On May 21, 1922, Harry Emerson Fosdick broke the spell of Christian fundamentalism in a single sermon, “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?” After more than 100 years, his words still sting those of a fundamentalism inclination.
In fact, Fosdick’s critique fits one of the current manifestations of fundamentalism known as Seven Mountains Dominionism. With an assist from Fosdick, here’s why I’m not as concerned as others about the influence of this movement.
By now, most everyone has heard about the people called “Seven Mountains Dominionists.” Their apparent intention is to rule America as a theocracy. The movement started among independent charismatic/Pentecostal preachers but has expanded to MAGA evangelicals, including some Southern Baptists.
All evangelicals and conservatives are not Seven Mountain Dominionists. All dominionists are evangelicals, but not all evangelicals are dominionists.
Harry Emerson Fosdick
The best evangelicals can often give lessons to the liberals in true liberality of spirit, but the dominionist program is essentially illiberal and intolerant. The dominionists see, and they see truly, that in this “last generation there have been strange new movements in Christian thought. A great mass of new knowledge has come into man’s possession: new knowledge about the physical universe, its origin, its forces, its laws; new knowledge about human history and in particular about the ways in which the ancient peoples used to think in matters of religion and the methods by which they phrased and explained their spiritual experiences; and new knowledge, also, about other religions and the strangely similar ways in which men’s faiths and religious practices have developed everywhere.”
“The best evangelicals can often give lessons to the liberals in true liberality of spirit, but the dominionist program is essentially illiberal and intolerant.”
They see and they resist. They believe America is being destroyed by liberals, and they are determined to put a stop to it.
I’m less alarmed by all this because I have more confidence than many other liberals in the American establishment’s ability to co-opt and water down every radical fundamentalist Christian ideology. In the 1970s, right-wing radicals like Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority wanted to run the country. We ended up with televangelists and megachurches.
The co-optation of dominionism seems to be happening right now. For example, Seven Mountain Dominionists are charismatic Christians with an ostentatious interest in the supernatural. Leaders in this subculture have made public displays of casting out demons from Capitol Hill. The American public will not be convinced by such teaching. We are far too secular.
Seven Mountains gets weird when mixed with our politics. Historian John Fea describes the political goal of Seven Mountains Dominionism: “They believe they have been anointed to serve as God’s agents in ushering in his future kingdom.” Their goal is “to reclaim seven cultural mountains: family, government, arts and entertainment, media, business, education and religion.”
The competition for power at these levels is very competitive. Some political experts believe the Seven Mountains Dominionists are being played by political forces they can’t understand. Gaining and consolidating political power becomes the “game” in D. C.
Rodney Kennedy
Dominionists are often seen in Donald Trump’s gold-gilded Oval Office laying hands on and praying for him. But photo ops are not political power or influence. It is a pretense of power. This is not the same as a seat at the table or a position of influence in government.
Can you imagine Trump ceding power to a group of independent charismatic preachers such as Paula White? Her ceremonial role as Trump’s religious adviser will be the zenith of her power.
Can you imagine Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg or any of America’s billionaires sharing power with Pentecostal preachers? The idea of arts and entertainment — music, theater, television, movies — granting oversight to conservative Christians who think Father Knows Best was great TV is absurd.
Go through the seven mountains and there’s not one area open to sharing power with a fringe, outsider group with little to offer.
Institutions with power co-opt almost unconsciously. Seven Mountains Dominionism faces an uphill battle to overcome the triumph of market values in America. The so-called seven mountains of American culture live and breathe an atmosphere of money, greed and profit.
Secular greed has become the required engine to sustain economic growth. As Stanley Hauerwas puts it, “We are obligated to want more because if we do not want more then we will put someone out of a job.” Or in simpler terms: The price of gasoline at the pump matters more to Americans than the theology of a fringe group of Pentecostal preachers.
Seven Mountains Dominionism lacks the skills required for the acquisition of political power. There are always forces in American democracy powerful enough to sweep away religious movements. Fundamentalism was dealt an almost fatal blow in the 1920s in the battle over evolution. Prohibition turned into a falling star after only 11 years. Falwell’s Moral Majority turned out to not be moral or a majority.
Seven Mountains Dominionism will pass as surely as intelligent design, fear of global warming and vaccines, the illusion of America being a Christian nation and American authoritarianism.
The words of the wise Jewish scholar Gamaliel from Acts 5 still apply: “For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about 400, joined him, but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered.”
Expressions of Christianity saddled with false gospels rise and fall. Seven Mountains Dominionism is neither good Christianity nor good nationalism. It, too, will pass. We will all be better off when that happens.
Rodney W. Kennedy is a pastor and writer. He is the author of 11 books, including his latest, Dancing with Metaphors in the Pulpit.