Courtesy: The Daily Beast

Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, Courtesy: Getty Images

Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry aren’t just devout—both have deep ties to a fringe fundamentalist movement known as Dominionism, which says Christians should rule the world.
by Michelle Goldberg | August 14, 2011 10:51 PM EDT

With Tim Pawlenty out of the presidential race, it is now fairly clear that the GOP candidate will either be Mitt Romney or someone who makes George W. Bush look like Tom Paine. Of the three most plausible candidates for the Republican nomination, two are deeply associated with a theocratic strain of Christian fundamentalism known as Dominionism. If you want to understand Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, understanding Dominionism isn’t optional.

Put simply, Dominionism means that Christians have a God-given right to rule all earthly institutions. Originating among some of America’s most radical theocrats, it’s long had an influence on religious-right education and political organizing. But because it seems so outré, getting ordinary people to take it seriously can be difficult. Most writers, myself included, who explore it have been called paranoid. In a contemptuous 2006 First Things review of several books, including Kevin Phillips’ American Theocracy, and my own Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, conservative columnist Ross Douthat wrote, “the fear of theocracy has become a defining panic of the Bush era.”

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If we look the recent events from the perspective of a leader’s personal conviction or beliefs, then all of a sudden – the anti-immigration policy, undermining civil right under the banner of pro-nationalistic fervor and grossly exaggerated anti-terror war – make sense. What the world is experiencing now is political terrorism where bigotry and self serving ideology reigns supreme. The only difference is that the politically and financially stronger terrorist groups are controlling the media to label the insignificant and weak terrorists as the “real” threat to world peace. However, the facts and recent events tell us a completely different story.