Pastor Doug Wilson Preaches at the Pentagon: Christian Nationalism Enters Defense Hallways

In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invited Pastor Doug Wilson to deliver a sermon during the Pentagon’s monthly Christian worship service. The event, held inside the Pentagon’s chapel, marked the first time a self-described Christian nationalist with extremist social views addressed senior defense officials in that setting. Wilson’s appearance sparked immediate controversy, given his public advocacy for repealing women’s suffrage, defending slavery, and criminalizing homosexuality.

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The Pentagon’s worship program, instituted under Hegseth, aims to provide a space for Christian service members and staff. Hegseth, a frequent attendee of Wilson’s newly opened Washington, D.C., congregation, has linked the program to the “large number of Christians who adhere to his church’s teachings within the Trump administration.” Scholars of religion and history note that ideas once considered fringe—such as a Christian theocracy—are now finding footholds in mainstream political circles.

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Wilson articulated a long-term plan to reshape the United States into a Christian theocracy over several generations, despite the Constitution’s prohibition on an established religion. He envisions a future where public spaces reflect exclusively Christian symbols—“church bells” but no “minarets”—and where non-Christians may vote but would be barred from holding public office. He also proposes “household voting,” allowing women to vote only if they head their household. Wilson estimates that his vision could be realized within 250 years.

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His immediate priorities, he says, are “preaching the gospel, planting churches, starting classical Christian schools,” and pursuing policy goals such as banning abortion nationwide and overturning the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage.

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• Wilson told NPR he has met Hegseth a few times and exchanged texts, but he “has not communicated these concerns directly to Hegseth” regarding defense policy.

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• He emphasized that he “doesn’t have a pipeline to the secretary” and that “pastors should stay in their lane” on matters like the Strait of Hormuz.

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• Wilson also expressed opposition to “forever wars,” arguing that Congress should be the body to declare war and that the current conflict in Iran has “gone on too long.”

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• The Pentagon has not issued a formal comment on the content of Wilson’s sermon, and Hegseth has not publicly detailed the criteria for selecting speakers.

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Religion scholars describe Wilson’s doctrines as “extreme” and note that his network of churches remains “very small” in the United States. Critics label his worldview as fascist and point out that his proposals—repealing women’s suffrage, restricting non-Christian public expression, and establishing a theocracy—contradict constitutional protections of religious freedom and equal voting rights. The invitation has raised concerns about the blending of theology and national security policy.

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• “If Kamala [Harris] had won the presidency, there would have been basically zero evangelicals in the White House administration,” Wilson said. “And although Donald Trump is not an evangelical by any stretch … his administration is full of them.”

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• “Because it's a good idea," he said, adding that he wants it replaced with household voting, with women only voting if they are the head of their household.” he said, when asked why he wants to repeal women’s right to vote.

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• “Asked whether non-Christians would be allowed to vote, Wilson said, "Yes, probably," adding that there would be restrictions on public spaces for non-Christian activities.” Wilson replied when asked whether non-Christians would be allowed to vote.

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• “So probably the best illustration of this would be church bells?” he said.

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• “Our vision of what the intersection of theology and politics should be, our theopolitical vision, is closer to getting a hearing,” he said.

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• “I think it is crucial for pastors, when it comes to situations like this, to stay in their lane.”

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Wilson plans to expand his movement by establishing more churches and classical Christian schools, aiming to embed his theopolitical agenda across generations. Observers will watch whether the Pentagon’s worship program continues to feature speakers with similar extremist views, and whether congressional oversight will address the potential influence of religious ideology on defense policy.

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