As tensions deepen within American religious communities, divisions are emerging over the relationship between faith and the political actions of former President Donald Trump, particularly following recent military moves in the Middle East.
During Easter celebrations, certain Christian leaders drew parallels between Mr. Trump and biblical figures. One spiritual adviser likened the former president to “our Lord and Saviour,” while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth equated the recent rescue of a U.S. airman from Iran to the Christian resurrection narrative. This alignment highlights pockets of unwavering support for the administration and its military efforts.
However, not all church leaders share this perspective. Paul Van Noy, pastor at Candlelight Christian Fellowship in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, expressed strong criticism of Iran’s leadership, labeling them as “thugs” and dismissing the Pope’s broad condemnation of war. Van Noy argued that the Christian gospel is not solely a message of peace, citing Jesus’s words in the Book of Matthew about bringing a “sword” rather than peace. Yet, despite his defense of military action, Van Noy voiced discomfort with Mr. Trump’s propagation of a messianic self-image. “I didn’t like it,” he said of the former president’s use of religious iconography, though he remained uncertain of Mr. Trump’s intentions.
In contrast, other American Christians are distancing themselves from the former president. Caleb Collier, a Lutheran convert and host of the podcast Church and State, who supported Mr. Trump in 2024, has expressed profound regret regarding that decision. Collier, formerly involved with Turning Point USA’s faith outreach, criticized recent U.S. military strikes on Venezuela and Iran as “just awful,” lamenting the enthusiasm some American Christians show for violence abroad. He acknowledged reservations about the Pope but agreed with the pontiff’s outspoken critiques, asserting that many on the political right have failed to question Mr. Trump’s actions. Collier labeled one of Mr. Trump’s religiously charged social media posts as “outright heresy,” adding, “It blew my mind that he would go that far.”
Academic voices have also weighed in on the issue. David Lawton, an emeritus professor at Washington University in St. Louis who studies blasphemy, suggested that Mr. Trump’s behavior could reflect deeper psychological concerns, describing a “messiah complex” as a serious mental health condition.
Within Catholic circles, the former president’s conflicts with Pope Francis have prompted intensified debate over just war theory and political ethics. Brother André Marie, prior of the traditionalist St. Benedict Center in Richmond, New Hampshire, who voted for Mr. Trump in three elections, criticized the Pontiff for overstating pacifism but rejected the justification for America’s recent military actions. He condemned attacks targeting civilian infrastructure and educational institutions in Iran as unethical and lacking legitimacy under Catholic just war criteria.
Brother André described Mr. Trump’s conduct toward the Pope as “abhorrent” and acknowledged that his own faith in the former president has been profoundly shaken, concluding that Mr. Trump “doesn’t have a remotely Christian ethic when it comes to politics.”
These contrasting views underscore the complex and often fraught intersection of religion and politics in the United States, revealing fractures within Christian communities as they grapple with questions of morality, loyalty, and leadership in a polarized environment.