinfluencedby The LordoftheRings,whichwasfirstpublishedinItalianin1971(Last 2017).Italian TraditionalistsinspiredbyTolkienusedhisworktochallengethedominanceofthe Italianleftofthetime.ThisTraditionalismbecameanewtypeoffascistmovementthat didnottrytocolonizetheworldbutratherattemptedtocreatetheirownShireswhere theycouldworshippagangodssurroundedbyahomogenouscultureuntaintedby multiculturalismandtheevilsoftheprogressivepoliticsoftheculturallydominantleft. Tolkien’sworkswererequiredreadingamongItaly’sburgeoning ‘neo-fascist‘ youth groups,andin1977,a ‘fascistWoodstock‘ tookplace,atwo-dayretreatcalledCamp

Hobbit.CampHobbitdisplayedsomeelementsofhippieculturebutwasdominatedby militaryhaircutsandclothing,Celticcrossarmbandsandblackhandkerchiefs(Last 2017).ThepoliticallineofmarchinCampHobbitwastowagewaragainstcommunismandcapitalism.Thattypeofpoliticsattractedmanyanarchistichippies.Andwhile CampHobbitanditssupportersheldtwosuccessfulsequels,Italy’sNewRightwas marginalizedintheensuingdecades.However,itappearstobemakingacomeback. JohnLastwrites:

ManyattendeessawthemselvesastranscendingthebinaryofItalianpoliticsby fusingLeftistsocialcritiqueswiththemilitancyoffascism.Beneathitsfestivespirit, CampHobbithadhopedto ‘recode’ thelanguageofthehippieleftwiththe TraditionalistphilosophyofEvola,accordingtohistorianoffascismRogerGriffin. CampHobbitspawnedtwosuccessfulsequels,drawingseveralthousandattendees.ButthecoalitionemergingfromCampHobbitquicklyfelltoinfighting. Bythemid-‘80s,theNewRightwasagainonthemargins,primarilyassociated withanti-communistterrorism.Thoughitexperiencedmomentsofpolitical power,itneversucceededinachievingculturaldominanceoveritsenemieson theprogressiveLeft.

Inrecentyears,however,themovementhasseensomewhatofaresurgence.In July,membersofItaly’snewNewRightorganized ‘CampoHobbit40,’ an attempttoresurrectthespiritoftheoriginalcamponitsfortiethanniversary. Evola,too,isenjoyingrenewedpopularity,belovedbyadherentsoftheAmerican Alt-Right.(Last 2017)

ForthoseAlt-RightsupportersofTraditionalism andheretheChristianFellowship organizationandCampHobbitmeldtogetherinsometriumphalistfantasyredolentof Reagan’sAmericaasa shiningcity upona hill whosebeaconlightguidesfreedomlovingpeopleeverywhere(ReaganhereborrowedaphrasefromtheparableofSaltand LightinJesus’sSermonontheMount) thedarksideofthisfantasyiseverywhere evidentinrecentmassshootingsacrosstheUSA,verylikelyinspiredbythefascist rhetoricof(thenowself-proclaimed ‘chosenone‘)DonaldTrump.Torebirthfascismin theUSArequiresacarefullycalibratedrecodingofTraditionalismandChristian fundamentalismresultingintheChristomonismorChristofascismthatisclearly reflectedinthedominantnarrativesofTrump’sEvangelicalAdvisoryCouncil PaulaWhite,FranklinGraham,JerryFalwell,Jr.WhetherwearereferringtofascistlitefantasiesofTolkienTraditionalismorthereal-worldgenocideatrocitiesofHitler’s ThirdReich,wecannotbetoocautious,especiallyhereintheUSAwhenthepresident ofthemostpowerfulcountryinhumanhistoryhasjustacknowledgedheisthechosen oneofGod.JohnLastwrites:

AsforTolkien,thepoliticalmeaningofhisworkisasmurkyasiteverwas. Despiteacastofhundreds,MiddleEarthremainsanemptystageontowhich ideologuesofallstripescanprojecttheirpolitics.Evensixfeaturefilmsand countlessimitatorshavefailedtobringTraditionalistcritiquesintothe mainstream.

Perhapshisrevolutionaryfansshouldhaveconsideredtheviewofhisharshest critic,MichaelMoorcock: ‘InTolkien,everyone’sintheirplaceandhappytobe

there.Wegothereandback,towherewestarted.There’snoescape,nothingwill everchangeandnobodywilleverbreakoutofthiswell-orderedworld.’ Somuch forrevolution.(Last 2017)

ManyoftheseMAGAwarriorswhopresumablywouldshareTrump’sbeliefthatsome neo-NazisattendingtheinfamousUnitetheRightrallyinCharlottesville,Virginia,are ‘goodpeople,‘ havelikelyneverevenheardofDougCoe,JuliusEvola,orWilliamS. Lind,andtheirfellowproponentsoffourth-generationwarfare.LikeTheFellowship, thearchitectsoftheAlt-Rightmainlyworkbehindthescenes(withtheexceptionof somepaleoconservativessuchasPatBuchanan,whoappearsregularlyontelevision). NoraremanyTrumpfollowersawareoftheintellectualrootsofthoseorganizations thatnowswearfealtytothatimperfectvesselofprosperityChristianitywhosetoxic narcissismoftencloudsanawarenessofhishiddenhandlers,thoseworshippersfrom thetempleofwhiteethno-nationalismwhofollowtheteachingsofPaulWeyrich,Pat Buchanan,SteveBannon,WilliamLind,andDougCoe.

