Peter Wagner Addresses Apostolic Influence on American Politics
“A new charismatic Christian movement that seeks to take dominion over politics, business and culture in preparation for the end times and Jesus’ return is becoming more of a presence in American politics.”
That’s how an NPR article that discusses C. Peter Wagner’s New Apostolic Reformation theology starts out. NPR quickly dives into the fact that “several apostles affiliated with the movement” either helped plan or spoke at Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s prayer event, The Response, at Houston’s Reliant Stadium in August.
On the Fresh Air broadcast, Wagner discussed the NAR and its mission with host Terry Gross. Here are some of the highlights of the interview, but you can read Wagner’s fuller explanation of the NAR in a column Charisma News published weeks ago:
“We believe in working with any—with whatever political system there is,” Wagner said when asked about dominionism and acquiring leadership positions in government. “In America, it’s democracy and working with the administrative, judicial and legislative branches of the government, the way they are, but to have as many kingdom-minded people in influence in each one of these branches of government as possible so that the blessings of the kingdom will come.”
Gross asked Wagner about people in American politics being possessed by demons. His response: He doesn’t like to use the word “possessed” because that means people don’t have any power of their own. Instead, Wagner said, he prefers words like afflicted or demonized. “But there are people who—yes, who are—who are directly affected by demons, not only in politics, but also in the arts, in the media and religion in the Christian church,” he told Gross.
Gross also asked Wagner about statements made by Alice Patterson, a New Apostolic Reformation leader, while on stage at The Response. Patterson called the Democratic Party a demon structure.
“I personally would not endorse each one of her statements and especially the statement about the Democratic Party being demonized, any more than the Republican Party is,” Wagner said. “I mean, I believe there’s a lot of demonic control over Congress in general that needs to be dispersed.”
