{"id":103958,"date":"2025-06-14T19:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-14T19:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/crcc\/?p=103958"},"modified":"2025-09-05T23:59:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T23:59:19","slug":"no-kings-the-rise-of-religious-authoritarianism-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/crcc\/no-kings-the-rise-of-religious-authoritarianism-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018No Kings\u2019: The Rise Of Religious Authoritarianism In America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/crcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/105\/2025\/07\/no-kings-OB-6-8-25-3-e1752519423292-768x432.webp\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/crcc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/105\/2025\/07\/no-kings-OB-6-8-25-3-e1752519423292-768x432.webp 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"people arrange themselves to spell out \"No Kings\" on a beach\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Photo courtesy of Michael J. Christensen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>\u2018No Kings\u2019: The Rise Of Religious Authoritarianism In America<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n    \n          <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span>Michael J. Christensen<\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">June 14, 2025<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 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wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><em>This commentary was originally published in <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/religionunplugged.com\/news\/2025\/6\/14\/no-kings-the-rise-of-religious-authoritarianism-in-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Religion Unplugged<\/em><\/a><em> by a participant in the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture\u2019s Compelling Preaching program.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kKezpbignAk\\u0026embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Freligionunplugged.com%2F\\u0026source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ\",\"type\":\"video\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"youtube\",\"responsive\":true,\"className\":\"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"} --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u2018No Kings\u2019 Protests Planned Ahead of Trump\u2019s Military Parade\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kKezpbignAk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>(OPINION) As fascism threatens to rise in America, a \u201csoft theocracy\u201d is already here \u2014 a system where particular religious values and beliefs shape public policy without being the official state religion.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>This kind of theocracy is not a dramatic seizure of power, but a gradual, deliberate shift: Politically sanctioned, religiously justified, and incrementally imposed. Currently it is broadcast by the White House, echoed in social media, and blessed by pastors who should know better.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>What we are witnessing is not mere political spectacle. It is religious theater\u2014bible verses, prayer, and Christian symbolism wielded to legitimize authoritarian power and claim spiritual authority for the state.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Consider the optics:<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Trump\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/religious-leaders-lawmakers-outraged-over-trump-church-visit-n1221876\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">holding a Bible<\/a>\u00a0outside the Capitol, surrounded by military leaders.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pastors\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitydaily.com\/news\/evangelical-leaders-pray-with-trump-in-the-oval-office.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">laying on hands<\/a>\u00a0or kneeling in prayer around the President at the White House.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Commemorative Trump Coins depicting him as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/politics-news\/trump-gold-coin-scam-cyrus-evangelicals-1234675913\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">King Cyrus<\/a>\u00a0(the Persian ruler who helped restore Jerusalem after exile).<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Memes circulating with Trump as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/05\/04\/world\/trump-ai-image-pope-intl-hnk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pope<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/the-white-house-posts-ai-generated-image-of-trump-as-a-buff-jedi-happy-may-the-4th-to-you-all\/ar-AA1E9tx8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jedi<\/a>\u00a0warrior, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/1892295984928993698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1892295984928993698%7Ctwgr%5E6aa3c4dba2d4b4b6e4bdb401e579c363de24c701%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fwhite-house-donald-trump-king-time-2033574\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">King<\/a>\u00a0of America.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 A military parade of tanks and troops through Washington on his 79th birthday.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>These are not random stunts. They are calculated political-religious optics\u2014messianic, militaristic and nationalistic. The message is clear: Trump is the anointed one, tasked with restoring a mythic Christian America defined by racial purity and religious dominance.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Across the country, \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/nokings.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">No Kings<\/a>\u201d demonstrations are rising. But protest alone is not enough. Resistance must be moral, theological, and nonviolent\u2014rooted in deep concern for justice, democratic values, and the soul of the Nation.