Opinion

The Ascension of American Jesus

There it was: a stadium full of flags, hats, fervent applause, tears, merch tables, and declarations of faith — but not quite Christianity as one might recognise it. Instead, what rose from the dais at Charlie Kirk’s memorial is better described as "American Jesus" — a polished, politicised Christ-figure who has nothing much to do with biblical ethics or church teaching, but everything to do with power, identity, and rallying the base.

How conservative Christianity died and a new one arose in a stadium in Glendale

Organisation founded by Charlie Kirk and central to conservative activism