Those seeking to remake America as a Christian theocracy must have been especially thrilled by defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s most recent announcements. He is “now busy imposing his own brand of religion on the Pentagon, framing the war on Iran as a modern crusade and instituting monthly prayer services,” the Guardian reports.
In his own public prayers, he has blended Pulp Fiction with the Bible and prayed for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” As the Guardian remarks, the Jesus preaching love of one’s enemies “is far too woke (and bearded)” for Hegseth.
This week Hegseth, whose own mother directly accused him of misogyny, “took his personal crusade to a whole new level” in announcing a new Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs which will report directly to him. The military, he tells us, is putting on “the full armor of God.” Americans United For Separation of Church and State objected, saying he is clearly “advancing a Christian Nationalist agenda in the military.”
One of Hegseth’s religious gurus is Don Wilson, a pastor and self-described “Christian nationalist” who, among other things, believes that women should not be allowed to vote. At Hegseth’s invitation, he led a worship service at the Pentagon this past February. JD Vance, speaking at an evangelical podcast recently, sounded like his benefactor Peter Thiel, saying he is OK with a coming of “the end times.”*
Meanwhile, both Rolling Stone and Heather Cox Richardson report on a “Power to the People Festival” that lasted ten hours this past Saturday at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Organized by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Tom Morello, it gathered rock, alternative, “and hip hop royalty” on two stages “to remind Americans of their agency to change the future and reclaim American democracy.”
Musicians spanned 70 years of American music, including Joan Baez, Jack Black, Cypress Hill, Dropkick Murphys, Flavor Flav, Bruce Springsteen, Stephen Stills, Public Enemy, Dave Matthews, The Linda Lindas and more. A portion of the proceeds went to VoteRiders, a nonpartisan group working to overcome barriers preventing every available voter from voting.
The Festival reminded all that the power to confront the Trump administration lies with the voters. Attendees attended workshops on grassroots organizing, education, mutual aid, and other ways to make a difference.
The Festival occurred on the anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s death in 1967, and ended with a particularly vibrant singalong to his “This Land is Your Land,” composed in 1940 at the height of the Great Depression. Morello sang a verse often left out of the anthem: In the squares of the city, in the shadow of the steeple/ By the relief office, I saw my people/ As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking/ Is this land made for you and me?**
One regular reader of the Daily Meditations alerted me to this report from Heather Cox Richardson***, calling it “Art as Meditation in Action!” Which indeed it is. Morello reminded the audience that “Every act of art is an act of resistance,” and Guthrie believed “that music could fight the hatred, ignorance and greed that built fascism just as powerfully as a gun.”
I underscore this truth in much of my writing about the Via Creativa. In my first book, now called Prayer: A Radical Response to Life, I cite George Santayana that “art is more spiritual than dogma.” Psychologist Norman O. Brown reminds us how “art seduces us into the struggle against repression.” Social movements need artists who reach both heart and head and build community. Embodied compassion awakens all the chakras and gets us moving.
If art as meditation is the “way of the prophets,” we need artists to enlist the people into action. Elections are less than a month away.
*Arwa Mahdawi, “Pete Hegseth just took his personal crusade to a new level,” The Guardian, October 3, 2026.
**Daniel Kreps, “See Bruce Springsteen Cover Neil Young With Dave Grohl at Power to the People Fest,” Rolling Stone, October 4, 2026.
***Heather Cox Richardson, “October 3, 2026.” Letters from an American.
Banner image: “This machine kills fascists.” American singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie believed fascism was the ultimate evil. His songs and the slogan on his guitar (inspired by stickers pasted on bombs and tanks by U.S. munitions workers in WWII) showed it. Photo by Don Sniegowski on Flickr. CC-by-NC-SA 4.0.
Queries for Contemplation
Do you agree that art is more spiritual than dogma and that art seduces us in the struggle against repression? How do you feel about the defense secretary talking about “putting on the full armor of God” and advancing a Christian nationalist agenda in the military?
