US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced scrutiny over his religious views after a sermon by his personal pastor at the Pentagon invoked divine sovereignty over missile strikes. The sermon, delivered by Brooks Potteiger, referenced Matthew 10 to suggest that God controls the fall of Tomahawk missiles, just as he controls the fall of sparrows.
The comments come amid the US war in Iran, which saw a temporary ceasefire on Tuesday after six weeks of conflict. A US military investigation indicated that the US was responsible for a 28 February school bombing in Minab, Iran, which killed over 175 people, mostly children. Neither President Donald Trump nor Hegseth has expressed remorse or accepted responsibility.
Hegseth has framed the war as divinely sanctioned, invoking “God’s almighty providence” and calling for prayer “in the name of Jesus Christ”. At a 25 March Pentagon worship service, he prayed for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy”, a remark that drew a rebuke from Pope Leo, who said God ignores prayers from those with “hands full of blood”.
Hegseth belongs to a Calvinist evangelical tradition that believes in predestination and rejects papal authority. Julie Ingersoll, a religious studies professor, explained that adherents believe God directs everything, including attacks on schools. She cited Deuteronomy 20, where God orders the destruction of all living things in certain cities, to argue that such a worldview could justify civilian casualties.
Critics question why the US has taken such a risky approach in Iran, given the predictable consequences of attacks on US bases, economic fallout from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the consolidation of power by the Iranian regime. Hegseth’s Crusader tattoos, disdain for diplomacy, and taste for violent domination have led some to ask whether the war is motivated by a desire to complete the unfinished business of the Crusades.
