Christian nationalist leaders are telling followers that is under the influence of a 鈥淛ezebel spirit,鈥� using a term with deeply racist and misogynistic roots that is setting off alarm bells for religious and political scholars.
The concept is inspired by the biblical story of the evil Queen Jezebel, who persecuted prophets and was punished with a horrible death. The word 鈥淛ezebel鈥� was used during slavery and throughout U.S. history to describe Black women, casting them as overtly sexual and untrustworthy.
In the context of 鈥淛ezebel spirit,鈥� the term has sinister connotations, suggesting the person is under the influence of demons in a between good and evil. People who have studied the warn that similar rhetoric on drove many to the U.S. Capitol that day.
鈥淧eople 鈥� are hearing this woman is possessed by a demonic spirit that is hardcore, terrible, hates men, hates authority, is going to do whatever she wants to do,鈥� said Anthea Butler, professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book 鈥淲hite Evangelical Racism,鈥� who has studied the New Apostolic Reformation.
The term, Butler said, is coded language to communicate that the person 鈥� a woman, usually a Democrat, Black or multiracial 鈥� is not an acceptable candidate. , but when faith leaders tie her to Jezebel, Butler said it suggests falsely that she is non-Christian.
Where does the term come from?
In the Old Testament, Jezebel is among the vilest of villains. She was a foreign-born queen who wielded great power, persecuted prophets and worshiped false gods. Ultimately, she was punished by being thrown out a window, trampled by a horse, then eaten by dogs.
Later in the Bible, a Jezebel appears as a false prophet portending the end times and promoting sexual promiscuity.
The term has a long history of being used in the U.S. against women, especially Black women. During times of slavery, the idea was used to justify the systemic sexual assault and rape of Black women and girls. It has been used in the past to target other women such as Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, and to categorize movements such as feminism, abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights.
Conceptualizing female candidates through the 鈥淛ezebel spirit鈥� is dangerous, said Tamura Lomax, author of the book 鈥淛ezebel Unhinged鈥� and associate professor of religious studies at Michigan State University.
鈥淎ny woman who is stepping into her power in any kind of way, is going to be seen as this Jezebel who is deserving of violence,鈥� she said.
Who is using the term? And why?
The usage comes from a politicized movement of charismatic Christianity called the New Apostolic Reformation, a decentralized yet highly networked movement whose leaders widely teach that demonic forces are involved in spiritual warfare and can speak through people. In this case, the Jezebel spirit is a demon who is at work on earth and has the qualities of the Bible鈥檚 Jezebel.
The language is used to galvanize and catalyze Christians with apocalyptic sensibilities with messages that the next election is 鈥渄o or die,鈥� said Matthew Taylor, whose new book, 鈥淭he Violent Take It By Force,鈥� provides a history of the New Apostolic Reformation and details its influence in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
鈥淚t鈥檚 used as a means of justifying aggression,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淐hristians are supposed to love their enemies. ... But Christians are allowed to hate demons.鈥�
And some people could use that militant rhetoric to justify real-world violence, he said.
The movement was on prominent display on Jan. 6, Taylor said, as believers waged 鈥渟piritual warfare鈥� at the Capitol. As the attack took place, people sang religious songs, prayed and blew shofars 鈥� a horn in Jewish tradition that has been adopted by Christian nationalists, inspired by their use in the biblical Battle of Jericho.
Since that day, Taylor said, there has been a huge increase in talk of spiritual warfare in American politics.
is a fusion of American and Christian identities that seeks a privileged place for Christianity in American public life.
Wallnau, who has 1 million Facebook followers, is considered a prophet in the New Apostolic Reformation, according to Taylor, and says he receives messages directly from God. He was an early evangelical supporter of Trump and remains close to his campaign. Republican vice presidential candidate recently .
The Trump and Harris campaigns did not respond to requests for comment.
Wallnau posted a video on X in which he said, 鈥渨ith Kamala you have a Jezebel spirit, a characteristic in the Bible, that is a Jezebel spirit. The personification of intimidation, seduction, domination and manipulation,鈥� he said, adding. 鈥淪he can look presidential and that鈥檚 the seduction of what I would say is witchcraft.鈥� In a different video, he said Harris represents a 鈥渁n amalgam of the spirit of Jezebel in a way that鈥檒l be even more ominous than Hillary (Clinton), because she鈥檒l bring a racial component, and she鈥檚 younger.鈥�
Meanwhile, Trump is described by some preachers with New Apostolic Reformation ties as being anointed by God, fighting on the side of the angels.
Wallnau didn鈥檛 respond to the AP鈥檚 attempts to reach him for comment. But after backlash over his use of the 鈥淛ezebel spirit鈥� rhetoric, Wallnau posted on X to clarify his thoughts on Harris.
鈥淔or the record, Kamala isn鈥檛 a demon and no living soul on planet earth is a demon. However people, political parties and organizational structures can be under demonic influence,鈥� Wallnau wrote Sept. 29.
The language has seeped into down ballot races as well. In Indiana, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor said that the election is between 鈥渟trength and godly boldness鈥� on the state Republican ticket and the 鈥淛ezebel spirit鈥� on the Democratic ticket, which is led by three women.
Micah Beckwith, a pastor, and self-proclaimed Christian nationalist, did not respond to voicemails and text messages seeking clarity on his comment. Beckwith told the this month that his comment was not about gender but Democratic ideas.
On Oct. 12, thousands gathered to pray at the National Mall where Ch茅 Ahn, a leader in the New Apostolic Reformation, decreed that that Trump is a 鈥渢ype of Jehu,鈥� the biblical figure who overthrew Jezebel鈥檚 reign and ordered her death. Ahn, who did not respond to the Associated Press seeking comment, pleaded with the crowd to get out and vote.
鈥淚 decree it by faith that Trump will win on November the 5th,鈥� he told the crowd. 鈥淗e will be our 47th president and Kamala Harris will be cast out."
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Volmert reported from Lansing, Mich., and Smith reported from Providence, R.I.
Isabella Volmert And Michelle R. Smith, The Associated Press
