Dominionism
“Christian Dominionism is a political approach to Christian faith based on a literal interpretation of Genesis Chapter 1 verses 26 – 28 of the Christian Bible. Believers perceive themselves as the “chosen” or the “elect”, commanded by God to “subdue” the earth and “have dominion” over all living creatures. The goal of Christian Dominionism in the United States is to abolish Separation of Church and State, establishing it as a distinctively Christian Nation based upon Old Testament Mosaic Law.” [Read more]
Christian Zionism
“A belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical prophecy. It overlaps with, but is distinct from, the nineteenth century movement for the Restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land, which had both religiously and politically motivated supporters. The term Christian Zionism was popularized in the mid-twentieth century. Some Christian Zionists believe that the “ingathering” of Jews in Israel is a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus. This belief is primarily, though not exclusively, associated with Christian Dispensationalism. The idea that Christians should actively support a Jewish return to the Land of Israel, along with the parallel idea that the Jews ought to be encouraged to become Christian, as a means fulfilling a Biblical prophecy has been common in Protestant circles since the Reformation.
Many Christian Zionists believe that the people of Israel remain part of the chosen people of God, along with the “ingrafted” Gentile Christians[Romans 11:17-24 ] (dual-covenant theology). This has the added effect of turning Christian Zionists into supporters of Jewish Zionism.” [Read more]
Christian Fundamentalism
“A movement within Christianity upholding a literal reading of the Bible or official teachings of the Church.” [Read more]
Evangelical
From Merriam-Webster Online:
1: of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels
2: emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual
3: marked by militant or crusading zeal
Religious Right
“A coalition of right-wing fundamentalist leaders who have become increasingly active in politics since the Supreme Court’s 1972 decision in Roe versus Wade. Among its leaders are Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. The Religious Right sponsors a network of Christian bookstores, radio stations, and television evangelists. Opposed to abortion, pornography, and what it views as the marginalizing of religion in American public life, the Religious Right has also championed prayer in the public schools. In the 1980s it gave strong support to President Ronald Reagan.” [Read more]
Word/Faith Prosperity Movement
“Claims the Bible teaches that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians. The doctrine teaches that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will always increase one’s material wealth.” [Read more]
Red Heifer
“Based on Jewish standards recorded in Numbers 19, the Jewish people could never be purified or able to rebuild their temple without the ashes of an unblemished red heifer. Jewish tradition holds that a red heifer heralds the Messianic era.
For prophecy watchers, it is definitely something to keep your eyes on. The temple will be rebuilt in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and temple practices will be reinstituted, so we know that there will be a spotless red heifer provided to allow that to take place. The heifer is not determined to be perfect until its third birthday.” [Read more]
Biblical Literalism
“Biblical literalism is the theological view that the contents of the Bible should be seen as literally true, as opposed to being interpreted as allegory, literature, or mythology. Literalism is the basis of several different pseudoscientific positions, such as Young Earth Creationism, Deluge Theory and Flat Earth Theory A belief in Biblical literalism requires one to ignore huge amounts of modern science and its supporting evidence, and to replace provable, rational explanations with various versions of God-Did-It.” [Read more]
Book of Revelation
“The last book of the New Testament; contains visionary descriptions of heaven and of conflicts between good and evil and of the end of the world; attributed to Saint John the Apostle.” [Read more]
Covenantal Marriage
“A legally distinct kind of marriage in which the marrying couple agree to obtain pre-marital counseling and accept more limited grounds for divorce. The covenant marriage laws emphasize the belief that marriage is more than just a mere contract between two individuals, contending that without marriage, there would be no foundation of family in society and, in turn, no civilization or progress to follow.” [Read more]
Male Headship
“The headship of husbands is clearly and unassailably taught in the New Testament. Moreover, the Bible clearly declares that the response of wives to their husbands’ headship is submission in everything. Indeed, the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. As the church is subject to Christ, so wives must be subject in everything to their husbands (Eph. 5:23-24)” [Read more]
End Times
From Merriam-Webster Online:
The time of the prophesied end of the world.
The Rapture
“Rapture” refers to a future event when Lord Jesus will return to earth in the clouds. At that time Lord Jesus will…
- Resurrect deceased Christians, glorify their bodies, and catch them up into the clouds to be with Him.
- Glorify the bodies of living Christians, and catch them up into the clouds to be with Him. [Read more]
Gog, Magog
“The coalition with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries (Sudan, Ethiopia and Libya) foretold in Ezekiel to attack Israel from the north in a bid to destroy it during the earth’s ‘last days,’ commonly known as the ‘war of Gog and Magog’.” [Read more]
Conversion Therapy, Ex-Gay Therapy
Many who experience homosexual temptations and impulses respond to the Gospel message that unwanted same-sex attractions can be overcome. [Read more]
Examples of Christian/Political Dog-whistle Vocabulary
“Words that signal sympathy with religious conservatives without making overt appeals that might alienate more secular voters.” [Read more]
Tip of the spear
This military term, when adopted by evangelicals, is used to depict someone being on the front lines of a cosmic or spiritual battle.
Shining city on a hill – The “shining city on the hill” phrase evokes two essential elements of the religious right’s “Christian nation” mythology: American exceptionalism and the need for revival. God ordained America as the exceptional nation designed to carry out his will, and a revival is necessary because America has been headed down a sinful path as a result of secularism, abortion, gay rights and other offenses against “biblical truth.”
Endowed by our Creator
This affirms the view that God, not the government, confers the rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
Dred Scott
For anti-choice activists, Dred Scott is a subtle way of referring to Roe v. Wade: a decision also made by “activist judges” that denied the full personhood of fetuses.
For such a time as this
“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” – Esther 4.14
