Faithful Politics Podcast
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Militant Masculinity and Christian Power: Sam Perry on the CREC
Posted
August 12, 2025
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August 12, 2025
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What happens when a religious sect rooted in patriarchy and Christian nationalism gains influence over America’s largest government agency?
Dr. Samuel P. Perry, a scholar of race, religion, and rhetoric at Baylor University, joins Will to unpack the rise of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC)—a small but strategically influential network founded by Doug Wilson in Moscow, Idaho. Perry explains how the CREC uses media, schools, and publishing arms like Canon Press to shape a hyper-patriarchal, theocratic vision of society. He also explores the implications of Pete Hegseth—Trump’s Secretary of Defense—being a member of a CREC church.
The conversation covers Christian reconstructionism, the erosion of church-state separation, militant rhetoric, and the creeping normalization of extreme ideology through polished media ecologies. Perry also warns how these theological fringes have real-world implications, from women in combat to anti-LGBTQ policies in the military.
If you've never heard of the CREC, now is the time to pay attention.
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👤 Guest Bio:
Samuel P. Perry is a scholar of rhetoric and public discourse at Baylor University, specializing in the intersection of race, religion, and politics. He is the author of Rhetorics of Race and Religion on the Christian Right, and his research has appeared in leading journals and outlets like Salon and The Conversation.
🔗 Resource Links:
CREC Overview
Doug Wilson’s Canon Press
Heath Druzin’s Podcast Extremely American
Sam Perry’s Article in Salon
Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She DoesWhy Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026. Bookshop.org
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