Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s conservative evangelical beliefs drew attention before his January 2025 confirmation hearings. He belongs to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), a network shaped in part by 20th-century Christian Reconstructionist ideas that many CREC leaders interpret as calling for the implementation of biblical law and a theocratic state grounded in Christian patriarchy. The CREC’s website says it includes more than 160 churches across North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

Hegseth’s frequent use of religious language and prayers as secretary of defense has raised concerns about how his faith influences policy. At a March 25, 2026 prayer service during the war with Iran, he prayed, “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” and later called for “unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” Those comments and other religious invocations have prompted scrutiny about the mixing of religion and military policy.

CREC overview and leadership
The CREC is a global network associated most strongly with Doug Wilson, founder of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, which functions as the denomination’s flagship congregation. Wilson co-founded the CREC in 1993 and remains its most prominent voice. Christ Church in Moscow also serves as the hub for institutions Wilson helped establish—Logos Schools (private schools and curricula), Canon Press (a publishing/media house) and New Saint Andrews College—each promoting a worldview that frames Christians as opposed to secular society.

Wilson and Christ Church have pursued cultural influence locally and beyond; Wilson has said, “Our desire is to make Moscow a Christian town.” CREC doctrine emphasizes maintaining a Reformed theological identity and resists religious pluralism, cultural accommodation and political compromise. Many CREC churches adhere to strongly patriarchal interpretations of Scripture, and some leaders argue the U.S. establishment clause does not require a strict separation of church and state, advancing the view that government should be Christian-led and that Christians are best qualified to hold political office.

Doug Wilson’s influence and Pentagon ties
Though not Hegseth’s pastor, Wilson is influential in the CREC and the two have expressed mutual approval. Hegseth invited Wilson to lead a Pentagon prayer meeting in February 2026; Wilson told assembled military members that if they “bear the name of Jesus Christ, there is no armor greater than that,” linking military success and safety to faith and portraying enemies as agents of the devil. Such rhetoric ties religious identity directly to the legitimacy and mission of the military.

Church planting and growth
The CREC grows through church planting: local founders contact the CREC and receive doctrinal materials and support rather than through a centralized ordination process. This decentralized model has enabled expansion across the U.S. and internationally even as the CREC remains smaller and less widely known than major evangelical denominations.

Controversies
Wilson and the CREC have attracted controversy. In 1996 Wilson published a book with passages that were read as defending slavery and asserting it cultivated racial affection. Allegations of sexual abuse and critiques of the church’s handling of such claims have been reported by multiple outlets, including accounts from women describing a culture in which sexual abuse and assault were prevalent, especially within marriage. Wilson has denied wrongdoing and said abuse claims should be reported to proper authorities.

Hegseth’s policy moves have further spotlighted his CREC ties. In May and June 2025, his actions as secretary of defense included banning transgender people from serving in the military and removing gay activist and politician Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship—moves that drew public attention and criticism given CREC views on gender and sexuality.

Religious rhetoric and foreign policy
Hegseth often frames military actions in explicitly religious terms. In a March 5, 2026 speech to leaders from South and Central America, he justified intervention in Venezuela, the blockade of Cuba and maritime actions by invoking a shared Christian identity and describing “Western nations” as “Christian nations under God” with distinct heritage, borders and laws. Since the bombing campaign against Iran began on Feb. 28, Hegseth’s rhetoric has echoed medieval Crusading language. He has tattoos reading “Deus Vult” (“God wills it”), the Arabic word for “infidel,” and the Jerusalem cross, and he authored a book titled American Crusade. He has described adversaries as “religious fanatics” seeking nuclear weapons for an apocalyptic purpose.

Implications
Hegseth’s CREC affiliation and repeated use of religious rhetoric signal a fusion of theological convictions with policy and military strategy that raises questions about pluralism, the role of religion in government, and the treatment of religious and minority groups at home and abroad. As long as he remains secretary of defense, observers will likely view his faith and the CREC’s doctrines as informative for understanding how conflicts are justified and managed.

Samuel Perry is an associate professor of rhetoric at Baylor University. This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s conservative evangelical beliefs drew attention before his January 2025 confirmation hearings. He belongs to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), a network influenced by 20th-century Christian Reconstructionism. Many CREC leaders advocate implementing biblical law and a theocratic state organized around Christian patriarchy. The CREC says it has over 160 churches across North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

Hegseth’s use of religious language and prayers has prompted questions about how his faith relates to his role as secretary of defense. At a March 25, 2026, prayer service during the war with Iran, he said, “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” adding a plea for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”

The CREC is associated with Doug Wilson, pastor who founded Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. Wilson co-founded the CREC in 1993 and is its most public figure; Christ Church functions as the network’s hub, operating Logos Schools (private and homeschool curricula), Canon Press (publishing/media), and New Saint Andrews College. These institutions promote a view that Christians are at odds with secular society. Wilson and Hegseth have spoken approvingly of each other; Hegseth invited Wilson to speak at a Pentagon prayer in February 2026, where Wilson tied military success to belief in Jesus and described the enemy in demonic terms.

Wilson has described a desire to “make Moscow a Christian town.” CREC doctrine opposes religious pluralism and resists political compromise on doctrinal grounds. Its churches follow a highly patriarchal, conservative interpretation of Scripture; Wilson has written that in sexual relationships “A woman receives, surrenders, accepts.” CREC theology often rejects a strict separation of church and state, arguing that government and officeholders should be Christian.

The CREC emphasizes “church planting” to grow its network; new congregations contact the CREC for materials and support rather than relying on a centralized ordaining body. Though smaller than major evangelical denominations, the CREC has expanded nationally and internationally.

The movement has attracted controversy. In 1996 Wilson published material that positively depicted slavery, and media reporting has included accusations of sexual abuse and critiques of how the church handled survivors’ accounts. Wilson has denied wrongdoing and said allegations should go to authorities. The network’s associations drew greater scrutiny after Hegseth’s actions in May–June 2025 as secretary of defense—banning transgender people from military service and removing gay activist Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship—aligning with CREC positions on gender and sexuality.

Hegseth frequently frames foreign interventions and military policy in religious terms. In a March 5, 2026, speech to Latin American leaders, he invoked a shared Christian identity to justify intervention in Venezuela, the blockade of Cuba and naval actions: “We share the same interests… whether our nations will be and remain Western nations with distinct characteristics, Christian nations under God…” Since bombing began in late February, his rhetoric has included Crusades-era imagery; Hegseth has tattoos reading “Deus Vult” (“God wills it”), the Arabic word for infidel, and a Jerusalem cross, and he authored a book titled American Crusade. He has described opponents as “religious fanatics” pursuing nuclear capability for an “Armageddon.”

As long as Hegseth remains defense secretary, his CREC affiliation and recurrent religious language are likely to influence how conflicts are framed and managed domestically and internationally.

Samuel Perry is associate professor of rhetoric at Baylor University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.