‘EndoftheWorld‘ TheologyanditsMorality

Lindisparticularlypernicious,aspartsofhis2004FreeCongressFoundationbook entitled ‘PoliticalCorrectness:’ AShortHistoryofanIdeology (Lind 2004)21 were plagiarizedbyAndersBehringBreivik,awhitesupremacistwhoblewupandshotto death77fellowNorwegiansin2011.Throughhiswrittenwork,Lindattemptedto createapost-ColdWaradversary,anenemyofthepeople,a ‘loveitorleaveit‘ label thatcanbeattributedtoanyonewhosescholarshipispoliticallyfavorabletocritical pedagogy,ortoscholarlyworkinthehumanitiesandsocialsciencesthatdraws genericallyfrom ‘criticaltheory.‘ Lindisgreatlyresponsiblefortheterm ‘socialjustice‘ becominggristfortheseeminglynever-endingmythmillthatmaintainsthatcommunistsintheuniversitiesaretakingoverournation’scampusesthroughtheirteachings groundedincriticaltheory.BruceWilsonisworthquotingatlengthonthisissue:

Onthesamedayin2011duringwhichhesingle-handedlyblewupandshotto death77Norwegiancitizens(mostlyteenagers)andinjuredanadditional319 people withatruckbombandautomaticweaponsfiringhollowpointbullets designedtoinflictmaximumtissuedamage neo-NaziterroristAndersBehring Breivikelectronicallydistributeda1518pagemanifestotitled 2083:AEuropean DeclarationofIndependence thatcalledforthedeportationofMuslimsfrom Europeandidentified asthearch-enemiesofWesternandChristian civilization twoforces: ‘culturalMarxism’ andIslam.

AndersBreivik,whoduringarecentcourtappearancegaveaclassic,stiff-armed Nazisalute,hasexplainedtopressthathisterroristmassacre,whichBreivikhas calleda ‘marketingmethod’,wasmeanttopublicizehismanifesto.

ThecorethesisofBreivik’smanifestoisWilliamLind’s ‘culturalMarxism’ conspiracytheory,andtheterms ‘culturalMarxism’ or ‘culturalMarxist’ appear

21 Theopenaccessbookisavailableat https://www.nationalists.org/pdf/political_correctness_a_short_ history_of_an_ideology.pdf

over600timesinthemanifesto.AnalystandresearcherChipBerletexplains Breivik’sthesis,fromLind,withthefollowingformula: ‘CulturalMarxism=PoliticalCorrectness=Multiculturalism=Muslim Immigration=DestructionofJudeo-Christiannations’ AndersBreivikwassogrippedbyWilliamS.Lind’s ‘culturalMarxism’ conspiracytheoryconcerningtheoriginof ‘politicalcorrectness’ thatBreivik’smanifesto plagiarized,withminormodificationsandadditionsbyBreivik,the entirebody of WilliamLind’s 2004 FreeCongressFoundationbook ‘PoliticalCorrectness:’ A ShortHistoryofanIdeology.

Frompages11to37,Breivik’smanifestoreproducesthecoreoftheFree CongressFoundationbook(pages4-51)editedbyWilliamS.Lind – whose introductorychapterbyLind, ‘WhatisPoliticalCorrectness’,Breiviklifted almostunchanged.

Breivik’smanifestoalsoborrowed,onpage13,theexactwordsofWilliamS. LindfromLind’sintroductiontoa1990stwenty-twominuteFreeCongress Foundationvideo,ontheoriginsof ‘politicalcorrectness’: ‘Justwhatis BPoliticalCorrectness?^ PoliticalCorrectnessisinfactcultural Marxism(CulturalCommunism) – Marxismtranslatedfromeconomicinto culturalterms.’ (Wilson 2016)

Wilson(2016)notesthatLindmetthepresidentialcandidateDonaldTrumpin2016 andgivehimacopyofhisbook, TheNextConservatism (WeyrichandLind 2009).

Themosthatedexamplesof ‘politicalcorrectness,‘‘criticaltheory‘ or ‘socialjustice‘ decriedbyChristianfundamentalistsencompassesmuchofwhathasbeenwritten underthebannerofculturalstudies,feministtheory,criticalracetheory,GLBTQ studies,LatCrit,post-colonialandde-colonialstudies,andliberationtheology.Consider thesewordsbytheAlt-Right’savatarofculturalMarxism,WilliamLind:

FatefullyforAmerica,whenHitlercametopowerinGermanyin1933,the FrankfurtSchoolfled-andreestablisheditselfinNewYorkCity.There,itshifted itsfocusfromdestroyingtraditionalWesterncultureinGermanytodestroyingit intheUnitedStates.Todoso,itinvented ‘CriticalTheory.’ Whatisthetheory?

Tocriticizeeverytraditionalinstitution,startingwiththefamily,brutallyand unremittingly,inordertobringthemdown.Itwroteaseriesof ‘studiesin prejudice,’ whichsaidthatanyonewhobelievesintraditionalWesternculture isprejudiced,a ‘racist’ or ‘sexist’ or ‘fascist’ -andisalsomentallyill. Mostimportantly,theFrankfurtSchoolcrossedMarxwithFreud,takingfrom psychologythetechniqueofpsychologicalconditioning.Today,whentheculturalMarxistswanttodosomethinglike ‘normalize’ homosexuality,theydonot arguethepointphilosophically.Theyjustbeamtelevisionshowaftertelevision showintoeveryAmericanhomewheretheonlynormal-seemingwhitemaleisa homosexual(theFrankfurtSchool’skeypeoplespentthewaryearsin Hollywood).

AfterWorldWarIIended,mostmembersoftheFrankfurtSchoolwentbackto Germany.ButHerbertMarcusestayedinAmerica.Hetookthehighlyabstract worksofotherFrankfurtSchoolmembersandrepackagedtheminwayscollege studentscouldreadandunderstand.Inhisbook ‘ErosandCivilization,’ he

arguedthatbyfreeingsexfromanyrestraints,wecouldelevatethepleasure principleovertherealityprincipleandcreateasocietywithnowork,onlyplay (Marcusecoinedthephrase, ‘Makelove,notwar’).Marcusealsoarguedforwhat hecalled ‘liberatingtolerance,’ whichhedefinedastoleranceforallideascoming fromtheLeftandintoleranceforanyideascomingfromtheRight.Inthe1960s, Marcusebecamethechief ‘guru’ oftheNewLeft,andheinjectedthecultural MarxismoftheFrankfurtSchoolintothebabyboomgeneration,tothepoint whereitisnowAmerica’sstateideology.

