Whose persecution? Early Christianity as a metaphor in contemporary American political discourse

Abstract

Throughout history, the perception of early Christianity as a religion under threat has been deeply influential, and its perceived position as a marginalized and persecuted group in the otherwise religiously tolerant Roman Empire has become firmly entrenched in popular consciousness – both by the movement’s foundational narrative about the life and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, and by a vast collection of stories surrounding the martyrdom of the later Christians. It is therefore hardly surprising that references to the movement’s suppression during its foundational period continue to appear in political discourse with some frequency – particularly in the United States of America, where the idea of the country as a ‘Christian nation’ continues to be highly influential.

In this paper, the concept of historical metaphors will be used to explore the ways in which references to early Christianity and its central figures are used across the American political spectrum. It will be demonstrated that evocations of the persecution or marginalization of early Christians in particular are frequently used to support a variety of political arguments, ranging from the protection of refugees to so-called religious freedom bills. Such metaphors, it will be argued, commonly serve to encourage resistance against perceived injustice, and are strongly shaped both by the speaker’s own relationship to Christian tradition, and by their perception of the religious beliefs of their political opponents. In particular, the use of these historical metaphors in political discourse is strongly influenced by the extent to which the speaker self-identifies with Christianity as a supressed minority, or rather ascribes that position to another group, to which they themselves do not belong.