Since the early twentieth century there has been a significant overlap between Christian fundamentalism and millennialism in the United States and belief in false conspiracy theories, [1] [2] primarily the New World Order conspiracy theory, QAnon, and COVID-19 conspiracy theories, which are frequently perceived to represent fulfilment of Christian eschatology.
In the American context, scholar Billy Mann highlights Christian fundamentalist televangelists Jerry Falwell, a Baptist; and Pat Robertson, a charismatic evangelical. He links these figures to the development of an "explanatory conspiracy tradition" among the Christian right particularly since the 1980s. Mann argues that this framework posits a satanic conspiracy—often seen as enacted by humans—which is seen as the cause of a decline in Christian influence and values. Conversely, he states, there simultaneously exists a "benevolent conspiracy", God's ultimate plan, which will defeat the satanic conspiracy. [3]
In the 1980s, Jerry Falwell linked Christian history with American history and Christian values with American values such as liberty, and societal changes with a loss of Christian influence. Mann situates this in the context of growing evangelical unease about the feminist, gay rights, and abortion rights movements, limits on school prayer, a rise in new religious movements such as the New Age movement, and other issues. Falwell explained leftism among college students as a communist conspiracy led by the devil, and gay rights activists as being motivated by demons rather than civil rights. [3]
In 1991, in the book The New World Order , Pat Robertson claimed that a secret one-world government has existed in the world led by Freemasonry and the Illuminati, in collaboration with Jewish bankers. [3] [4] The QAnon conspiracy movement, which originated in 2017, found a loyal following among Christian fundamentalists particularly concerned with the search for signs of the end times. [5] [6] [7] Frank Peretti's 1986 novel This Present Darkness , which depicted New Age practices, modern feminism, and secular education as part of a conspiracy to overthrow Christianity, has been criticized as being a possible influence on QAnon. [8] [9] [10]
Adherence to conspiracy theories is particularly important in fundamentalist evangelical churches. [11] [12] Some pastors have explained this phenomenon with the distrust of expertise, which encourages citizens to challenge established authority figures. [13] Others have described the mechanism of faith as "[mutating] into vulnerability to conspiracy theories" as well as apocalyptic narratives and Christian nationalism playing roles. [14]
According to a 2018 survey by LifeWay Research for the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center, 46% of self-identified evangelicals and 52% of evangelicals by belief believe that mainstream media spreads fake news. [15] A 2022 study among Polish Roman Catholics found a positive correlation between religious fundamentalism and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs. [16]
Outlets such as Christianity Today and Religion News Service have covered the movement's impact among congregations. [17] [13]
In 2017, Ed Stetzer wrote that Christians should repent of spreading false conspiracy theories and fake news online, which he says "directly violates Scripture's prohibition from bearing false witness against our neighbors". He argued that "The Seth Rich conspiracy theory is a textbook example of false witness... Without seriously defending their claims, conservative Christians across the country accused their neighbor of murder." [18]