The Chosen Ones: A Mythic Analysis of the Theological and Political Self-Justification of Christian Identity

Christian Identity is a theology and movement that engages in a constructed rhetoric that encourages polarizing speech and, sometimes, by extension even violence. The origins of the modern Identity movement are found in a relatively little known theological movement called Anglo-Israelism or British Israelism. In this belief, Northern Europeans saw themselves as the literal descendents of the lost ten tribes of Israel. Its descendent, Christian Identity, has increasingly constructed a rhetoric that draws its strength and essence from hate and separation. As is the case with most movements, much energy is spent on rhetoric of selfjustification. For Christian Identity, that justification is founded on arguments that seek to create a theology that not only gives permission to hate the outside world, but also actually demands, at least rhetorical violence, against the world. We will examine and analyze Identity's self-justificatory and mythic rhetoric focusing primarily on its claim of chosen status.