ThenextconservatismshouldunmaskmulticulturalismandPoliticalCorrectness andtelltheAmericanpeoplewhattheyreallyare:culturalMarxism.Itsgoal remainswhatLukacsandGramscisetin1919:destroyingWesterncultureand theChristianreligion.Ithasalreadymadevaststridestowardthatgoal.Butifthe averageAmericanfoundoutthatPoliticalCorrectnessisaformofMarxism, differentfromtheMarxismoftheSovietUnionbutMarxismnonetheless,it wouldbeintrouble.Thenextconservatismneedstorevealthemanbehindthe curtain-oldKarlMarxhimself.(Lind n.d.-a)

AsacountermeasuretoculturalMarxismLindwrites:

GramscicalledforMarxiststoundertakea ‘longmarchthroughtheinstitutions.’ Ourcounter-strategywouldbealongmarchtocreateourowninstitutions.Itwill nothappenquickly,oreasily.Itwillbetheworkofgenerations-aswastheirs. Theywerepatient,becausetheyknewthe ‘inevitableforcesofhistory’ wereon theirside.Canwenotbeequallypatient,andpersevering,knowingthatthe Makerofhistoryisonours?(Lind n.d.-b)

Itisalloutculturewar,thatisunmistakable,buttheshocktroopsoftheright remainsteadfastlyunawareoftheideologyoftheirgenerals.Theshocktroops areLind‘srabble,afterall.Clearly,tothem,hateisenoughtodrivethem forwardonbehalfoftheirleaders.Forthemitisjustaseasytoforegothe theoryprovidedbytheAlt-Rightintelligentsia.SoundbitesfromTrumpralliesis nourishmentenoughformaintainingtheirhate-filledpogromsagainstimmigrants andpeopleofcolorunderthebanneroffightingforgood,old-fashionedAmericanfamilyvalues.

TheTraditionalistgospelspreadsallovertheworld;onlyduringthepastdecade, TheFamilyandsimilarorganizationshavesupportedvariousAlt-Rightmovements throughoutEurope,Russia,Africa,andelsewhere(Moss 2019).SouthAmericaisa specialcaseinthepoint.Accordingtorecentreports,

EvangelicalProtestantsnowmakeup22percentofBrazil’spopulationof roughly209.3million,andrepresentthefastest-growingreligiousdemographic inthecountry.Catholicism,meanwhile,hasbeenlosingmemberssince1872. Evangelicalscompriseapoliticallyconservativedemographicthatisquickly transformingitssocialinfluenceintopoliticalpower.(Polimédio 2019).

Theirstrongrise ‘isenabledbyapoliticsofmorality:evangelicalstakeanxietiesover issuesconcerninglife,family,sexuality,andgenderrolesandarticulatetheminto

politicsandleveragethemintopolicy’ (Polimédio 2019)andsupportedbygrowing relationshipsbetweentheevangelicalsandIsrael.Followingtwointerlockingdeep convictions first,that ‘GodhasreservedIsraelastheJewishhomeland,andsecond, thatthecreationofmodernIsraelwasanactofdivineprovidence‘ (French 2019) EvangelicalProtestantshavenowstartedtochange ‘Brazil’shistoricalsupportfora two-statesolutiontotheIsraeli-Palestinianconflict‘ (Osborn 2019).Thischangein attitude,problematicatsomanylevels,hasdeeprootsinChristianfundamentalist theology.ThespecialrelationshipbetweenChristianfundamentalistsandIsraelis forgedfromthebelief.

thatthebookofRevelation(withsomesupplementsfromthebookofDaniel, Ezekiel,and1Thessalonians)providesatemplatefortheendoftheworld.A centralcomponentoftheirtheologyisthattrueChristianswillbesparedany furthersufferingbecausetheywillbe ‘raptured,’ ortakenuptoheaven,beforethe finalhorrorsbegin.It’severyoneelsewhowillsuffer.(Moss 2018)

While ‘thespecificorderofend-timeeventscanvaryfrompreachertopreacher andgrouptogroup,‘ theyshareacommonbelief ‘thatthereturnoftheMessiah willfollowtherebuildingoftheJewishTempleinJerusalemandtherestoration ofthestateofIsraelasakindofJewishtheocracy.‘ (Moss 2019) ‘Freeing‘ the mysticallandofIsraelfromMuslims,therefore,istheultimategoalforany fundamentalistChristian.

Thistheologyisbasedonaspecificphilosophicalunderstandingoftime. While ‘non-Abrahamicreligionsoftenhaveacyclicalconceptoftimeand theology,‘ (Peters 2019) ‘Christianity,likeallmessianicreligions,alsoJudaism, inspiresaforward-looking,linearviewofhistory.‘ (Nederveen-Pieterse 1991: 77). ‘InthebeginningwastheWord,andtheWordwaswithGod,andtheWord wasGod‘ (John1:1).Asourmodernscienceswouldn’thavegonedownthepath ofmodernscientificinquiryatallwithoutthepredominanceoftheworld-view associatedwiththeAbrahamicfaiths‘ (FullerandJandrić 2019:203),thelinear conceptoftimeisdeeplyengrainedintocapitalism.DonaldTrump’sclimate changedenial,JairBolsonaro’spoisonousroleinburningthelungsofourplanet, andChristianfundamentalists’ supportofprofitovernature,isperfectlyaligned withtheir ‘endoftheworld‘ theologyanditsmorality.Hey-ho,let’sfracksome moreshaleandburnsomemoreoiluntilthewholeearthbecomeshotanddark! ForaslongasIsraelisfreeofMuslims,andforaslongwecherishourfamily values,wewillbetakenuptoheaven andtherestofthepeoplecanburnin hell!

