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| Christian Identity | |
|---|---|
| Name | Christian Identity |
| Main classification | Religious movement |
| Orientation | Racially exclusive theology |
| Founded date | Early 20th century (development) |
| Founded place | United States |
| Separation from | Various Protestantism denominations |
| Notable figures | See section |
Christian Identity Christian Identity is a racialist religious movement that emerged in the United States from fringe Protestantism streams in the early 20th century. It combines literalist readings of the Bible with racial theories tied to Anglo-Saxon, Nordicism, and British Israelism claims, and has been linked to various extremist organizations, criminal cases, and political movements in North America and beyond. Scholars, civil rights organizations, and law enforcement have characterized it as an influential current within white supremacist networks, affecting groups and individuals across United States politics, Canada, and Australia.
The movement traces antecedents to British Israelism proponents such as Edward Hine and John Cox Gawler, and to American figures like John Wilson and Thomas William Burgess. In the 20th century, exponents including Leslie F. Kenyon and Howard Rand adapted British Israelism into more explicitly racial doctrines that influenced later leaders such as Arthur H. Bell, William Potter Gale, and Richard Butler. During the post-World War II era, networks involving Ku Klux Klan splinters, Posse Comitatus adherents, and militia movements helped diffuse Identity ideas alongside publications, radio programs, and mail-order literature tied to figures like Bertrand Comparet and Dan Gayman.
Identity teachings reinterpret texts from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament to claim that Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Germanic peoples are the true descendants of the biblical Israelites. Doctrinal elements draw from literalist hermeneutics associated with Fundamentalist Christianity and apocalyptic frameworks similar to those in writings by Hal Lindsey and William E. Blackstone. Some adherents incorporate antisemitic myths rooted in medieval forgeries and modern racial theories promoted by figures such as Houston Stewart Chamberlain and Madison Grant. The movement rejects mainstream Judaism and often demonizes Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox Church, and ecumenical institutions like the World Council of Churches.
Identity adherents have organized in loose networks rather than a single hierarchical institution, interacting through churches, publishing houses, paramilitary cells, and political fronts connected to groups like Aryan Nations, The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord, and splinters of the Ku Klux Klan. Prominent leaders historically include William Potter Gale, founder of the California State Militia-aligned groups; Richard Butler, founder of Aryan Nations; and Robert E. Miles, an Identity minister linked to militia activism. Other influential activists and propagandists include Tom Metzger, Louis Beam, Dan Gayman, Bertrand Comparet, and Norman P. Templeton.
Racial doctrine is central: Identity theology posits hierarchical origins and divine favor for white Europeans, aligning with concepts advanced in White supremacy circles and by theorists such as Alvin J. Schmidt. The movement has provided theological cover for organizations like National Alliance (U.S.) and Christian Patriots. Identity rhetoric has been adopted by perpetrators in high-profile violent incidents involving actors linked to Oklahoma City bombing, Ruby Ridge, and standoffs involving Waco Siege-adjacent networks, and has been cited in prosecutions of domestic terrorists and hate crime perpetrators. Civil rights groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League track Identity-affiliated organizations as part of broader extremist ecosystems.
Identity adherents have engaged in electoral politics, militia organizing, anti-tax campaigns, and voter suppression efforts tied to Posse Comitatus ideologies and sovereign citizen tactics promoted by personalities like Oliver North-era militants and James Wickström. They have formed alliances with far-right activists, influenced some candidates in local races in Idaho, Oregon, and Montana, and have intersected with anti-immigrant movements exemplified by groups such as Minuteman Project. Identity literature circulated through networks connected to the John Birch Society and anti-Communist activists, and Identity activists have lobbied on issues involving civil rights litigation, property disputes, and militia training.
Identity organizations and leaders have been defendants in civil suits brought by survivors and families of violent crimes; notable civil litigation includes actions taken by the Southern Poverty Law Center against Aryan Nations that resulted in damages and asset seizures. Law enforcement investigations by federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecutions under federal hate-crime statutes have targeted Identity-linked plots and networks. Scholars in religious studies and sociology—including researchers associated with Ohio State University, University of California, and Middlebury College—have criticized Identity theology as pseudohistorical and ideologically driven, while Jewish organizations like Anti-Defamation League document its antisemitic and racist claims.
Identity beliefs have penetrated fringe subcultures visible in print media, radio, and online forums hosted on platforms linked to broader extremist milieus; this has influenced popular portrayals in news outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and documentary films produced by outlets like PBS and Channel 4. Debates about Identity overlap with discussions about domestic extremism in reports by United States Department of Homeland Security and hearings in the United States Congress. Public perception, shaped by investigative journalism, academic studies, and civil society advocacy from organizations like Human Rights Watch and Anti-Defamation League, commonly associates Identity with violent white supremacist movements, though some adherents remain small, isolated congregations.
Category:Religious movements Category:Extremism in the United States