Back in the 1980's, when my wife and I were Charismatic Evangelical Christians, there was an idea circulating around about seven spheres of Christian influence.  The hope and belief at that time was that God was going to bring about a massive revival, accompanied by signs and wonders and miracles.  People would be drawn to Jesus by the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  This would cause a dramatic increase in the number of Christians in seven spheres of societal influence: entertainment, media, business, government, education, religion and family.  This would occur because of a supernatural outpouring from God that would draw people in.  It would be a critical mass event of exponential proliferation of Jesus followers and of God's tangible presence.  The Kingdom of God, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With a Mission (YWAM) and Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, are often credited with the inception of the "seven spheres" (or "seven mountains") vision.  They and their organizations were committed to fulfilling the "Great Commission" of taking the Gospel message into all of the world--so they saw the concept of the "seven spheres" not just as prophecy, but also as strategy for missionary work.

But gradually, a radical shift took place.  The prophetic concept of the "seven spheres" drifted from something that would occur through God's supernatural power into something that would be imposed by human power.  The "seven spheres" became no longer a vision of Holy Spirit revival or successful evangelism, but a cookbook for theocratic dominion.  It slid from being miraculous to being militaristic.  In 2013, megachurch pastors Lance Wallnau and Bill Johnson published an influential book titled "Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate."  The publisher's synopsis of the book includes this statement: "Before church was established as a place that people 'came to,' Jesus instituted it as an army that brought transformation to society, starting with salvation and continuing with seven spheres of influence."  Army.  Invading.

So the concept of "seven spheres of influence" has now morfed into "the Seven Mountain Mandate" and has become the blueprint for Christian Nationalism.  The transformation of "spheres" within the public realm is now viewed by followers of the Mandate as something that can (and should) be accomplished through any means necessary, including by backing the most corrupt, incompetent, and authoritarian of politicians, right up to the office of President.  The ends justify the means.  As Pascal wrote, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

Webster's defines theocracy as "government by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided."  In my studies of history I've realized that theocratic governments--from the ancient empires to the Holy Roman Empire to the Islamic Caliphate to Calvin's Geneva to the Mormon Church to the Taliban--are always, ALWAYS, oppressive; to women, to children, to racial and sexual and religious minorities, and generally to anyone who is outside the imposed definition of who is right and good and empowered and favored by God.

As of 2024, theocracy has taken root in the United States, as has the accompanying predictable mistreatment of women, of people who are LGBTQ, of adherents to non-Christian religions and views, etc.  This will only get worse until and unless it is soundly rejected and rooted out.  The "seven spheres" of Christian influence are metastasizing into the seven spheres of oppression, as the United States devolves into theocracy. 

Margaret Atwood predicted much of the United State's current trajectory in her chilling "speculative fiction" book The Handmaid's Tale, in which a theocratic government (calling itself Gilead) takes over part of the United States.  The atrocities that ensue in her book were all based on actual atrocities and oppression that have occurred in real life theocracies.  It serves as a warning.

 

 A poem for my grandson on the occasion of his birth...

I hope you have a long and easy road
I hope you don't bear too heavy a load
Struggles and hurts will make you strong
But I hope the pain never lasts too long

I hope you live surrounded by care
With family and friends who are always there
I hope you find a purpose to do
And in pursuing it, you find meaning too

I hope that you give peace a chance
And reject the path of violence
I hope you never go to war
Or blindly obey without asking what for

I hope you live life with a gentle touch
And never worry or stress to much
I hope you find a partner that's true
Like your parents did, and I did too

I wish that I could see it all through:
The amazing life that's ahead of you
But I'll only get to catch a slice
Before I'm finished with my own life

So try to leave the world a better place
Try to be an agent of grace
Try to consider others as valuable as you
Because someone had loving hopes for them too

But most of all, I hope you know
That you came from love, and to love you will go
Love will always follow you
And love will always see you through.
 

 Any day now I'm expecting to hear "Christian" right-wing pundits begin making the claim that sexually exploiting teenaged girls is Biblical.  💩