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>As a historian of Christianity, I have studied how religion has been manipulated to bless empires. In 325 A.D., Constantine declared himself Christian and forged the Christian Empire. In 800, the Pope crowned Charlemagne, merging the power of church and state. During colonial expansion, Christianity was exported alongside conquest and commerce. In more recent history \u2014 Nazi Germany, apartheid South Africa, and the Jim Crow South \u2014Christian institutions often remained silent or gave cover to oppression.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnfanestil.com\/american-heresy\">American Heresy<\/a>,\u201d John Fanestil traces Christian nationalism back to the founding myths of the nation. In<em>\u00a0\u201c<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/the-violent-take-it-by-force-the-christian-movement-that-is-threatening-our-democracy-matthew-d-taylor\/21000760\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Violent Take It By Force<\/a>,\u201d Matthew D. Taylor exposes the rise of \u201cdominionist\u201d theology preparing for violent theocratic rule by \u201ctaking dominion\u201d over every mountain of power in society.\u00a0 Christian nationalism today is not merely about religious liberty. It seeks to deny diversity, dismantle pluralism, elevate one religion and enforce a theocratic worldview by political force. And Trump is divinely chosen to restore a white Christian nation.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Yet throughout history, faithful resistance has always moved mountains. The early church refused to deify Caesar. The Confessing Church resisted Hitler. The Black Church in America ignited the civil rights movement. Today, we again face a decision: Will people of faith bless authoritarianism\u2014or resist it?<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>On Day One of his second term, Trump declared a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/20\/us\/politics\/trump-border-emergency.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national emergency<\/a>\u00a0at the southern border. Since then, he has signaled a willingness to invoke the Insurrection Act and apply it to immigrants and protestors. ICE raids have targeted not only undocumented persons and visitors but legal residents and citizens who \u201clook illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>In my hometown of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sandiegouniontribune.com\/news\/immigration\/story\/2025-06-08\/ice-raid-san-diego-restaurant-south-park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">San Diego<\/a>,\u00a0and downtown Los Angeles, reports have surfaced of peaceful civilians being detained if they did not have documentation with them of their legal status. The infrastructure for Martial Law is already being rehearsed.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Moral outrage and resistance are growing. In Los Angeles,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2025-06-10\/faith-leaders-urge-non-violent-resistance-as-l-a-enacts-downtown-curfew-after-nights-of-chaos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">clergy marched<\/a>\u00a0with protestors, urging nonviolence and moral courage. In San Diego, pastors, attorneys, and activists stood with immigrant workers and denounced raids as \u201cfascist\u201d and \u201cterroristic.\u201d They weren\u2019t just preaching peace\u2014they were keeping it.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>On Pentecost Sunday, without church leadership, just over 300 San Diego residents gathered at Ocean Beach to form a massive human banner spelling out \u201cNO KINGS.\u201d Participants stood shoulder-to-shoulder in red, white, and blue, using beach towels and blankets to spell the phrase in bold patriotic colors.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Captured by drone, the image became protest art \u2014 a peaceful yet powerful message against authoritarianism in advance of Trump\u2019s planned military parade.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>As the local\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/obrag.org\/2025\/06\/over-300-gather-sunday-in-ocean-beach-and-spell-out-no-kings-in-human-banner-event\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OB Rag<\/a>\u00a0reported, the demonstration was more than local resistance; it was a national call to conscience: Power belongs to the people \u2014 not to kings, billionaires or demagogues.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>The Christian season of Pentecost reminds people of faith that the spirit was poured out on\u00a0<em>all\u00a0<\/em>people \u2014 not to fortify the power of a few, but to empower ordinary people.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>The moral uprising against Trump \u2014 which even moderate commentator\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/06\/05\/opinion\/david-brooks-trumpism.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">David Brooks<\/a>\u00a0advocates for\u2014must include the faith leaders and congregations. To remain silent now is to be complicit \u2014 with religious Trumpism, with idolatrous nationalism and with the slow unraveling of democracy dressed in religious and patriotic garb.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>But to rise up, to speak out, to organize and resist\u2014is to proclaim the true spirit of liberty and justice for all:<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>No king. No throne. Only one nation \u2014 under God.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {\"level\":4} --><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/religionunplugged.com\/news\/2025\/6\/14\/no-kings-the-rise-of-religious-authoritarianism-in-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to read the full article on Religion Unplugged.<\/a><!-- \/wp:heading --><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As fascism threatens to rise in America, a \u201csoft theocracy\u201d is already here \u2014 a system where particular religious values and beliefs shape public policy without being the official state religion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":813,"featured_media":103963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[14,22,126,29],"class_list":["post-103958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","tag-christianity","tag-politics","tag-public-sermon","tag-religious-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - 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