Evangelical mission specialists have warned of the rise of a "new fascism" in different countries around the world.
A 'Call to Biblical Faithfulness' from the International Fellowship of Mission as Transformation (INFEMIT) has been signed by theologians including Paul Bendor-Samuel from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, René Padilla from the Kairos Foundation in Argentina, Vinoth Ramachandra from the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students and Ronald J Sider from Palmer Seminary at Eastern University in the US.
Reflecting on the election of Donald Trump in the US and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, and on referendums in Colombia and the UK, It says: "As an ideology characterised by fundamentalist, militant, nationalistic, and racist policies, fascism threatens especially the 'other', be it the poor, the oppressed, or the disenfranchised – people for whom God has a special concern."
The theologians say they are releasing the statement around the inauguration of Donald Trump because of the global influence of the US. They say they are "keenly aware of the anxiety and fear being caused around the world by the actions, stated positions, and inflammatory foreign policy remarks" of the president.
They note evangelical support for the "new fascism" in referendums and elections around the world. Regarding the US, while they acknowledge the complexity of the political process, they say: "Nonetheless, we grieve the part that evangelicals played in electing a person whose character, values, and actions are antithetical to the Gospel." They say: "It does not surprise us that many people, especially from the younger generation, are abandoning the evangelical world altogether."
They conclude: "As representative members of the global evangelical community, we stand with all who oppose violence, racism, misogyny, and religious, sexual and political discrimination by resisting the leadership of a person whose life, deeds and words have normalized and even glorified these postures. Our voices represent solidarity with them both in their grief over the results of the elections and in their resolve to speak to power in word and deed in these troubling times."
The statement calls the Church to "biblical faithfulness" in the treatment of immigrants, rejecting the objectification of women and seeking the welfare of the poor. It encourages prayer for Trump and his administration.
The INFEMIT statement echoes language used by Pope Francis in an interview with Spain's El Pais newspaper, in which evoked the spectre of Nazism.
"Germany is broken, it needs to get up, to find its identity, a leader, someone capable of restoring its character, and there is a young man named Adolf Hitler who says: 'I can, I can'," Francis said.
"And all Germans vote for Hitler. Hitler didn't steal the power, his people voted for him, and then he destroyed his people."
On Trump, the Pope said he would "wait and see".
"I don't like to get ahead of myself nor judge people prematurely. We will see how he acts, what he does, and then I will have an opinion," he added.
