What Are “Christian Antichrists?” Dr. Matthew D. Taylor Explains

Get RNS’ thoughtful, essential religion reporting every morning. Sign up for free!
This week, host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is joined by a preeminent expert on Christian Nationalism and the New Reformation Movement: Dr. Matthew D. Taylor. His new book (out Oct. 6th) is Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists. We get deep into the history and harm of this word: a quest for power that looks like faith, talks like faith – but then harms people in Jesus’ name.
Matt makes a case that’s both biblical and uncomfortably current. He argues that “Antichrist” isn’t just about bad doctrine—it can describe people who claim Christ but act against him. We also get into Jesus and empire, Christian Nationalism, Pete Hegseth, and what it might look like to resist tyranny without violence.
Dr. Matthew D. Taylor is an award-winning religious studies scholar, author, and nationally-recognized speaker on religion and politics in the United States. He’s a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, and is one of the leading researchers of Christian Nationalism and the New Apostolic Reformation, charismatic Christian…