OnefeaturethatdoesnotseemtotroubleTrumporhisevangelicaladvisorswho anticipatethatthe ‘end-times‘ arenear,isthelong-termimplicationsofbringingIsrael’s far-rightclosertothecenterofpowerandintothemainstreamofIsraelipolitics. NetanyahuistryingtoachievebybringingsupportersoftheracistrabbiMeirKahane intotheKnesset.Netanyahu’sdeclarationthathewillannextheWestBanksettlements andhisrecentalliance ‘withafringeextremistpartyinspiredbyanAmerican-born rabbi,MeirKahane,whoadvocatedaJewishtheocracyandtheforcedremovalof Palestinians‘ (BrutonandGoldman 2019),hascreatedaclimateinIsraelripefor aheighteningoffascism.Fearinghemayloseelectoralpower,Netanyahuisrelying

onIsraelistoembracehismovefurthertothepoliticalright.BrutonandGoldman expand:

Inthefaceofthispotentialelectionthreat,Netanyahureachedouttotheextreme rightofIsraelipoliticsforsupport,andhelpedbrokeraunionbetweentheJewish PowerandJewishHomeparties.

ThenewgroupingincludesBezalelSmotrich,whodeclareshimselfa ‘proud homophobe’;ItamarBen-Gvir,anattorneywhodefendsIsraelisettlersimplicated inWestBankviolence;andBenziGopstein,leaderofanextremistantiassimilationgroupwhoseTwitterhandlemeans ‘Kahanewasright.’

Netanyahu‘sLikudpartysaiditwouldreservethe28thspotonitsparliamentary listfortheJewishHomepartyandgrantittwoCabinetministriesinafuture governmentifitmergedwiththeJewishPowerparty.

Itisthismergerthathascausedthegreatestconcern.JewishPowerarepolitical heirsofKahane‘sJewishDefenseLeague whichisconsideredaterrorist organizationbytheFBI.(BrutonandGoldman 2019)

JonathanGreenblatt,theAnti-DefamationLeague’schiefexecutive,hasspokenout againstanypossiblemergerbetweenJewishPowerandJewishHome: ‘Thereshould benoroomforracismandnoaccommodationforintoleranceinIsraelorany democracy,’ hesaid. ‘Itistroublingthattheyarebeinglegitimizedbythisunion’ (BrutonandGoldman 2019).AccordingtoZachDorfman(2019), ‘[o]vertime,Israeli politicshasincreasinglyconformedtopartsofKahane’svision,pavingthewayfora perpetualoccupationofthePalestinianterritoriesandfomentingabelligerent ethnonationalismthatwouldhaveappalledIsrael’searlysocialistZionistleaders.’

EmbracinganincreasingfascistpoliticsintheUSA,inIsrael,andthroughout EuropeandLatinAmerica,fightingforfamilyvaluesathomeandabroad,and shruggingone’sshouldersatecologicaldestructionaremuchmorethanaformof short-sightedpoliticsorevenengaginginpartisanpowergames forsomeChristian fundamentalists,thesepoisonousactionsareperceivedtopavethewaytotheroadof salvation.WhileitisclearthatTrump’sprotectionofreligiouslibertiesandhis appointmentofanti-choiceSupremeCourtJusticeshaselatedChristianevangelicals, sohasTrump’skindredrelationshipwithNetanyahu.Sowhere,exactly,doesIsraelfit inwiththeevangelicalChristian ‘end-time‘ scenario?Accordingtointerpretationsby someevangelicaltheologians,whenIsrael’spoliticalboundariesarereestablished accordingtowhatGodpromisedtheIsraelitesintheBible,thenthedominos(or shouldwesaytabletsofstone)starttofallinheavenandtheend-timesscenariotakes effect.AccordingtoCristinaMaza:

Jerusalemhasacentralroleasthecityofprophecyandtheplacewheretheendof timesplaysout.Accordingtotheprophecy,a1,000-yearperiodofpeacemustbe followedbysevenyearsoftribulation,duringwhichwars,disease,andnatural disasterswilllaywastetotheearth.InthebookofRevelation,Israelisdescribed asanationthatexistsduringthetimeoftribulation,andJerusalem‘sJewish templeisresurrectedduringthisperiod.Thelasttemplewasdestroyedaround70 A.D,andtodaythereisamosqueontheTempleMountwheretheprevioustwo templesarebelievedtohavestood.EvangelicalsbelievethataunifiedIsraelwith

controloverJerusalemwillfacilitatetheconstructionofanewJewishtemple,and setthegroundworkfortheendoftimes.(Maza 2018)

WhenTrumpofficiallyrecognizedJerusalemasthecapitalofIsrael,hecertainly securedthesecond-termvotesheneedsfromtheevangelicalcommunitywhobelieve inpre-millennialism,thatthesecondcomingofChristwillbegina1000-yearperiodof peaceandprosperity.AccordingtoMaza,

ByrecognizingJerusalemasthecapitalofIsrael,manycriticssayTrumpkilled anychanceofanegotiatedpeacedealintheMiddleEast.Butevangelical Christiansthrewtheirfullweightbehindthedecision.Currently,overhalfof allAmericanevangelicalssupportTrump‘spresidency,andtheannouncement aboutJerusalemplaysabigroleinthat.(Maza 2018)

Trump’srecognitionofIsrael’ssovereigntyoverthedisputedGolanHeights region,hisrelocationoftheU.S.EmbassyfromTelAvivtoJerusalem,andhis alignmentwiththepoliciesofNetanyahu,bodewellforskupperingapeaceplan withthePalestinians.Intenseconflictisneeded.AndTrumpisprovidingit.He pressedsuccessfullyforNetanyahutodenyascheduledvisittoIsraelbyRep. IlhanOmar(D-Minn.),oneofthefirst twoMuslimwomeninCongress,andRep. RashidaTlaib(D-Mich.),adaughterofPalestinianimmigrants.Trumpsupports thosefanaticswhodescribehimasthe kingofIsraelandtheSecondComingof Jesus.AndhedecriesasdisloyaltoIsrael,thoseJewsintheUSAwhovote Democrat.IfJeremiah’spresentationoftheNewCovenantforIsraelistobe honored,andtheMessianicAgewhenallIsraelwillbesavedandrestoredtothe LandofIsraelunderthelordshipoftheMessiahistocometopass,thenthe IsraelisneedtobuildtheirtempleontheTempleMount,wheretheDomeofthe Rock(AlAqsamosque),sacredtoMuslims,currentlystands,thesitewhere MuslimsbelieveMuhammadascendedtoheaven.

