How Christian extremists are co-opting the book of Esther
There's a reason why Esther is everywhere these days
I first became aware of far-right Christians co-opting the Book of Esther for political ends when I heard the extremist group Moms for Liberty use Esther 4:14 as its slogan. Since then, the phrase “for such a time as this” has become a rallying cry for aggrieved Christian extremists captivated by revenge fantasies.
At the same time, the biblical characters of Queen Esther and Mordecai are being remade and recast in dizzying ways. From the Heritage Foundation’s recently released “Project Esther” to the controversial Texas Bible-infused curriculum, the tropes embodied by Esther and Mordecai are being used in often-contradictory ways by different Christian sects within the far-right movement.
Notably, how Esther’s story is appropriated hinges on three things:
The gender of the speaker
The gender of the person being referred to as an Esther
The degree to which the Christian co-opting her embraces charismatic Christianity (the movement that seeks out and fosters the supernatural expressions of the faith)
Yet, rather than thinking of each of these sects as isolated and their use of Esther as siloed, I have found it more helpful to think of each group as a small stream winding through our national religious and political landscapes. Sometimes these streams diverge; at other times they converge into the raging river we’ve variously labeled Christian extremism, Christian nationalism and Christofascism.
To continue reading this article published by Baptist News Global on December 10, 2024, click here: “How Christian extremists are co-opting the book of Esther.”