Thom Hartmann on a “Secular” or “Political” Antichrist

These days, I find myself bringing forward an ancient archetype from the Biblical apocalyptic tradition about evil, namely that of the antichrist. 

In my recent book on that topic, I go through some historical precedents, including of course the last book of the Christian Bible, the Book of Apocalypse, (which draws on the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible among other sources).  For Christians at the end of the first century, attacks from the Roman emperor surely created an apocalyptic-like milieu.

I share Hildegard of Bingen’s paintings and fierce commentary in the 12^th century, when she rages how the antichrist has entered Mother Church, bloodied her, and is trying to take her over.  Four hundred years later came the fresco painted by Luca Signorelli, which I also reproduce along with Hildegard’s painting. 

Twenty years later, Martin Luther employed the antichrist epithet over a 25-year period, applying it first to the corruption surrounding the papacy, and then to the pope himself.  Other Protestant reformers followed him in invoking the same antichrist archetype.

I am not the only one talking about Trump as antichrist today.  Thom Hartmann did a superb job in an article published the morning of the presidential debate between Trump and Kamala Harris.  That article, entitled “Will Donald Trump Reveal Himself Tonight as the Antichrist?” resulted in his interviewing me on the topic. 

It begins this way: For me, all the proof I need that Trump, if not the biblical Antichrist is at least a political one, is what he says and does.  Notice the distinction he draws between a political and a biblical antichrist.  One does not have to be a believer to call an antichrist an antichrist.  Or evil evil.

Hartmann says his phone line lit up when a listener asked if Trump was the antichrist, “the Evil One come to ravage the Earth.”  Whether one talks about a literal antichrist or a metaphorical one, Hartmann points out, hardly matters.  The results are the same.

The secular perspective means we are talking about a metaphor “for the embodiment of good and evil.”  Hartmann cites Jesus’ warning about “false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.”  He is a “father of lies” and we need to know that “by their fruits you will know them.” 

Hartmann comments: Trump’s ‘fruits’ are pretty obvious: More than 20 women have accused him of rape and sexual assault; hundreds of contractors, customers and employees have accused him of stealing or refusing to pay them; he lied over 30,000 times during his presidency; he pits Americans against each other by race, religion and region; he openly encourages violence at his rallies including against journalists [see Signorelli’s fresco]; he embraces “strongmen” while ridiculing western democratic leaders; he seeks to dismantle the UN, NATO  and other efforts at peace; he directs Jesus’ followers to bigotry and hatred; he tried to kill Obamacare and privatize Medicare, etc.

Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 about caring for the least is “quite literally the opposite of everything” that Donald Trump and MAGA stand for.* 

By their fruits we will know them.  How many millions of voters will turn their back on these truths and vote for an antichrist in their midst?  It is scary to consider.

It is because an antichrist is an archetype and can be political or secular (as well as religious) that this election is so significant.  Carl Jung says that we must shed light on the shadow that is the antichrist, name it and confront it, if we are to stop it from taking over.  This Hartmann and I are both trying to do.

*Thom Hartmann, “Will Donald Trump Reveal Himself Tonight as the Antichrist?” Subscriber-only content on HartmannReport.com.

See Matthew Fox, Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election.

And Fox, Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen, pp. 122-126.

And Fox, Hildegard of Bingen, a Saint For Our Times: Unleashing Her Power in the 21st Century, pp. 97-110.

And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.

Banner Image: Detail of “Sermon and Deeds of the Antichrist.” Fresco by Luca Signorelli, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, Orvieto. Wikimedia Commons.

Queries for Contemplation

What does the archetype of the antichrist mean to you?  Do you find it unsettling that such a person and movement have so large a  following in a presidential election in 2024?  What are you doing to make a difference?

Recommended Reading

Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election

Matthew Fox tells us that he had always shied away from using the term “Anti-Christ” because it was so often used to spread control and fear. However, given today’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables in this book employing the archetype for the cause of justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a moment, for examining the archetype of the Antichrist, it is now…Read this book with an open mind. Good and evil are real forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For immediate access to Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE. 
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white images, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE. 
To receive a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for immediate download.

Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen

An introduction to the life and work of Hildegard of Bingen, Illuminations reveals the life and teachings of one of the greatest female artists and intellectuals of the Western Mystical Tradition.  At the age of 42, she began to have visions; these were captured as 36 illuminations–24 of which are recorded in this book along with her commentaries on them.
“If one person deserves credit for the great Hildegard renaissance in our time, it is Matthew Fox.”  – Dr Mary Ford-Grabowsky, author of Sacred Voices.

Hildegard of Bingen, A Saint for Our Times: Unleashing Her Power in the 21st Century

Matthew Fox writes in Hildegard of Bingen about this amazing woman and what we can learn from her.
In an era when women were marginalized, Hildegard was an outspoken, controversial figure. Yet so visionary was her insight that she was sought out by kings, popes, abbots, and bishops for advice.
“This book gives strong, sterling, and unvarnished evidence that everything – everything – we ourselves become will affect what women after us may also become….This is a truly marvelous, useful, profound, and creative book.” ~~ Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism.

Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society

Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them. 
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science.  A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics