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The Christian Patriot movement is a loose association of groups and people in the United States. These groups share common interests including conspiracy theories, a Christian theology which places special emphasis on eschatology and apocalyptic matters, and interpretations of law, economics, and the United States Constitution which are considered unorthodox. The movement is generally considered to be part of the political far right in the United States, and has often been characterized as a form of nativism.
The origins of the movement are unclear, but the term Christian Patriot came into use during the 1980s following the establishment of the Chrisitan Patriot Association of Boring, Oregon. Some views commonly associated with the Christian Patriot movement include belief in a new world order conspiracy, belief that world events are secretly controlled by a shadowy group called the Illuminati, the impending second coming of Jesus, a strict constructionist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, and the legal theories of jury nullification and state citizenship. Some Christian Patriot groups have been accused of espousing anti-Semitism or anti-Masonic views, and many oppose the Catholic Church as well. Christian Patriots are closely associated with the tax revolt movement and may encourage people to stop paying income taxes, based on their belief that the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution is illegitimate. Another view central to the Christian Patriot movement is a desire to abolish the Federal Reserve Bank in the United States, which they believe is part of the Illuminati conspiracy. Christian Patriots are often hostile to banks and bankers in general, accusing them of usury.
Christian Patriot book publishers include Emissary Publications, and the now-defunct Omni Publications and Angriff Press. The views associated with the Christian Patriot movement have been borrowed from a variety of sources, including the Posse Comitatus, Liberty Lobby, classical conspiracy theories about the Illuminati, and the tax protest movement. Ironically, given the anti-Catholicism of some Christian Patriots, a primary source of many of their views appears to be Father Coughlin, a Catholic priest who had a popular radio program in the 1930s. Many also point to other popular speakers and activists from the middle of the 20th century, such as Gerald Winrod and Gerald L. K. Smith. Their Christian theology is heavily influenced by Adventism, fundamentalism, and restorationism. There has been some close association and cooperation between Christian Patriots and the Christian Identity religion, although Christian Patriots themselves are not, as a rule, Identity adherents.
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