What is CREC? The Christian nationalist group has a vision for America − and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's support
As a scholar of the Christian right, I have studied the CREC. Hegseth's membership in a church that belongs to the CREC drew attention because prominent members of the church identify as Christian nationalists, and because of its positions on issues concerning gender, sexuality and the separation of church and state.
The CREC is most easily understood through three main parts: churches, schools and media.
The CREC church is a network of churches. It is associated with the congregation of Doug Wilson, the pastor who founded Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. Wilson grew up in the town, where his father was an evangelical minister.
Wilson co-founded the CREC in 1993 and is the public figure most associated with the network of churches. Christ Church operates as the hub for Logos Schools, Canon Press and New Saint Andrews College, all located in Moscow. Logos is a set of private schools and homeschooling curriculum, Canon Press is a publishing house and media company, and New Saint Andrews College is a university, all of which were founded by Wilson and associated with Christ Church. All espouse the view that Christians are at odds with – or at war with – secular society.
While he is not Hegseth's pastor, Wilson is the most influential voice in the CREC, and the two men have spoken approvingly of one another.
As Wilson steadily grew Christ Church in Moscow, he and its members sought to spread their message by making Moscow a conservative town and establishing churches beyond it. Of his hometown, Wilson plainly states, 'Our desire is to make Moscow a Christian town.'
The CREC doctrine is opposed to religious pluralism or political points of view that diverge from CREC theology. On its website, the CREC says that it is 'committed to maintaining its Reformed faith, avoiding the pitfalls of cultural relevance and political compromise that destroys our doctrinal integrity.'
CREC churches adhere to a highly patriarchal and conservative interpretation of Scripture. Wilson has said that in a sexual relationship, 'A woman receives, surrenders, accepts.'
In a broader political sense, CREC theology includes the belief that the establishment clause of the Constitution does not require a separation of church and state. The most common reading of the establishment clause is that freedom of religion precludes the installation of a state religion or religious tests to hold state office.
The CREC broadly asserts that the government and anyone serving in it should be Christian. For Wilson and members of CREC churches, this means Christians and only Christians are qualified to hold political office in the United States.
Researcher Matthew Taylor explained in an interview with the Nashville Tennessean, 'They believe the church is supposed to be militant in the world, is supposed to be reforming the world, and in some ways conquering the world.'
While the CREC may not have the name recognition of some large evangelical denominations or the visibility of some megachurches, it boasts churches across the United States and internationally. The CREC website claims to have over 130 churches and parishes spread across North America, Europe, Asia and South America.
Like some other evangelical denominations, the CREC uses 'church planting' to grow its network. Plant churches do not require a centralized governing body to ordain their founding. Instead, those interested in starting a CREC congregation contact the CREC. The CREC then provides materials and literature for people to use in their church.
The CREC's expansion also owes a debt to Wilson's entrepreneurship. As the church expanded, Wilson founded an associated K-12 school called 'Logos' in September 1981, which since then has grown into a network of many schools.
In conjunction with its growth, Logos develops and sells 'classical Christian' curriculum to private schools and home-school families through Logos Press. Classical Christian Schools aim to develop what they consider a biblical worldview. In addition to religious studies, they focus on classic texts from Greece and Rome. They have grown in popularity in recent years, especially among conservatives.
Logos' classical Christian curriculum is designed to help parents 'raise faithful, dangerous Christian kids who impact the world for Christ and leave craters in the world of secularism.' Logos press regularly asserts, 'education is warfare.'
According to the website, Logos schools enroll more than 2,000 students across 16 countries. Logos also has its own press that supplies the curriculum to all of these schools. On the heels of Logos' success, Wilson founded the Association of Classical Christian Schools in 1993 as an accrediting body for like-minded schools. The ACCS now boast 500 schools and more than 50,000 students across the United States and around the world.
Additionally, Wilson founded New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. New Saint Andrews is a Christian university that takes the classical Christian approach to education championed by Wilson into higher education.
The New Saint Andrews College is consistent with other CREC institutions. It considers secularism a weakness of other universities and society more generally. Its website explains: 'New Saint Andrews has long held a principled and clear voice, championing the truth of God's word and ways, while so many other colleges veer into softness and secularism.' The school is governed by the elders of Christ Church and does not accept federal funding.
In addition to the Logos Press, which produces the CREC school curriculum, Wilson founded Canon Press. Canon Press produces books, podcasts, a YouTube channel and assorted merchandise including apparel and weapons, such as a flamethrower. The YouTube channel has over 100,000 followers.
