{"id":6739,"date":"2026-04-22T00:11:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/trumps-assigned-verse-in-bible-marathon-is-red-meat-for-christian-nationalists\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T00:11:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:41:59","slug":"trumps-assigned-verse-in-bible-marathon-is-red-meat-for-christian-nationalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/trumps-assigned-verse-in-bible-marathon-is-red-meat-for-christian-nationalists\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#8217;s assigned verse in Bible marathon is red meat for Christian nationalists"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p><iframe title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_maqp6tYXeWK?ui_title_intro=Listen+now%3A&amp;client=wp&amp;client_version=2.7.1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"136px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>(RNS) \u2014 On Tuesday (April 21), President Donald Trump will publicly read from the Bible. It won\u2019t be any lines from \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/publicwitness.wordandway.org\/p\/hegseth-borrows-violent-prayer-from\" data-outlook-id=\"aa62f98c-e66a-4b2a-af2f-acd1f42a56c5\">Pulp Fiction<\/a>,\u201d but it\u2019s still theatrics. And the choice of text for him shows he remains at the center of Christian nationalist visions, even as he personally avoids church.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday morning, the weeklong project \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americareadsthebible.com\/\" data-outlook-id=\"6f9d05d1-cd55-48c4-8424-9153c88d9d0e\">America Reads the Bible<\/a>\u201d kicked off,\u00a0in the beginning, with Genesis 1. The effort to read through the entire Protestant canon of the Bible is occurring inside the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., and via online streaming. Trump will read a few verses on Tuesday evening from 2 Chronicles 7. At the heart of his section is verse 14, long a favorite among those pushing to codify Christianity into public life and government.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land,\u201d the passage <a href=\"https:\/\/biblehub.com\/kjver\/2_chronicles\/7.htm\" data-outlook-id=\"00c7e2e3-b7cf-4b2c-a1cb-945a17b528cf\">reads<\/a> in the KJV Easy Read Bible being used for the event.<\/p>\n<p>The choice of \u201cTwo Chronicles\u201d is not a coincidence. Many of the passages <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americareadsthebible.com\/schedule\" data-outlook-id=\"1915654b-71f4-4527-9113-6e9f833dd3f0\">chosen<\/a> for politicians to read show an attempt to match them with verses to highlight an ideological or personal message. For instance, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee\u2019s selection included a verse in Genesis 12 he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=538503475689489\" data-outlook-id=\"7957996b-acbe-4ca1-a460-518351a36f90\">likes to cite<\/a> to justify pro-Israel policies today. Pseudo-historian David Barton will read from the Book of Nehemiah, which he invokes to justify the name of his Christian nationalist group WallBuilders. Similarly, evangelist Franklin Graham of Samaritan\u2019s Purse will read Luke 10, which includes the \u201cparable of the Good Samaritan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, why 2 Chronicles 7:14 for Trump? There\u2019s a long tradition of presidents and preachers invoking the verse for \u201cGod and country\u201d vibes.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong>RELATED: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/03\/11\/evangelicals-hope-a-week-of-bible-reading-will-wake-up-apathetic-christians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Evangelical Christian stars line up to read Bible aloud to wake up \u2018apathetic church\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Union chaplains and Northern preachers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ivpress.com\/the-religion-of-american-greatness?srsltid=AfmBOoq0BhBSe-3xbvhSQ2R7HZjwgBRAWHq72T0wYktqTTMI42P8votq\" data-outlook-id=\"cd4011e6-f535-4972-b853-3dc387047010\">invoked<\/a> it during the Civil War to justify their side. Dwight D. Eisenhower took the presidential oath of office on two Bibles in 1953, with one previously used by George Washington, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.museumofthebible.org\/book-minute\/eisenhowers-inaugural-verses\" data-outlook-id=\"18d2103b-0163-4aaa-ab78-af3a3e60f235\">open<\/a> to this verse at the suggestion of Billy Graham. Ronald Reagan used his mother\u2019s Bible, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.museumofthebible.org\/book-minute\/presidential-inaugurals-and-the-bible--ronald-reagan\" data-outlook-id=\"e56f558c-e976-46f7-92ea-9f33d4ee8b04\">open<\/a> to this verse, for both of his inaugurations. Speaking to the National Association of Evangelicals as he campaigned for reelection in 1984, Reagan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reaganlibrary.gov\/archives\/speech\/remarks-annual-convention-national-association-evangelicals-columbus-ohio\" data-outlook-id=\"2330d1fe-8539-4a01-a478-94ba7ee99bf3\">called<\/a> it \u201cone of my favorite Bible quotations.\u201d When Mike Pence took the oath as Trump\u2019s first vice president, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsmax.com\/us\/mike-pence-ronald-reagan-bible-inauguration\/2017\/01\/17\/id\/769084\/\" data-outlook-id=\"061d2d80-8253-449b-84ca-b48acf9e049f\">used<\/a> the same Reagan family Bible and also opened it to the verse, which he had cited repeatedly on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n<p>Stripped of its context of a covenantal promise God made to King Solomon and his descendants at the dedication of the Temple, the verse has been applied to the United States by preachers and politicians for decades. In this retelling, the United States became the new Israel, Americans the new chosen people. Yet, that\u2019s not a faithful application of the text. With apologies to Carly Simon, we\u2019re so vain we think this verse is about us. After all, 2 Chronicles was written centuries after Solomon to people returning home from exile after being defeated and enslaved by a foreign power. The verse is a reminder to those on the bottom that God is still with them, and therefore not a wave-the-flag-pep-rally chant for the powerful who control the global empire.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, putting aside concerns about biblical interpretation, the popularity of this verse among those favoring a more officially \u201cChristian\u201d nation makes sense. If the verse can be applied to this nation, then it justifies efforts to force governmental declarations of the Christian faith. Thus, the verse has long been popular with Christian nationalist efforts like the National Day of Prayer. House Chaplain Margaret Kibben <a href=\"https:\/\/publicwitness.wordandway.org\/p\/all-the-presidents-prayers\" data-outlook-id=\"b44cea4f-2d1f-4482-8676-35bae77e6c23\">included<\/a> it in her prayer to open the House on the day of Trump\u2019s second inauguration, adding immediately after quoting the verse: \u201cGod bless America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the general God-and-country patriotism of past decades, 2 Chronicles 7:14 often operates in a unique way among Trump\u2019s supporters. It was the most <a href=\"https:\/\/publicwitness.wordandway.org\/p\/prayers-of-the-maga-faithful\" data-outlook-id=\"ab10e437-744b-4012-a681-2bd4a15ece4e\">popular verse cited<\/a> in prayers to start his campaign rallies in 2023 and 2024, with the implication that Trump\u2019s election would help make the verse come true. For instance, during an Aug. 3, 2024, rally, Georgia megachurch pastor Jentezen Franklin said God spared Trump from an assassination attempt a month earlier, and Franklin then <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BrianKaylor\/status\/1819827744173342789\" data-outlook-id=\"76be64f1-ad9e-40b6-b8ff-fa1651027019\">cited<\/a> the verse. Franklin, who\u2019s often in the Trump White House for faith events, even had the crowd shout \u201cwe\u2019re that people\u201d as he quoted the verse. It also showed up during the Republican National Convention in 2024, including by a speaker who used the verse while <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BrianKaylor\/status\/1813006307407921581\" data-outlook-id=\"5764b44d-9494-4bb5-ac40-dce6d7378487\">declaring<\/a>, \u201cWe need God in our hearts and Donald Trump back in the White House.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Framing Trump\u2019s return to the White House as a sign of a coming national revival, this verse for MAGA preachers serves to endorse not just a generic American Christian nationalism but one that centers Trump as the new King Solomon. That\u2019s why Bunni Pounds, the lead organizer of the \u201cAmerica Reads the Bible\u201d effort, saved this verse for Trump. She <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/trump-set-read-scripture-oval-office-america-reads-bible-event-starting-sunday\" data-outlook-id=\"be634b1b-d861-4c78-b7e8-d913371d75a9\">told<\/a> Fox News Digital that she realized \u201cthis is such a critical passage for the body of Christ,\u201d so she wanted the president to read it as a way of highlighting this verse above all others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think he\u2019s sending a message that faith matters in this country, and that it\u2019s important not only personally, but for our nation overall,\u201d she explained. \u201cI believe the president\u2019s saying that by reading this Scripture specifically.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps nothing better demonstrates the false idolatry of Christian nationalism than that decision. Trump reading 2 Chronicles 7:14 is not going to spark a religious revival. It\u2019s not a magical spell that can unlock new powers if recited correctly. If anything, Trump\u2019s association with \u201cAmerica Reads the Bible\u201d could undermine the witness of the Bible among the majority of Americans who disapprove of his administration.<\/p>\n<p>Even if this verse could be applied to the United States, Trump\u2019s far from the appropriate messenger to call the nation to humility and repentance. He hasn\u2019t attended public Sunday worship in nearly four-and-a-half years, only going to church for funerals or inaugurations. It should come as no surprise that a recent Pew Research Center <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/16\/americans-have-become-more-likely-to-say-trump-is-not-too-or-not-at-all-religious\/\" data-outlook-id=\"4a148d67-ca2a-4ebc-aaa0-da826a4a3bfb\">survey found<\/a> that an increasing number of Americans \u2014 7 in 10 \u2014 say Trump is not very religious or not religious at all. On Easter Sunday, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-skips-church-on-christianitys-holiest-day-to-go-on-crazy-tour\/\" data-outlook-id=\"e63e13f1-c45d-4f53-85e1-96e0ed7a7276\">skipped<\/a> church to drive by where he wants to build a massive arch and to play golf. Later that day, he <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/04\/06\/donald-trumps-hellish-and-holy-easter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-outlook-id=\"a469b5e3-4aa3-4d72-9e7c-a7873243d452\">posted<\/a> a Truth Social message with profanity and \u201cPraise be to Allah.\u201d The next Sunday, he again skipped church before <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/04\/13\/in-criticizing-leo-and-depicting-himself-as-jesus-trump-sparks-outcry-from-religious-allies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-outlook-id=\"bf6aff4d-9803-4466-ad20-49de000aa379\">posting<\/a> a long attack on Pope Leo XIV and an AI image of himself as Jesus. He then inexplicably claimed he didn\u2019t mean to portray himself as Jesus but just thought it made him look like a doctor.<\/p>\n<p>How can \u201cwe the people\u201d be God\u2019s chosen people humbling ourselves and turning from our wicked ways simply by Trump reading a verse? It\u2019s the logical fallacy of Christian nationalists, especially when centered on a profane politician they view as, in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/rep-troy-nehls-compares-trump-to-second-coming-in-bizarre-rant\" data-outlook-id=\"553798de-da4a-4373-a308-f08f49ea1acd\">words<\/a> of Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, \u201calmost the second coming\u201d of Jesus. While Trump reads 2 Chronicles 7:14 after starting his feud with the pope and sharing that image of himself as AI Doctor Jesus, I\u2019ll instead recall the words of the old proverb that Jesus even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Luke%204%3A23&amp;version=KJV\" data-outlook-id=\"6307b4be-de36-4ba7-9c85-987c641dcd19\">quoted<\/a>: \u201cPhysician, heal thyself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>(Brian Kaylor, a Baptist minister with a doctorate in political communication, is president of <a href=\"https:\/\/wordandway.org\/\" data-outlook-id=\"935f6a54-05f0-47c2-aa03-acd097189502\">Word&amp;Way<\/a> and author of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/chalicepress.com\/products\/the-bible-according-to-christian-nationalists\" data-outlook-id=\"31124209-3258-4e62-8745-dab43a98f03b\">The Bible According to Christian Nationalists<\/a>.\u201d The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n        <\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/04\/21\/trumps-assigned-verse-in-bible-marathon-is-red-meat-for-christian-nationalists\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(RNS) \u2014 On Tuesday (April 21), President Donald Trump will publicly read from the Bible. It won\u2019t be any lines from \u201cPulp Fiction,\u201d but it\u2019s still theatrics. And the choice of text for him shows he remains at the center of Christian nationalist visions, even as he personally avoids church. On Sunday morning, the weeklong [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}