Accordingtopre-millennialistChristians,thereisanecessarysequencetothe ‘endtimes.‘ ItisnotpureChaos.First,Christwillcometoearthto ‘rapture‘ theliving Christianbelieverstoheavenandresurrectthosedeadwhowere ‘true‘ dyed-in-thewoolChristians.Next,theAntichristwillreignonearthduringtheseven-yearperiodof tribulation,afterwhichtimetheJewswillrecognizetheAntichristasafalseGodand acceptJesusasthetrueGodandconverttoChristianity.Christthenwillreturnwithan armyofangelsanddefeattheAntichrist.WillTrumpreceiveaspecialheavenlyMar-aLagoresidenceandgolfcoursetoplayouttherestofeternity,asarewardforkickstartingthe ‘end-times‘?WillMikePencebepermittedtostayatTrump’sheavenly propertiesforfree?Imean,whychangethings?WillTrumphaveagold-platedtoiletin whichtochurnhisdivinebowelsafterwhichMikePencecanlickhisassclean (metaphoricallyofcourse)?(WhilePencecurrentlyresemblesaMarvelComicsvillain, wewouldsuggesthegrowshoulderlengthhairandgofullLuciusMalfoyinhis purgingofgaysandlesbians).DoyouthinkmanyChristianevangelicalsbelievethata peaceplanbetweenthePalestiniansandIsraelisisinthebestinterestofbringingabout theirversionofthe ‘end-times‘ which,inorderforJesustoreturntoruletheearth, requirestheprophecyoftheJewsbuildingtheThirdTempletobefulfilled?Andwhat aboutCryforZion,anIsrael-basedorganizationstartedin2014,thatisrecruiting

ChristiansworldwideinitscampaigntopushIsraeltofullycontroltheTempleMount? TheTempleMountistheholiestsiteinJudaism,theplacewhereAbrahamwassaidto offerIsaactoGodinsacrifice.Clearly,itisnotonlyChristianZionistswhohavea vestedinterestedincontrollingtheTempleMount.

Hatred:AnInstrumentofDivineWill

EvangelicalChristiansprayfor ‘familyvalues‘ tobeembracedonanationallevel. Someevangelicalleadersevenclaimthatmassshootingsthatoccurall-too-regularly acrosstheUSAisaresultofalackof ‘familyvalues‘ presentintheUShouseholds.So whatexactlydowemeanbyfamilyvalues?HowmanygunsdoesGodwanteach familytoown?TryaskingtheRussians.ArenotRussiannationalsnowconsideredby manyChristiansasthenewmoralleadersofthecontemporaryworld?Aretheynot clampingdownonthesubversiveforcesthatbesiegeChristianleaders?Thoseforces areorganizedlabor,socialists,gays,andlesbians,theleftingeneral.ThearmorofGod hasbecomethearmorofthewealthyindustrialists,thelobbyists,thetechgiants led bythenewgenerationofChristianleaderswhoarewillingtosmitetheenemywithan ironfist.ThisisallaboutconsolidatingtheJesusofEmpire nottheJesusofthepoor. You’veheardoftrickle-downeconomics?Thisistrickle-downJesus,theWordofGod beingcarriedwithmissionaryzealtothekingsoftheworld,tricklingdowntothe unwashedmasses,warningthemoftheevilsofIslam,homosexuality,socialism, abortion,guncontroladvocacy andintheprocesshelpingthosekingsremainin powerinJesus’ name.ThankyouJesus!ThankyouJesus!Jesusbecomesdisassembled asaforceforsocialjusticeandbecomesanotherexcuseforthebluntforceexerciseof fascism(ratherthantheexorcismoffascism!),onethatisfiredinthetop-down leadershipcrucibleofChristianidentity.ThecrazedideathatTrumpissomehowa gloriouslyimpurevehicleworkingforGod(aJamesBondcharacterintheserviceof theChristianempire)hasnotonlyaddedabizarresupernaturaldimensiontothe religioustriumphalismofChristiandominionism,alsoknownasChristiansharia,but hasachievedaleveloffamiliaritythathasnaturalizedapoliticsofthedivineleader. PropheciescannowbeforciblyfulfilledbyusingTrump’shatredasaninstrumentof divinewill.TrumphasbeendescribedbytheobsequiousSecretaryofStateMike PompeoasanewQueenEsther,whoconvincedtheKingofPersiatosparetheJewish People.PompeohimselfhasbeenaptlydescribednotonlyasaBiblethumping evangelicalChristianbut ‘aheat-seekingmissileforTrump’sass‘ (Reed 2019a).

Professedanti-fascistswhosecretlylovefascismcannowopenlysinginunison: ‘WeclaimtherighttostipulateabetterwayoflifeinthenameofJesus!Wehaveour protectorintheWhiteHouse!Nowwecanrefusetoservegaysinourbusinesses,we canrefusetomarryinterracialcouples,wecantellblackpeopletogobacktoAfrica, wecanpatroltheUS-MexicanborderwithTheRenegadeNetworkandkeepthe caravanofimmigrantsfundedbyGeorgeSorosandMS-13incheck!Nowwewill nothavetosay"happyholidays"anymore,wecanunashamedlygreetstrangerson winterstreetsandjoyouslyexclaim:"MerryChristmas"!‘ There’sanothercountry targetedforconversionbyNorthAmericanevangelicalsthat’stryingtostipulatea betterwayoflifeinthenameofJesus Uganda.IsUgandaapplyingGod’sWordto theirChristiancountrybyencouragingthekillingofgays?Letusnotforgetthatthe

mostChristianizedcountryinAfrica–Rwanda-becamethesiteofAfrica’sworstgenocide.Didn’t64percentofGermancitizensduringWorldWarIIidentifyasChristian? DidnotPopePiusXIIfailtocondemntheNazis?DidtheVaticanRefugeeCommissionhelpNazisescapetoSpainandtoNorthandSouthAmerica?Allthemorereason tobuildupwhitesupremacistmilitiasintheU.S.throughtheloveofJesus.Drag Obama,Hillary,SchumerandSorosinfrontofamilitarytribunalandputthemontrial fortreason!

