Hegseth's Christian Nationalism Raises Alarms Amid Iran Conflict
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has consistently integrated his conservative evangelical beliefs into the operations of the Pentagon, sparking significant concerns about the military's long-standing secular mission and its commitment to pluralism. Since assuming office, Hegseth has hosted monthly Christian worship services for Pentagon staff and overseen the production of promotional videos that blend Bible verses with military footage. He frequently asserts that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, urging troops to embrace God in their service.
Religious Rhetoric Gains New Significance
This religious rhetoric has taken on heightened importance following the recent military conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, an Islamic theocracy. At a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth declared, "The mullahs are desperate and scrambling," referring to Iran's Shiite Muslim clerics. He then quoted Psalm 144, a scripture shared by both Jews and Christians: "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle."
Hegseth has a documented history of defending the Crusades, the brutal medieval wars that pitted Christians against Muslims. In his 2020 book American Crusade, he wrote that those who enjoy Western civilization should "thank a crusader." Two of his tattoos draw from crusader imagery: the Jerusalem Cross and the phrase "Deus Vult," or "God wills it," which Hegseth has described as "the rallying cry of Christian knights as they marched to Jerusalem."
Critics Warn of Inflaming Tensions
Matthew D. Taylor, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University who studies religious extremism and has been a frequent critic of Hegseth, expressed grave concerns. "The U.S. voluntarily going to war against a Muslim country with the military under the leadership of Pete Hegseth is exactly the kind of scenario that people like me were warning about before the election and throughout his appointment process," Taylor said.
He added that Hegseth's rhetoric and leadership "can only inflame and reinforce the fears and deep animosity that the regime in Iran has towards the U.S." When questioned whether Hegseth views the war in Iran in religious terms, a Defense Department spokesperson referenced a recent CBS interview where Hegseth seemed to confirm this perspective.
"We're fighting religious fanatics who seek a nuclear capability in order for some religious Armageddon," Hegseth said of Iranian leaders. "But from my perspective, I mean, obviously I'm a man of faith who encourages our troops to lean into their faith, rely on God."
Unverified Claims of Biblical Prophecies
Generations of evangelicals have been influenced by interpretations of Armageddon and the end of the world, popularized by books like the Left Behind series and The Late Great Planet Earth, or the horror film A Thief in the Night. Some evangelicals espouse prophecies in which warfare involving Israel is key to bringing about the return of Jesus. Christian Zionist pastor John Hagee, head of Christians United for Israel, remarked of the Iran war, "Prophetically, we're right on cue."
However, the co-founder of Hegseth's denomination, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), does not teach this theology. Pastor Doug Wilson identifies as a postmillennialist, believing most apocalyptic events in the Bible have already occurred, paving the way for the gradual Christianization of the world before Christ's return. Hegseth has not stated that the Iran war is part of Christian prophecy.
Yet, days after the conflict began, claims went viral that U.S. military commanders were telling troops the war fulfilled biblical prophecies around Armageddon and the return of Christ. The Associated Press has been unable to verify these claims, which originate from one source: Mikey Weinstein, head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a watchdog group. Based on allegations Weinstein said he received from hundreds of troops, 30 Democratic members of Congress asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate.
In an interview with the AP, Weinstein declined to provide documentation or the original emails from service members, citing fears of retaliation. Three major religion watchdog groups—the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations—said they have not received similar complaints. The Pentagon declined to comment on the allegations.
Hegseth's Vision for Military Reform
Hegseth's church network, the CREC, preaches a patriarchal form of Christianity where women cannot serve in leadership roles, and pastors argue that homosexuality should be criminalized. Hegseth reposted a video last year in which a CREC pastor opposed women's right to vote. Wilson, its most prominent leader, identifies as a Christian nationalist and preached at the Pentagon in February at Hegseth's invitation. Both Wilson and Hegseth have questioned Muslim immigration to the United States, with Wilson advocating restrictions to maintain a predominantly Christian nation.
In American Crusade, Hegseth lamented growing Muslim birth rates and the popularity of the name Muhammad for boys in the U.S. As head of the armed forces, Hegseth has overseen policy changes aligned with his conservative Christian worldview, including banning transgender troops, curtailing diversity initiatives, and reviewing women in combat roles.
Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist at Christopher Newport University, noted, "The intrusion of Christian nationalist policy, not just Christian nationalist rhetoric … that is what's troubling."
Reforming the Chaplain Corps
Hegseth has pledged to reform the military's chaplain corps, which provides spiritual care to troops of any faith and no faith at all. He scrapped the 2025 U.S. Army Spiritual Fitness Guide and aims to renew chaplains' religious focus, which he said in a December video message has been minimized "in an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism."
Rabbi Laurence Bazer, a retired U.S. Army colonel and chaplain, warned that this approach risks making service members feel like outsiders when military leadership's language draws exclusively from one faith tradition. "The U.S. military reflects the full diversity of this country—people of every faith step forward to serve," Bazer said in a statement. "That diversity is a strength worth protecting."