Books published by Canon include children's picture books to manuals on masculinity. A number of books continue the theme of warfare.
The politics page of the press contains many books on Christian nationalism. Christian political theorist Stephen Wolfe's book 'The Case for Christian Nationalism' is one of the most popular among books on Christian nationalism. The website has dozens of books on Christian nationalism and media dedicated to the construction of a Christian government.
Author Joe Rigney, a fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College and an associate pastor at Christ Church, warns of the 'Sin of Empathy.' Rigney claims that empathizing with others is sinful because it requires compromise and makes one vulnerable in the fight against evil.
As the church network has grown, it has drawn attention and scrutiny. Wilson's 1996 publication of a book positively depicting slavery and claiming slavery cultivated 'affection among the races' drew national attention.
Accusations of sexual abuse and the church's handling of it have also brought national news coverage. Vice's Sarah Stankorb interviewed many women who talked about a culture, especially in marriage, where sexual abuse and assault is common. The Vice reporting led to a podcast that details the accounts of survivors. In interviews, Wilson has denied any wrongdoing and said that claims of sexual abuse will be directed to the proper authorities.
Hegseth's actions as secretary of defense concerning gender identity and banning trans people from serving in the military, in addition to stripping gay activist and politician Harvey Milk's name from a Navy ship, have brought more attention to the CREC. I believe that given Hegseth's role as secretary of defense, his affiliation with the CREC will likely remain a topic of conversation throughout the Trump presidency.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Samuel Perry, Baylor University
Read more:
The term 'lone gunman' ignores the structures that enable violence
How Christian nationalism played a role in incorporating the phrase 'so help me God' in the presidential oath of office
Talk of 'Christian nationalism' is getting a lot louder – but what does the term really mean?
Samuel Perry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
11 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Heard on the Street Recap: It's Raining Tariffs
More tariff threats. Over the weekend President Trump said 30% tariffs on goods from the European Union and Mexico would go into effect on Aug. 1. This would be up from the current rates of 10% and 25% on the two markets' goods respectively. It was unclear if goods that are compliant with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free-trade agreement would still be exempt from the Mexico tariff, as they are currently.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Walters still considering run for governor, said there's no true MAGA representative running
In an interview with the News Press Wednesday, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he's still considering a possible run for governor of Oklahoma. Walters said the question about his possible candidacy comes up a lot when he's visiting with Oklahomans. 'We haven't made a decision on that yet,' Walters said. 'I get (the question) wherever I go, and it's very humbling. It's an honor to have Oklahomans (ask).' Walters pointed out that Oklahoma is a Republican state, and all 77 counties in the state voted for President Donald Trump. 'People are frustrated. They see that there's no candidate out there that's backing President Trump, and backing the Make America Great Again agenda. ... They want to see that candidate,' Walters said. On Tuesday, Walters announced a partnership with conservative nonprofit PragerU to vet teachers moving into Oklahoma from states with 'progressive education policies.' PragerU will supply the Oklahoma State Department of Education with an America First Assessment that evaluates teachers on 'their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, their understanding of American exceptionalism, and their grasp of fundamental biological differences between boys and girls.' 'We're sending a clear message: Oklahoma's schools will not be a haven for woke agendas pushed in places like California and New York,' Walters said in the release. 'If you want to teach here, you'd better know the Constitution, respect what makes America great, and understand basic biology. We're raising a generation of patriots, not activists, and I'll fight tooth and nail to keep leftist propaganda out of our classrooms.' The Oklahoma gubernatorial election is more than a year away, and six candidates have already announced their intention to run for governor. Those candidates include former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Charles McCall, Democrat House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former Oklahoma State Senator Mike Mazzei, business owner Leisa Mitchell Haynes (originally from Stillwater) and former Republican senator Jake Merrick of 'The Jake Merrick Show.' Drummond and McCall, considered two of the frontrunners, would likely disagree with Walters' assessment they are not MAGA candidates, as both have sought to align themselves with Trump in campaign material. McCall's campaign has called him an 'America First' candidate. Drummond's main campaign website includes a photo with Trump on the front page and gives about 20 seconds of his three-minute pop-up ad to images of Trump. Oklahoma congressman Kevin Hern, who represents Oklahoma's first congressional district, pulled out of the gubernatorial race in December 2024. In a letter to constituents that News 9 obtained, he wrote that President Trump's agenda in the next year would be intense and he was concerned about the 217-215 slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. 'Put simply, one member of the House could obstruct President Trump's agenda, and I will not let that be me,' Hern wrote. News Press Editor Beau Simmons contributed to this report.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Immigration agents demand tenant information from landlords, stirring questions and confusion
