Boebert has also invoked faith at traditional fundraising events. While speaking at a fundraiser in Tennessee, she told attendees they were in the “last days” and congratulated the crowd for being “part of ushering in the second coming of Jesus.”
So, too, has been the case with Greene. Although a rival of Boebert’s — the two reportedly have feuded behind closed doors for years and recently exchanged harsh words in public — they both have appeared at some of the same religious events. Greene famously made headlines last year when she began identifying as a Christian nationalist and suggesting the GOP become “the party of Christian nationalism.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks to supporters ahead of a campaign rally by former President Donald Trump, Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Pickens, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
As attention to Greene’s new political identifier grew last July, she began selling $30 T-shirts with the slogan “Proud Christian Nationalist.” They remain prominently available for sale on her website, with proceeds going directly to her People over Politicians joint fundraising committee.
Anthea Butler, a University of Pennsylvania religion scholar and author of “White Evangelical Racism,” noted that Republican appeals to conservative forms of faith are hardly new. Even in the contemporary era, the kind of message Boebert delivers on the stump — or, especially, from the pulpit — has ample precedent.
“To me, it’s a cross between Sarah Palin and Paula White,” she said, referring to the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump’s closest religious adviser, respectively.
Anthea Butler. Courtesy photo
But today’s politics are more polarized, attracting a greater number of religious voices who unapologetically embrace right-wing rhetoric. Regardless of whether they open up funding streams, some Republicans see political benefits to being in their orbit.
Butler pointed to Boebert’s close connection with Sean Feucht, a musician and activist who garnered a national following in recent years for hosting a string of concerts to protest COVID-19 restrictions on churches during the height of the pandemic.
“I wonder, with this relationship with Feucht, if (Boebert) feels like he can bring her somewhere else, because he’s got all these connections,” Butler said.
Indeed, Boebert has appeared alongside Feucht multiple times over the past year. She spoke at his Hold the Line conference hosted at a Colorado church last May, delivered a speech during Feucht’s protest rally outside the Supreme Court last summer (which Boebert’s staff later cut into promotional video), was a guest on his podcast and invited him to lead worship at her 2022 campaign victory party.
Feucht, himself a former congressional candidate in California, has shown affinity for other conservative lawmakers as well. Shortly before the 2022 midterm elections, he hosted a Let Us Worship event on the National Mall, where Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley — who recently was accused of advocating for Christian nationalism — was brought onstage. After Hawley finished speaking, Feucht read Scripture to assuage those in the crowd who were concerned about Christian nationalism, then prayed for God to “raise up men and women just like Josh to run for office,” adding, “we promise to pledge our support behind them.”
More recently, Boebert has forged connections between Feucht and other lawmakers. In March, when Boebert helped facilitate an evening worship service led by Feucht in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, the crowd of 20-30 people included several Republican members of Congress, such as Reps. Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Tracey Mann of Kansas. After the event — which was livestreamed by Feucht’s team — the group posed with Feucht for photos.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Co), center, raises her arms during a worship service led by musician Sean Feucht, right, in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, March 9, 2023, in Washington. RNS photo by Jack Jenkins
Still, Boebert has sought to distance herself from the term Christian nationalism. Speaking to RNS immediately after the worship service in the Capitol rotunda, Boebert described the event as expressive of “God, family, (and) country,” but switched gears when asked about Christian nationalism.
“I don’t need a qualifier for my faith, and I don’t think that Sean does either,” she said, referring to Feucht.
