Prayer as Propaganda: How Pete Hegseth’s “Department of War” Video Rewrites Scripture
In this episode, Mike Smithgall critiques Pete Hegseth’s viral video blending prayer with state power. He analyzes how Christian nationalism reshapes faith into propaganda and patriotism into obedience. The discussion questions whether government-sanctioned prayer is genuine devotion or mere performance, prompting viewers to reflect on the growth of Christian nationalism in the U.S.
In this episode, Mike Smithgall dissects Pete Hegseth’s viral Lord’s Prayer video and its disturbing fusion of religion and state power. Using biblical analysis and historical parallels from Sinclair Lewis and Eugene Debs, he explains how Christian nationalism repackages faith as propaganda and patriotism as obedience.
This episode asks a hard question: when government officials use prayer to sanctify military imagery, is it devotion, or theater?
💬 Viewer Question Do you think Christian nationalism is growing in the U.S., or are we only seeing it more clearly because of social media?
• It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis – Novel warning of authoritarianism in America cloaked in religion and patriotism. URL: https://amzn.to/4n5ifSc
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