Related Readings by Matthew Fox
Prayer: A Radical Response to Life (originally, On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear: Spirituality American Style)
Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality, p. 250
Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet
TRUMP AND THE MAGA MOVEMENT AS ANTICHRIST: Recognizing the Archetype of Evil in Our Time
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul & Society
Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox, Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation
Charles Burack, ed., Matthew Fox: Essential Writings in Creation Spirituality
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance
Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice
10 thoughts on “Music & Art as Resistance to Christian Nationalism & Theocracy”
In the Ken Burn’s documentary Jazz, musician Wyntan Marsalis says that the four pillars of freedom in the US are gospel, blues, jazz, and rap. Those musics have influenced change all over the world by bringing people together, raising consciousness, and making people feel. End of the Vietnam War. Fall of the Berlin Wall. End of apartheid in South Africa. The term “woke”, of course, comes from a Lead Belly song called Scottsboro Boys in which he warns of the dangers of the “hard world”. Marvin did the same. Many prophets and healers in gospel, blues, jazz, and rap.
https://youtu.be/Y9KC7uhMY9s?si=r–nbsAi9DmHfUhH
At my church I am a member of our Resurrection Choir that sings for funerals but we also put together an annual Christmas Concert. One of the songs we are singing is DAY OF PEACE. It describes the beauty of what could be “in the heart of this very land.” We sing for peace, unity.
Thanks so much, Rev Dr Matthew for a magnificent meditation, such an inspirational, uplifting, and encouraging message to bring everyone into the midterms with hope and joy, and love for those suffering needlessly. You are able to cover so much ground with your words, that reach deeply into our searching souls. “Matthew Fox might well be the most creative, the most comprehensive, surely the most challenging religious-spiritual teacher in America.” —Thomas Berry
YES!!! True Art is Spiritual! It embodies the Spirit of LOVE~Wisdom~Peace~Justice~Healing~
Transformation~Strength~Creativity~Beauty~Joy~Compassion~Loving Diverse ONENESS…within and among Humanity, Beautiful Mother Earth/Her living creatures/Graceful abundance, and All of ongoing evolving Sacred Co-Creation/Cosmos, including All physical/nonphysical spiritual dimensions/Beings, in the Sacred Process of the Eternal Present Moment…. 🔥🌎💜🙏
Your book “TRUMP AND THE MAGA MOVEMENT AS ANTICHRIST: Recognizing the Archetype of Evil in Our Time” sure seems relevant in the light of Hegdeath’s unAmerican speech. Hegdeath’s “armor of God” reference comes from Ephesians, Chapter 6:11-12, which reminds us to put on the armor “so you can stand against the devil’s schemes.” Because our struggle isn’t “against flesh and blood,” it’s against “the rulers” and “authorities” and “powers of this dark world.” I often remind myself that Jesus called the devil “a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44), so why am I surprised when Trump’s minister of war twists Paul’s words to imply that the armor of God means “protective battle gear” instead of ‘strength sufficient to struggle against all kinds of evil—including lies.’ Ephesians 6:13-15 is very clear about what “the armor of God” means: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground … with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” The armor Paul speaks of is needed not for physical warfare but to withstand lies and stand for truth and peace. I have to say, Christian Nationalists just don’t seem to understand metaphor.
Hegseth is an ignorant, arrogant. white supremacist, misogynist, incompetent war criminal thug, who believes in authoritarian “Christian” theocracy.
There is much to fear and loathe in the current federal administration. I do my share of both, but I remember the command of Jesus to love not just our neighbors as ourselves but also our enemies. The song “If we only have love,” from the off-broadway show *Jacques Brel is Alive and Well in Paris” is worth remembering (and internalizing). The tone is aspirational, hopeful and determined, like an anthem to stir gentle revolutionaries.
(“Onward, faithful lovers!”–not “Onward, Christian Soldiers”)
Sometimes when I look at Trump and Hegseth and the rest of the clown show, I am overcome with a sense of compassion. Obviously I don’t agree with anything they are doing, but why are they doing it?
Trump has a serious mental illness, narcissistic personality disorder, and I suspect something similar is happening with Hegseth. How does our culture keep producing these insecure, cowardly, mentally ill men? And why do we elect them and allow them to hold positions of power? Hypermasculinity, individualism, capitalism, racism… we are fundamentally broken. We’ve been fighting these problems forever and while there’s been progress it sure seems slow.
I hope that they are learning what they came here to learn, and teaching us what we need to learn. Many people who voted for Trump are now learning that was a mistake. Many people opposed to things like a theocracy are learning how to come together and resist and make change more effectively.
There are reasons for all of this.
I’ve recently been exposed to a group called Singing Resistance, which might be of interest to folks: https://singing-resistance.org
Hegseth Is what is called a ‘dry drunk’ . He gave up the alcohol and substituted power and rage. And we are all caught in this very sick dynamic.
Gratitude for the artists and their courage to speak truth to power. Let us remember it was a dance and music festival that was targeted and ignited this war.
Holy Mother hear our Prayers.
I dare say God may armor Mr. Hegseth a with a fig leaf in the hope it may cover his shame.