![]() ![]() The result is that many congregations are awash in misinformation. They’re searching for real sources of truth.” People don’t trust institutions, and people think that all mainstream institutions are corrupt: universities, science, government, the media. “There’s this idea that you can’t trust anybody except these trusted individuals,” said Brad Christerson, a sociologist at evangelical Biola University. On Facebook, he reported that he received “multiple death threats and thousands upon thousands of emails from Christians saying the nastiest and most vulgar things I have ever heard toward my family and ministry.” He also said he had lost funding from donors who accused him of being “a coward, sellout, and traitor to the Holy Spirit.”īut the popularity of self-appointed prophets shows no signs of waning.Īs denominational Christianity declines almost across the board, magnetic independent leaders have stepped into the void. Trump that the apologies and recriminations now constitute a crisis within the movement. And by the fall, so many prominent prophets had incorrectly predicted the re-election of Mr. ![]() As the coronavirus swept the United States in the spring, several prophets issued public assurances that it would decline by Passover Cindy Jacobs, one of the most influential American prophets, led a global day of prayer to “contain” the virus in March. The past year has been riddled with prophecies that did not pan out. ![]() “And it’s unfortunate, because it’s an embarrassment to the movement.” “In my lifetime - 49 years as a follower of Jesus - I’ve never seen this level of interest in prophecy,” said Michael Brown, an evangelical radio host and commentator, who believes in prophecy but has called for greater accountability when prophecies prove false. Many prophets caution followers against trusting what they read in the news, but in its place they offer a kind of alternative news cycle, refracting and interpreting events in the real world through a supernatural lens. It follows the Super Bowl and the weather it analyzes events in pop culture, like Kanye West’s recent turn toward evangelism, and global events, including a particular fascination with Israel. The prophetic imagination roams far beyond national politics. Artificial Intelligence : For the first time, A.I.-generated personas were detected in a state-aligned disinformation campaign, opening a new chapter in online manipulation. ![]()
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