DAVIS: Pete Hegseth & I Know the Same Christian Nationalists

[Nevilledog]

https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2024/11/davis-pete-hegseth-i-know-the-same-christian-nationalists/66012/

When Donald Trump announced Pete Hegseth as his pick for secretary of defense, the initial public reaction was, understandably, something along the lines of, “A Fox News host is going to run the Pentagon?” It was only in the following days that the media fleshed out the public’s understanding of Hegseth and shone a light on one of his most prominent and controversial facets: his deep involvement with the Christian nationalist movement. As I dug into Hegseth, something deeper struck me.

National outlets like The Guardian and The New Republic have flagged Hegseth’s crusader-inspired tattoos, his links to ultra-conservative Christian organizations, and his frequent espousal of Christian nationalist beliefs, but most of these write-ups were not granular enough for me to tell just what kind of Christian nationalist Hegseth is.

The Christian nationalist movement is a unified political force, but the coalition of believers who constitute the movement arrive at it from different theological and cultural backgrounds – from the emotionalistic charismatic Pentecostals to the stern and bearded Reformed crowd. As I learned more about the ins and outs of Hegseth’s particular brand of Christian nationalism, I was struck by how similar it was to the version of the movement I was raised in: more “TheoBro” than charismatic, more literary and rationalist than emotional and inspiring.

And then I dug further and realized the reason for the overlap: Pete Hegseth’s version of Christian nationalism is not just similar to the version I was raised in. It’s the exact same, and it’s coming from the same places.

*snip*

[yourout]

1. American Taliban.

[La Coliniere]

3. They are exactly that

[Jim__]

2. Thanks for posting. Very informative article.

[tetedur]

4. Fun fact: Hegseth's crusader-inspired tattoos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_vult

The "Deus vult" slogan has been used by perpetrators of right-wing terrorism; it was repeatedly used by the perpetrator of the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting and was one of the tattoos on the body of the perpetrator of the 2023 Allen, Texas outlet mall shooting. Deus Vult was among the slogans and symbols used during the violent far-right riot in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.

When Adolf Hitler staged the Munich Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923, Houston Stewart Chamberlain wrote an essay for the Völkischer Beobachter entitled "God Wills It!" calling on all Germans who love Germany to join the putsch.

Deus vult (‘God wills it’ – the supposed acclamation following Urban II’s speech at Clermont and the battle cry of crusading armies as described in the Gesta Francorum) is a ubiquitous meme, encapsulating a perceived ‘clash of civilizations'. In the 12th century the Crusades were about taking the Holy Land from the Muslims/Jews. In the 1920's it was about Nazis taking over period.

In his confirmation hearings I hope someone asks Hegseth to explain his tats and tell us all what they mean to him.