Fascistsentimentsseemnottodeterthefundamentalistssolongastheyserveto preservetraditionalfamilyvalues,definingmarriageasthatbetweenamananda woman.Ifyoufollowthesefamilyvalueswithpatrioticfervorthen,ofcourse,purchase asmanyassaultweaponsasyouneedandremainbattle-readyforJesus.Christian evangelicalsnowhaveculturallicensetocreateSMERSH22-likenetworksamong studentstoidentifyunpatrioticprofessorsonuniversitycampusessuchasTurning Point’sProfessorWatchlist23 orthenowdefunctBruinAlumniAssociation24 that labeledoneofus,McLaren,asthemostdangerousprofessoratUCLA,andoffered topaystudentsonehundreddollarstosecretlyaudiotapehislecturesorthoseof twenty-nineotherrecalcitrantUCLAprofessors allofwhomwerelabeledthe ‘dirty thirty‘ andaccusedofbrainwashingstudentswithleftistideologicalsaberthruststo theirfrontallobe(seeJandrić 2018 formoredetails).Evangelicalscannowexhortour youthtoentercaves,nottofastforfortydaysandfortynightsbutrathertoread Bronze AgeMindset byBronzeAgePervert(2018)anddreamofwaystoconquerthe ‘bug men‘ and ‘lordsoflies,‘ sothatthoseyoungfascistswhofollowalifeof ‘sunandsteel‘ canbringanewmilitarystateintofruition.

DoanyofthemembersoftheGod-ledFellowshipdemandaccountability fromU.S.presidentsforwarcrimes fortheinvasionofVietnamandthekilling of3millionVietnamese,forthekillingofhundredsofthousandsofIraqis?The Godcandidateofchaos,DonaldTrump,hasmadecommoncausewiththose whobelieveheistheWolfKing,aman-childrivenwithsinyetupliftedand anointedbyGodtodoHisworkonearth.Itisworthdrillingdownonthenotion thatTrumpiscarryingthewillofGod(isitinhishairsprayperhaps?)Marcotte writes:

InthenewNetflixdocumentary ‘TheFamily,’ whichisbasedonadecade-plusof investigativeworkbyjournalistJeffSharlet,it’sexplainedthatasecretivegroup ofconservativeChristianpowerbrokers includingVicePresidentMikePence andformerAttorneyGeneralJeffSessions preachthisideaofthe ‘wolf-king,’ a leaderanointedbyGodtoenacttheChristianrightagenda.Theruthlessnessorimmoralconductofsuchaleader…isn’tseentobeatoddswiththe forgivingspiritofJesusChrist.Onthecontrary,theseevangelicalleaders believeGodwantstheirleaderstoberuthless,becausethat’swhatis effective.(Marcotte 2019)

22 SMERSHwasanumbrellaorganization,formedin1942andnamedbyJosephStalin,forcounterintelligenceagenciesintheRussianRedArmy.

23 See https://www.professorwatchlist.org/

24 TheBruinAlumniAssociationisagroupforconsevativealumniofUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles.

Marcotteillustratestheeffectivenessofthe ‘king’ metaphorusedbyevangelicalswhen sellingTrumptothepublic:

SomeChristianconservativeleadersdotrytospinafableinwhichTrumpisa sinnerredeemedbyJesuswhonowwalksthepathofrighteousnessinhis personallife.Butsmarterevangelicalpastorsunderstandthatwhiletheirfollowerswillswallowallsortsofnonsense,that’sgoingtoofar.Instead,these ‘king’ metaphorsallowthemtomakeadifferentargument:Godchooses ‘imperfect’ mentobe ‘vessels’ forhiswillbecausetheyhavetalents inTrump’scase, belligerenceandbullying,interpretedas ‘strength’— thatmattermorethantheir sinfulbehavior.

Thisreading,perversely,allowsevangelicalstointerpretTrump’slecheryand tendencytocurse(theydon’treallyseehisracismorencouragementofviolence assinful)as more evidencethathehasbeenchosenbyGod.(Marcotte 2019)

Intheirpublicwork,evangelicalChristiansareverywellawareofthepostdigital natureofcontemporarycommunications(Jandrić etal. 2018).Amasterofcombining truth,half-truth,andlies(MacKenzieandBhatt 2018),Trumphasmanagedtobringthe conceptofpost-truthintodictionariesandpopulardiscoursesandhasbecomean embodimentofHarryFrankfurt’sideathat ‘theproductionofbullshitisstimulated wheneveraperson’sobligationsoropportunitiestospeakaboutsometopicaremore excessivethanhisknowledgeofthefactsthatarerelevanttothattopic‘ (Frankfurt 1985 [2005]).EvangelicalChristiansthriveonamultiplicityof ‘thecompetingconceptions oftherealthatunderminethepossibilityforademocraticdebate.‘ JodiDeanwrites: ‘it isnotaboutnewsbeingfakeornotfake;thereisnotanunderlyingrealitythat determineswhetherastoryisfakeornotfake.I’llbeclear:thisdoesnotmeanthere isnounderlyingreality.Itmeansratherthatthereisnoresolutionoftheantagonism whichleadspeopletodifferintheirviewsofreality‘ (Deanetal. 2019:225).Post-truth isfertilegroundforanti-intellectualismofallhuesandstripes.Myignoranceisasgood asyourknowledge!Andwhywouldnotitbe?Ifthepresidentofthemostpowerful countryintheworldcaneasilydismisstheworld’sscientistsinhisrejectionof Anthropogenicclimatechange,whywouldIvaccinemychildagainstmeasles?Never mindthatvaccinationissoefficient,that ‘mostoftheclinicians[intheU.S.]hadnever seenameaslescase’ (Paumgarten 2019).Nevermindthatthereisnoproofthatantimeaslesvaccinecausesautism.Hey-ho,let'scherishourtrueAmericanvaluesandtake ourkidstoDisneyland!Butthisiswherethewickedmeaslesviruspatientlyawaits.In 2015, ‘afterameaslesoutbreakatDisneyland,theCalifornialegislaturegotridof religiousand"personalbelief"exemptionstothestate’svaccinelaw,leavingonly medicalones‘ (Paumgarten 2019).WhiletheoverallrateofvaccinationinCalifornia didriseafterthismeasure, ‘sodidtheincidenceofdoctorssellingbogusmedical exemptions‘ (Paumgarten 2019).Butwhycareaboutvaccinatinglivingchildren,when weorganizeprayergroupsfortherightsofunbornones?

