A movement combining Christian tenets with white supremacist and nationalist ideologies.
Religion: Christianity
Denomination: British Israelism
Founded: 1920s
Location: Primarily in the United States, but also has followers in other countries
Other Names: Identity Christianity, Identity Movement
Christian Identity is a new religious movement primarily active in North America, characterized by a belief in white supremacy and anti-Semitism. It asserts that white people of European descent, particularly those from Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Nordic backgrounds, are the true descendants of the Biblical Israelites, thus making them God’s chosen people. This ideology contracts with the traditional Christian view that Jews are the chosen people of the Bible, instead depicting Jews in a highly negative light, often as imposters or the descendants of Eve and Satan. The movement leverages this theological foundation to justify a range of racist and anti-Semitic beliefs, including the denigration of people of African descent and other non-white groups.
Originating from the British Israelism theory of the 19th century, Christian Identity evolved into its current form in the 20th century, gaining significant traction among far-right and white supremacist circles. The movement, however, has remained relatively small, with a limited number of active organizations and churches. It experienced its peak during the 1980s and 1990s when it gained national prominence through its association with groups such as the Aryan Nations and individuals like Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber. Despite this, the movement has seen a decline in traditional congregation-based membership since the early 2000s, due in part to law enforcement actions and the deaths of key leaders.
Christian Identity beliefs are diverse but include several core doctrines that are widely shared among its adherents. One such belief is the accelerationist notion that they must expedite the coming of the Battle of Armageddon through acts of violence and chaos, seeing themselves as divine agents destined to survive these end times. Another is the dual-seedline or serpent-seed theory, which posits a lineage of evil stemming from an alleged union between Eve and Satan, from which Jews are descended. Additionally, some adherents hold to the Khazar theory, falsely claiming that Ashkenazi Jews are not true Semites but descendants of the Khazars, a medieval Turkic people, as part of an effort to delegitimize Jewish claims to Israel.
Despite its decline, Christian Identity continues to exert influence through online platforms and publications, maintaining a presence within the broader white supremacist ecosystem. The movement’s propagation of its ideology through the internet has allowed it to persist, even as traditional, congregation-based organizations wane.
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