ATLANTA (AP) — Immigration authorities are demanding that landlords turn over leases, rental applications, forwarding addresses, identification cards and other information on their tenants, a sign that the Trump administration is targeting them to assist in its drive for mass deportations. Eric Teusink, an Atlanta-area real estate attorney, said several clients recently received subpoenas asking for entire files on tenants. A rental application can include work history, marital status and family relationships. The two-page 'information enforcement subpoena,' which Teusink shared exclusively with The Associated Press, also asks for information on other people who lived with the tenant. One, dated May 1, is signed by an officer for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ' anti-fraud unit. However, it is not signed by a judge. It is unclear how widely the subpoenas were issued, but they could signal a new front in the administration's efforts to locate people who are in the country illegally, many of whom were required to give authorities their U.S. addresses as a condition for initially entering the country without a visa. President Donald Trump largely ended temporary status for people who were allowed in the country under his predecessor, Joe Biden. Experts question whether landlords need to comply Some legal experts and property managers say the demands pose serious legal questions because they are not signed by a judge and that, if landlords comply, they might risk violating the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin. Critics also say landlords are likely to feel intimidated into complying with something that a judge hasn't ordered, all while the person whose information is being requested may never know that their private records are in the hands of immigration authorities. 'The danger here is overcompliance," said Stacy Seicshnaydre, a Tulane University law professor who studies housing law. "Just because a landlord gets a subpoena, doesn't mean it's a legitimate request.' ICE officers have long used subpoenas signed by an agency supervisor to try to enter homes. Advocacy groups have mounted 'Know Your Rights' campaign urging people to refuse entry if they are not signed by a judge. The subpoena reviewed by the AP is from USCIS' fraud detection and national security directorate, which, like ICE, is part of The Department of Homeland Security. Although it isn't signed by a judge, it threatens that a judge may hold a landlord in contempt of court for failure to comply. Tricia McLaughlin, a Homeland Security spokeswoman, defended the use of subpoenas against landlords without confirming if they are being issued. 'We are not going to comment on law enforcement's tactics surrounding ongoing investigations," McLaughlin said. 'However, it is false to say that subpoenas from ICE can simply be ignored. ICE is authorized to obtain records or testimony through specific administrative subpoena authorities. Failure to comply with an ICE-issued administrative subpoena may result in serious legal penalties. The media needs to stop spreading these lies.' These requests are new to many landlords Teusink said many of his clients oversee multifamily properties and are used to getting subpoenas for other reasons, such as requests to hand over surveillance footage or give local police access to a property as part of an investigation. But, he said, those requests are signed by a judge. Teusink said his clients were confused by the latest subpoenas. After consulting with immigration attorneys, he concluded that compliance is optional. Unless signed by a judge, the letters are essentially just an officer making a request. 'It seemed like they were on a fishing expedition,' Teusink said. Boston real estate attorney Jordana Roubicek Greenman said a landlord client of his received a vague voicemail from an ICE official last month requesting information about a tenant. Other local attorneys told her that their clients had received similar messages. She told her client not to call back. Anthony Luna, the CEO of Coastline Equity, a commercial and multifamily property management company that oversees about 1,000 units in the Los Angeles area, said property managers started contacting him a few weeks ago about concerns from tenants who heard rumors about the ICE subpoenas. Most do not plan to comply if they receive them. 'If they're going after criminals, why aren't they going through court documents?' Luna said. 'Why do they need housing provider files?' ICE subpoenas preceded Trump's first term in office, though they saw a significant uptick under him, according to Lindsay Nash, a law professor at Yeshiva University's Cardozo School of Law in New York who has spent years tracking them. Landlords rarely got them, though. State and local police were the most common recipients. ICE can enforce the subpoenas, but it would first have to file a lawsuit in federal court and get a judge to sign off on its enforcement — a step that would allow the subpoena's recipient to push back, Nash said. She said recipients often comply without telling the person whose records are being divulged. "Many people see these subpoenas, think that they look official, think that some of the language in them sounds threatening, and therefore respond, even when, from what I can tell, it looks like some of these subpoenas have been overbroad,' she said.
