Another term that is knocking about within US evangelicalism and linked to the growth in Christian Nationalism is the Seven Mountain Mandate. The idea draws on the imagery of the seven hills on which Rome was built, identified as Babylon in the book of Revelation. The idea is also sometimes referred to as Dominionist because the belief is that Christians should seek influence or dominion in seven spheres of life, or on seven mountains namely: religion, family, education, the arts, government and business.[1]
The original idea was associated with uncontroversial figures such as Bill Bright, Loren Cunningham and even Francis Schaeffer but they seem to have thought more in terms of contexts for evangelism and apologetics.[2] However, the idea that Christians should seek dominion in those spheres took off in charismatic circles through a book by Lance Wallnau and Bill Johnson in 2013 called “Invading Babylon.” [3]
Readers are probably reasonably familiar with Johnson, he’s the guy heads up Bethel, Redding. Wallnau is perhaps less well known but seems to be the key player in promoting this idea, having heard it from Cunningham and then developed it. [4] Wallnau would be regarded as a key figure withing US Christian Nationalism and was identified as having a significant mobilisers of the Capitol Hill insurrection of January 6th 2021.[5]
This becomes significant because if we can trace the more conservative/reformed strand of Christian Nationalism through Stephen Wolfe to the Federal Vision and Doug Wilson, it is also possible to trace a more charismatic strain through Wallnau and Johnson back to the Seven Mountain Mandate.
For example, readers will remember that I’ve picked up on claims made by people like Christopher Wickland that the idea of church or ecclesia was taken from the Roman system of government. Well, low and behold, here is Wallnau on the subject.
“The word for ‘church’ in the New Testament is the word ecclesia. The world of Jesus’ day knew this word as it was used throughout the Roman empire to refer to the method of civil governing by political bodies. The word was used as far back as the time of Alexander the Great to describe the governing bodies of Greek city states. The ecclesia is a governing word describing a governing body of believers called out as citizens of the kingdom to take their seats at the gates! What gates? The gates of influence that shape the cities and nations of the earth.[27]
It is important for those of us who operate in a more charismatic context to be alert to this specific influence on Christian Nationalism.
[1] Seven Mountain Mandate – Wikipedia
[2] Seven Mountain Mandate – Wikipedia
[3] Seven Mountain Mandate – Wikipedia
[4] Seven Mountain Mandate – Wikipedia
[5] Lance Wallnau, first to ‘prophesy’ Trump’s presidency, is back to vanquish anti-Trump demons
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