Minnesota shootings come during heightened political tensions in the U.S.
“YOUSEF: Well, one aspect that’s getting a lot of attention, Steve, is the religious context that he comes from. I spoke with Fred Clarkson from Political Research Associates about this, and he has homed in on a couple of aspects of Vance Boelter’s background. One is that he graduated from a theological institution called the Christ for Nations Institute, which is the precursor to something called the New Apostolic Reformation. Boelter did missionary work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well, and videos of him sermonizing there show him saying that there will be prophets and apostles in the U.S., which again is distinct to NAR theology.”
“YOUSEF: Well, it’s a decentralized network of churches and religious leaders who used to really be on the fringe of the conservative Christian right. But today, prominent figures in the network are closely tied with House Speaker Mike Johnson. They’ve been featured in prayer events he’s organized. This is a neo-charismatic expression of Christianity, Steve, and it’s distinct in the sense that it embraces ideas such as modern-day prophets and apostles. It also espouses what’s called dominionist thinking, where they believe it’s important to take control over every aspect of society to impose Old Testament biblical governance. So Clarkson says it is definitionally an antidemocratic venture.
FRED CLARKSON: It’s just understood that it’s going to involve physical warfare.”