That which is interesting is usually not true.<\/p>\n
The religious right in America talks about demons because they are exciting and they imbue the mundane with transcendent significance. For example, instead of telling yourself that you are sleeping poorly because you have sleep apnea, rather, you conclude you were wrestling with demons. <\/p>\n
I have a friend on the dissident right who’s constantly searching for interesting and exciting podcasts, but then laments that they are trashy.<\/p>\n
A great phrase I learned from the Decoding the Gurus podcast<\/a> is “optimizing for truth.” When you put some effort into optimizing for truth, even if your effort is way less than 100%, you reap significant benefits in clarity and wisdom and wise choices.<\/p>\n I’m right-wing but one of the best habits I’ve developed is seeking out the best of the left, because when I do, I recognize that smart lefties often have more clarity and wisdom than I do. Because they tend to hate the right, they feel more of an incentive to criticize the right than I do, and when they are right, they’re right, even though it is my oxe that is getting gored. <\/p>\n Scott Greer writes<\/a>: <\/p>\n The religious element is evident in the increased references to God, Jesus, and especially demons. Fixation on demons is arguably the defining characteristic of the new Religious Right. The Jerry Falwell types realized that continual evocations of demons was probably not the best idea to sell their message to the public. They were worried it might make them look like loons. That concern is not shared by the current Religious Right. Pop music, late night TV shows, Hakeem Jeffries, liberal columnists, and even unhealthy breakfast foods can all be DEMONIC. It\u2019s primarily a tool for partisan warfare, but many of those who see Belial everywhere think this actually explains events. Megyn Kelly, once the face of moderate girlboss Republicanism, now greatly fears hexes and demonic forces interfering with political affairs.<\/p>\n Demon posting is extremely popular within our sphere because it adds an exciting element to ordinary politics and literally demonizes the enemy. But it causes befuddlement among those outside it. Witness how the story of Tucker Carlson\u2019s alleged assault by a demon was treated by those outside of the conservative consumer market. Ordinary people thought the podcaster had lost his marbles. Conservatives, however, thought it was a profound story.<\/p>\n The MAGA Religious Right, in a nutshell, is more eager to provide state funding to exorcists than to repeal gay marriage.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Megyn, like most of the successful talkers on the right, is following her audience down market. <\/p>\n The growing number of conversations about demons on the American religious right is part of the reveling in the porous identity (that we are not independent of the physical and spiritual world around us unlike the buffered identity of the Enlightenment).<\/p>\n ChatGPT says: It\u2019s less about doctrine or catechism and more about affect, mood, and spectacle.<\/p>\n A few key dynamics stand out:<\/p>\n 1. Demon talk as identity performance 2. From Moral Majority to \u201cM\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce Christianity\u201d 3. Demons as partisan shorthand 4. The \u201cpost-religious right\u201d loop 5. Revival or cosplay? So yes: the new demon talk reflects a porous, performative identity. It turns politics into exorcism, memes into theology, and everyday grievances into supernatural battles. It\u2019s not your father\u2019s Religious Right\u2014it\u2019s Trumpist religiosity, loud and theatrical, built for an online age. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" That which is interesting is usually not true. The religious right in America talks about demons because they are exciting and they imbue the mundane with transcendent significance. For example, instead of telling yourself that you are sleeping poorly because … Continue reading
\nCalling everything \u201cdemonic\u201d collapses politics, culture, and spirituality into one category of cosmic struggle. It lets believers see themselves not just as partisans, but as embattled warriors in a literal spiritual war. That kind of language erases boundaries between self and world: your entertainment choices, your diet, your vote all become channels for supernatural forces. This porousness is exciting, because it makes everyday life feel mythic. It\u2019s also destabilizing\u2014because once everything is potentially demonic, nothing feels safe or settled.<\/p>\n
\nThe old Religious Right was buttoned-up, wary of sounding crazy, and careful about presenting Christianity as respectable. Today\u2019s version delights in the outrageous. Talking about demons openly is part of the style shift: it signals defiance against liberal norms, against mainstream ridicule, even against old evangelical caution. That flamboyance is exactly what Trump brought into politics. The theology is less consistent, but the vibe is clear: \u201cWe don\u2019t care if you think this sounds nuts; it\u2019s fun, it\u2019s powerful, and it makes us feel alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nLabeling opponents or cultural trends as demonic functions as a weaponized meme. It compresses complex debates into stark good-versus-evil binaries. It also allows people to indulge in strong emotions\u2014fear, rage, glee\u2014without needing coherent policy positions. It\u2019s not about advancing doctrine; it\u2019s about keeping the tribe mobilized and energized.<\/p>\n
\nRoss Douthat feared Trump would lead to a paganized or post-Christian right. But what we\u2019re seeing is a kind of hybrid: not secular, not orthodox, but a bricolage of megachurch theatrics, online Catholic aesthetics, and demon memes. It\u2019s Christianity as a cultural weapon more than a spiritual discipline. That porousness means people can dip in and out\u2014posting about hexes one day, swinging and drug use the next\u2014without seeing contradiction.<\/p>\n
\nThe big question is whether this demon talk represents a genuine religious revival or more of a stylized, partisan religiosity. Right now, it looks more like cosplay than catechesis\u2014less about saving souls, more about owning the libs. But it could still have real political and cultural force, because affect and spectacle often matter more than doctrine in shaping movements.<\/p>\n