Newly elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (R-LA), recently started flying a Christian nationalist flag outside his office.
Known as the Pine Tree Flag, Appeal to Heaven Flag, or the Washington Cruiser Flag, it has been around since the Revolutionary War. It features a green pine tree on a white background with the words "APPEAL TO HEAVEN."
In recent years, it has been adopted by a fundamentalist sect called the New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR. As reported in The New Republic, "A central tenet of NAR's belief system is that it is God's will for Christians to take control of all aspects of U.S. society—including education, arts and entertainment, the media, and businesses—to create a religious nation."
From Rolling Stone:
In the mid-2000s, these NAR networks collectively embraced a theological paradigm called the "Seven Mountain Mandate," a prophecy that divides society into seven arenas — religion, family, government, education, arts and entertainment, media, and business. The "Mandate," as they understand it, is given by God for Christians to "take dominion" and "conquer" the tops of all seven of these sectors and have Christian influence flow down into the rest of society.
Rolling Stone reached out to Rep. Johnson's office and received the following statement: "Rep. Johnson's Appeal to Heaven flag was a gift to him and other members of Congress by Pastor Dan Cummins, who has served as a guest chaplain for the House of Representatives over a dozen times, under Speakers from both parties," the spokesperson wrote, adding that Johnson appreciates the "rich history of the flag," citing its connection to George Washington and John Locke."