TheproblemwiththeevangelicalChristianmafiaisnotitsattemptstoswindlea gulliblepublicandbatteritswaythroughthestubbornnessofsecularreason,orits ghastlymoralcompromisebutitstheologicalnarrow-mindednessandrefusaltoacknowledgethecondemnationofdifferentiatingwealthbyJesusthatcanbefoundall throughouttheNewTestament(seeMcLaren 2015).Thefactthatitisensepulcheredin

theanti-KingdomandenpretzeledinaChristianitythatsupportsempireleadsevangelicalChristianitytogravelymisunderstandtherolethatcapitalismplaysinChristianity.Humansufferingisbothmaterialandspiritual.Relationshipsbetweenhuman beingscanbemorefullybornofjusticeandlovewhencapitalismistranscended.But thatraisestheforebodingspecterofsocialismandcausesevangelicalChristiansto reachfortheirAR-15sandstufftheir9mmGlock17sdowntheirbritches.

Theexegeticalandtheologicaleffortstodenigratesocialismisbasedonadesireto transcendthefleshandliveinsomepreternaturalGreeklogosstrippedofbloodand gristle theindividualisticdimensionofPaulineanthropology whereasliberation theologyworkstoabolishsufferingcausedbysystemsofoppression,suchasthe socialrelationsofproductionandhumansin,whichismoreinkeepingwiththe collectivedimensionofthePaulinemessageasawhole.ThetruecovenantofJesus isthetransformationoftheheart,nottheobservanceoftheletter.Interhumaninjustice issinandthewayinjusticeisbuiltintotheverystructuresofcapitalistsocietyisindeed sinful.Sinneednotbealwaysindividualbutitcanbesocial,itcanresultfromthe relationshipbetweendifferentpeoples,definednationallyorraciallywithinjuridical andeconomicstructures.Sinisbothaconcreteuniversalandsupraindividual.José PorfirioMirandanotesthefollowing:

…wecannowaffirmthataccordingtoPaulsinisincarnatedinsocialstructures,in thepowerfulwisdomoftheworld,inthehumancivilizationwhichforcesustoact inadeterminedwayinspiteofthecontraryconsciencewhichmanstillhas regardingwhatisgoodandwhatisbad.ButthefactthatPaulrepeatsseveral timesthatthelawservesasaninstrumentofsin(forexample,Rom.5:20;7:10–11; 13;1Cor.15:56;Gal.3:19)leadsusdecidedlyinthesamedirection.Sin,although itenteredtheworldbecauseoftheguiltofoneman,(Rom.15:12a;cf.Rom.5:15a, 17a,18a;1Cor.15:21–22)hasbecomestructuredintohumancivilizationitself, whosemostcharacteristicandquintessentialexpressionisthelaw.Itseemstome thatthisistheonlywaythatwecanunderstandhowsinisacurrentwithinhuman history,amanifestlysupraindividualforcewhichgainscontroloverpeoplesas suchandincreasesitsownpower,evenwhenmen,tryingtobeconscientious observersofthelaw,believetheyarestrugglingagainstsin.(Miranda 1974:182)

ClearlyforSaintPaul,thelawiswhatgivespowertosin.Thejuridicio-philosophical theorythatappearstoundergirdhisconceptofthelawseesthelawandthestateas inextricablyconnected.Thelaw,associatedwiththisworldandcivilization,isoften contrastedwithfaith.How ‘mankindisorganizedandstampedfromwithinandfrom without‘ referstoits ‘civilizing,axiological,andorganizationalstructuralization‘ (Miranda 1974:187).Wecontendthatitisthe ‘structuralization‘ ofcapitalismthathas wroughthavoconthehumanspecies.Solongaslawexists,justiceremainsoutof reachofhumanity.Today,ithasbecomemoreurgenttoworktogethertotransformthe existinglawsofmotion(developmenttrends)ofthecapitalistmodeofproduction(the relentlesscompulsionforsurplusvalueextractionandcapital’sgrowingconcentration andcentralization,tendencyofrateofprofittodecline,etc.)andrepristinatethe struggleforasocialistalternative.WithPaul,weseetheincapacityofthelaweven remotelytosecurejustice,since,asPorfirioMirandaremindsus, ‘[s]inisincarnatedin thiscivilizationandintheideologywhichsupportsit‘ (1974:188).

LiberationtheologiansrecognizeJesusasanoutlawwhomadethewisdomofthe worldseemfoolishandsosetonamissiontosubvertthesociallyreproductiveorderof theworld,todismantlethemechanismsofsocialcontrolandtobringanewordertothe world.TheJesuswhomprosperitygospelpreachersprofesstosupportwhenthey prescindfromthestruggleforsocialjusticecannotbethetrueGodoftheKingdom.He canonlybetheGodoftheanti-Kingdom.RememberwhatYahwehsaidtoMoses whenMosesaskedYahwehhisname(Exod.3:14)?IntheKingJamesBibleandmost orthodoxversionsoftheTorahYahwehanswered ‘IamthatIAm.‘ Yet,thereexistsa strongargumentthatYahweh’sanswershouldbe: ‘IwillbewhoIwillbe‘ (thisposition assumesthattheBiblicalphrase אֶהְיֶהאֲשֶׁראֶהְיֶה , ‘IamwhoIam‘ (ehyehasherehyeh), shouldbereadas ‘IwillbewhatIwillbe‘ becausethereisnopresenttenseoftheverb ‘tobe‘ intheHebrewlanguage(seeMiranda 1974:294–295).Theterm ehyeh isoften contractedintheBibletomean ‘Iam‘ whichispuzzlingsinceitisthefirstperson singularimperfectformandisusuallytranslatedas ‘Iwillbe‘ (or ‘Ishallbe‘).Infact, theSeptuagintalwaystranslatesthefirstpersonsingularof ehyeh as esomai or ‘Iwill be‘ (esomai isthefuturefirstpersonsingularof ‘tobe‘ inancientGreek).Yahwehisthe thirdpersonoftheimperfectwhichreferstothefuture.ThepowerofthenameYahweh thusresidesinthefuture(Miranda 1974:295).

