Pentagon Christian Service: Hegseth Prays for Violence Against Enemies
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has hosted his first monthly Christian prayer and worship service at the Pentagon since the outbreak of the Iran war, delivering a controversial prayer that called for divine violence against adversaries. The event, held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, was livestreamed and attended by civilian employees and uniformed military personnel.
Prayer for 'Overwhelming Violence'
During the service, Hegseth read a prayer originally given by a military chaplain to troops who captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He invoked, "Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation," adding a plea for "unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy."
Hegseth emphasized the timing of the gathering, stating, "All the more fitting this month, at this moment, given what tens of thousands of Americans are doing right now." He frequently integrates his evangelical faith into his role, portraying the United States as a Christian nation engaged in spiritual and military conflict.
Scrutiny Over Christian Rhetoric
Amid the expanding Iran war and global tensions, Hegseth's religious rhetoric has drawn renewed criticism. This includes his past defense of the Crusades, the medieval wars between Christians and Muslims. While faith statements are common in American public life, experts note a shift toward specific Christian language.
Ronit Stahl, a historian at the University of California at Berkeley and author of "Enlisting Faith," commented, "The shift towards the specificity of Jesus Christ and therefore Christianity—and in Hegseth's case, a particular form of Protestant Christianity—is new, especially coming from the defense secretary." She questioned the implications for a nation with constitutional separation of church and state.
Lawsuit Filed Over Services
The advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit on Monday targeting the Pentagon services. The suit seeks to enforce a public records request from December, demanding internal communications about the worship events, their costs, guests, and any employee complaints.
Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United, alleged, "Secretaries Hegseth and Chavez-DeRemer are abusing the power of their government positions and taxpayer-funded resources to impose their preferred religion on federal workers." She argued that even voluntary attendance creates pressure on employees to appease superiors.
Reforms to Military Chaplain Corps
Hegseth announced reforms to the military chaplain corps on Tuesday, describing them as "making the chaplain corps great again." He aims to refocus chaplains on religious duties rather than therapeutic self-care, addressing mental health concerns among troops.
Changes include removing rank insignia from chaplain uniforms to ease service members' anxiety about approaching officers for spiritual care. Additionally, the military will reduce recognized religious affiliation codes from over 200 to 31, consolidating small Protestant denominations and removing categories for Wiccans, atheists, and agnostics. The Pentagon has not released the updated list or responded to requests for details.
Religious Diversity in the Military
According to a 2019 congressional report, nearly 70% of U.S. troops identify as Christian, while about a quarter are listed as "other/unclassified/unknown." Small percentages include atheists, agnostics, Jews, Muslims, and adherents of Eastern religions. Hegseth's services have featured only evangelical preachers, such as Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, who delivered a sermon on overcoming fear through Jesus.
Hegseth's Personal Faith Journey
Hegseth began hosting Pentagon worship services in May 2025, with his Tennessee pastor, Brooks Potteiger, preaching. Potteiger is relocating to Washington, D.C., to lead Christ Church DC, a new congregation affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), which Hegseth attends.
Raised Baptist, Hegseth experienced a faith turning point in 2018, joining an evangelical church in New Jersey. He later moved to Tennessee for his children's education at a CREC-affiliated school and attended Potteiger's church. At a Christian broadcasters' gathering in February, Hegseth remarked, "We mostly do it because I need it more than anybody else," and dismissed critics as "the left-wing shrieks."
