The ongoing conflict between the United States(US) and Iran has sparked intense debate, with some viewing it through the lens of geopolitics and military strategy. However, scholar Diana Butler Bass suggests that prophecy may also play a significant role in shaping America’s approach to Iran, particularly among White evangelicals.
Bass, a prominent progressive religious author, notes that apocalyptic stories about the “Rapture” and non-believers being left behind have shaped White evangelicals’ imaginations for years and may influence what happens next in America’s clash with Iran.
Bass and other religious scholars argue that US policy in the Middle East is influenced by the controversial teachings of 19th-century Anglo-Irish clergyman John Nelson Darby, who pioneered the concept of dispensationalism.
This theology divides history into distinct periods, or “dispensations,” through which God interacts with humanity differently. Many adherents to this tradition believe in a fiery apocalypse and the “Rapture,” a moment when Christians are suddenly lifted to heaven before a period of tribulation on Earth.
Dispensationalism has permeated White evangelical culture, with many adopting its tenets without being familiar with the term. According to Jemar Tisby, a historian and best-selling author, “Just because you don’t have the name doesn’t mean you’re not actually adhering to the beliefs.” Tisby notes that this theology has direct, dangerous, and deadly consequences, particularly in the context of US foreign policy in the Middle East.
White evangelicals who see America’s conflict with Iran as primarily a spiritual battle tend to be motivated by several beliefs, including the notion that Trump is God’s “chosen one,” saved from assassination last year to do God’s work and protect Israel.
This belief is reflected in a text message to Trump from Mike Huckabee, the prominent evangelical and former Arkansas governor who was appointed by Trump to be US ambassador to Israel. Huckabee wrote that God spared Trump “to be the most consequential President in a century—maybe ever” and that “You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!”
Many White evangelicals believe the church is obligated by the Bible to provide unwavering support to Israel, viewing the ancient Israel described in the Bible as the same as the modern nation-state of Israel.
Trump reinforced this view during his first term when he broke from decades of American policy to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
However, some scholars say that this unconditional support for Israel is a risky stance for a multiracial and multireligious democracy like the US to take. Tisby notes that conflating the biblical Israel with the modern-day country can lead to supporting actions that hurt people in the name of politics and blinding us to human rights and justice issues in the Middle East.
Bass calls belief in the Rapture a “completely invented theology” and “one of the most wildly successful heresies in the history of Christianity.” She argues that a belief system that says God will end the world through violence offers no incentive for a political or religious leader to avoid war or backtrack when events spiral out of control.
Tisby emphasizes that apocalyptic visions from the Bible should not influence America’s policy in Israel or Iran in any way. “You layer on this prophecy about the rise of Israel and now all of a sudden you have this very literalistic interpretation of the Bible informing US foreign policy,” he says.
When citizens in a democracy believe political leaders are divinely appointed and driven by prophecies, it leaves no room for debate. “Any uncritical, unyielding support of a political actor, no matter what the conflict, is dangerous,” Tisby warns.