SomearguethatYahwehwouldneverdesignateHimselfwithanabsolutefuture tense(‘IwillbewhatIwillbe‘),inthesensethatYahwehistellingMosesthatHeisto beknownthroughhisactions.ButneitherwouldYahwehrevealHimselfasaphilosophicalprinciple(‘IamthatIam‘) anexistentialGodofExistencewhosepurposeis tobeponderedandpuzzledover.Forthosetheologianswhoascribetothetranslation, ‘IwillbewhoIwillbe,‘ itappearsthatYahwehisannouncingthathewillberevealed throughhistoricaltime,inthemoralquestforjustice.Forsomeliberationtheologians, thismeansthatpeoplecandiscoverGodinthepicketlines,inlaborstrikes,in courtroomlitigation,inpoliticalarenasofpolicymaking,andinresistancemovements againstfascism.Godisnotalwaysrevealedintheoutcomesofsuchstruggles,butin theprocessualandperformativenatureofthestrugglesthemselves.Inthissense, YahwehorGodis,ineffect,herebutatthesametime ‘notyet‘ present Godbecomes aneschatologicalaffirmation.GodwillbeGodwhenthereexistsapeople ‘whofulfill certainconditions‘ (Miranda 1974:295).WeneedtoenableGodtobethatfutureGod byengaginginthestruggleforjusticeinthehereandnow.ThisdoesnotmeanthatGod isnotquiteGod,orexistsinsomekindofperpetualstateofbecoming,orthatGodis somehowotherthanwhatGodisatthisverymoment.However,itdoessuggestthat God’sroleinhistorywillbemademanifestforcertainpeoplesatacontextuallyspecific futuretime.

ThereisnonecessarydialecticalcontradictioninsayingthatGodcanbeGodnow andGodcanexistinandforthefuturesimultaneously.ItmeansthatGoddoesnotexist outsidetheinterhumansummonstojustice.Inthissense,theGodoftheBiblehas muchlessincommonwiththeWesternontologicalassumptionthatanobjectexists independentlyofwhetheritisknownornotsincethe ‘IwillbewhoIwillbe‘ suggests ‘thatagodwhoisconceivedasexistingoutsideoftheinterhumansummonstojustice andlove‘ isnottheGodwhoisrevealedthroughscripturebutratheranidol(Miranda 1974:296).ThisperspectiveviewsGodastheseedoffuturehumanity,reached throughanewcovenant,andChristiansbelievethatthisnewcovenantwasestablished throughthedeathandresurrectionofChristJesus.Putyourfaithinfaith,inlove,not

law thatisthemessageofthisnewcovenant,accordingtoliberationtheologians. Rejectedistheeternalreturnofthesameandaffirmedisthepossibilityofoneman’s deathsettinginmotionthefullrealizationofjusticenowandforever.Miranda(1974: 296)writes:

Godwillbeonlyinaworldofjustice,andifMarxdoesnotfindhiminthe Westernworlditisbecauseheisindeednotthere,norcanhebe.AsFreudattests, ‘Thereisnolongeranyplaceinpresent-daycivilizedlifeforasimplenaturallove betweentwohumanbeings.’ AllourrebellionagainstWesterncivilizationand againstitsacuteextremecalledcapitalismistheattractionexercisedonusbya futureworldinwhichjustice,authenticloveispossible.Then,inthesocietal relationshipofjustice,andnotbefore,theauthenticallydialecticalmindwillhave toseeifgodexistsordoesnotexist.Anythingelsewouldbevulgarmaterialism anddogmatism.

ThisperspectiveofthegospelofliberationisverydifferentthanreconcilingtheBible withGreekphilosophy,inrelationtotheessenceofmanortheso-called ‘trueman.‘ In fact,Miranda(1974:277)notesthat ‘inbothMarxandtheBiblethebasisforallthought isthisthesiswhichisthemostrevolutionaryimaginable:Sinandevilarenotinherentto humanityandhistory;theybeganonedaythroughhumanworkandtheycan,therefore, beeliminated.‘ Thisreadingismuchmoreinkeepingwithliberationtheology,withthe socialgospelofJesusChrist,wherefaithhasefficacioussocialandethicaldimensions.It existsindiametricaloppositiontotheprosperitygospeldrivenbythelawofmotionof thecapitalistmodeofproductionthattakesplaceinthefrenziedcarnivalesqueofthe megachurchesacrossthenation.PraisebetheLord!Amen!ThankyouJesus!Reston yourfeetandpulloutfromyourpocketsalovetokenforthechurch!Payattentiontothe HolyGhost!Shout,danceinthespiritandtestify!Butwhateveryoudo,stayawayfrom thosesocialjusticewarriors,thoseculturalMarxists!AndrememberwhiteChristian people youaretheoppressed!Ifyouhearthewords ‘whiteprivilege‘ runforcover! Criticalpedagogyisfirstandforemostaboutsocialjustice.Caringaboutthis mission,andseeingitthrough,meansunderstandingthewaythatsocialjusticeis underattackbymanyofthereligiousleaderswhohavegatheredlikesycophantic bugbearsaroundtheirloyaltytothesoilWolfKing,DonaldTrump.IfTrumpis defeated,watchthemscurrytotheAmericanRedoubt,tofindthemselvesaprepperfriendlychurchfromwhichtotithetheircongregants,toworktowardsamalgamating Idaho,Montana,Wyoming,andtheeasternpartsofWashingtonandOregonintoa rustic,do-it-yourselftheocraticstate,crampingtheirfamiliesinsidepre-made,blastproofundergroundsteelbunkerswithjustenoughpowertorechargetheirelectriccap lampsmountedintheirMSASkullguardhelmetsfornightlystudysessionson TheArt oftheDeal (TrumpandSchwartz 1987).

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