"In the aftermath of the second world war, a culture of militant masculinity developed among white evangelicals in the US, according to historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez. ... Whereas in the 19th century, the ideal of 'Christian manhood' would have been focused on virtues such as honor, dignity and gentlemanliness," (continued in /2)
~ Julia Carrie Wong
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PerformativeMasculinity
/1
(continued from /2)
"by the early 21st century, the ideal evangelical man had morphed into something that looks a lot more like Hegseth. …
Du Mez argues that the transformation of the evangelical masculine ideal grew out of a sense of embattlement. Facing threats to their status from feminism, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, and broad economic shifts," (continued in /3)
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PerformativeMasculinity
/2
(continued from /2)
"evangelicals invested psychically in a kind of chauvinistic religiosity that allowed them to reassert their dominance, at the very least within the home. Cheerleading the cold war and post-9/11 wars in the Middle East provided another realm to act out these fantasies of domination, usually without needing to get their own hands dirty."
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PerformativeMasculinity
/3
"The perverse moral consequences of combining militant masculinity with religious certainty can be seen in the way this movement consistently supported the most questionable uses of American military power. ...
The contemporary Christian nationalist movement in the US unites Christians from disparate denominations."
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PerformativeMasculinity
/4
"Hegseth represents the Reformed/Calvinist wing, which is distinct from the charismatic evangelicalism practiced by figures such as the White House 'faith office' adviser, Paula White-Cain. A third camp are Catholic Integralists, who want to integrate church and state; adherents include Steve Bannon and the Project 2025 architect Kevin Roberts."
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PerformativeMasculinity
/5
As Robert B. Hubbell notes, when Trump-Hegseth declared glorious victory in Iran, Hegseth stated,
"Our troops, our American warriors, deserve the credit for this day, but God deserves all the glory. Tens of thousands of sorties, refuelings, and strikes carried out under the protection of divine providence; a massive effort with miraculous protection."
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PerformativeMasculinity
/6
Hubbell:
"Religious leaders of every denomination should condemn Hegseth’s invocation of divine providence in an unholy war that is flouting the so-called 'stupid rules of engagement' that exist to protect civilians.
There are many grounds for impeaching and removing Trump and Hegseth."
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PerformativeMasculinity
/7
"Among those reasons should be their blatant attempt to 'establish' Christianity as the religion of the US military and their deliberate refusal to abide by the laws of war, the Geneva Convention, and the UN Charter."
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PerformativeMasculinity
/8
"Threatening the Pope is exactly what the Third Reich did."
~ Shannon Vavich
#Hegseth #Trump #PopeLeo #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism
/9
https://shannonvavich.substack.com/p/replay-thursday-live-with-gutter
I'm 'splainin' the Catholic thing, we're talking about the Avignon Papacy and more!
When Hegseth removed Maj. Gen. William Green Jr. from his position as top Army chaplain last week, it escaped many folks' notice that Green is not just a Baptist, but a Black Baptist. As Adelle M. Banks notes, Rev. Boise Kimber, president of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. responded to Green's firing by stating the following:
‘Our nation must be careful not to allow partisan agendas to undermine institutions built on merit, sacrifice, and service,’ said the president of the historically Black National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc.
“The removal of Major General William Green Jr. raises serious and troubling questions that deserve transparency and accountability."
Building on the tradition established by Martin Luther King, Jr., Black Baptists have historically criticized the kind of belligerent white Christian nationalism for which Trump-Hegseth are fighting. This background is important to this story.
"[Hegseth's under secretary] Colby et al. are following a well-worn playbook, seen in places like apartheid-era South Africa, Soviet-era eastern Europe, and Nazi Germany. Co-opt and cow the church if possible, and oppress them if that fails. That an unnamed Pentagon official pulled out the Avignon papacy only confirms Leo’s observation: under Trump, force trumps dialogue and consensus."
~ Peterr
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PopeLeo
/12
https://emptywheel.net/2026/04/10/poor-tactics-make-any-strategy-impossible-vatican-edition/
"[Pope Leo] also knows how to fight back against authoritarians.
First, he knew he would be fighting these battles from the day he was elected pope. Indeed, the cardinals who elected him likely knew the same thing, and that is part of why they chose him."
#Hegseth #Trump #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #PopeLeo
/13
"Right-wing media figures are lashing out at President Donald Trump’s personal spiritual adviser and senior adviser to the White House Faith Office Paula White-Cain for likening Trump to Jesus during an Easter event, labeling her an 'unabashed heretic' and
batsh*t crazy.'”
~ Payton Armstrong
Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Brett Cooper, Candace Owens, Jon Root, Taylor Marshall, Erick Erickson, Milo Yiannopoulos
Right-wing media figures are lashing out at President Donald Trump’s personal spiritual adviser and senior adviser to the White House Faith Office Paula White-Cain for likening Trump to Jesus during an Easter event, labeling her an “unabashed heretic” and “batsh*t crazy.”White-Cain is a televangelist, pastor, and Trump’s longtime spiritual adviser who has “long been a prominent and polarizing figure in evangelical circles.” White-Cain has an extensive history of extreme rhetoric, including declaring that opposition to Trump is equivalent to opposition to God. Now a senior adviser to the White House Faith Office, White-Cain is part of Trump’s effort to expand “the power and influence of conservative Christians in government” in his second term.At an April 1 closed-door Easter speech at the White House, White-Cain spoke next to Trump and directly likened him to Jesus, saying, “No one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life. You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our lord and savior showed us.” The White House deleted video of the speech, which “was initially posted on the official White House website and YouTube channel,” and clips continued to circulate on social media.On April 4, Fox host (and the president’s daughter-in-law) Lara Trump hosted White-Cain to share a message for Easter, in which she said it was her “favorite subject to talk about” to “give honor to God and to president Trump for being bold and unwavering with his faith.”
William Lindsey 
gbsills
Stargeezer Smith