Christian fascism

Christian fascism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity with fascism, endorsing violence, authoritarian rule and the regeneration of society on the basis of the Bible and its teachings. Christian fascists advocate for the establishment of the authority of religion and morals in personal, social, and political life of the people of a nation. A nationalist movement, it asserts the superiority of a specific culture, nation or ethnic group as possessing a status of chosen people. Christian fascism is generally characterized by its support for a dictatorial leadership and the subordination of the individual to the power of the state, seen as the main enforcer of biblical law.

Christian fascism as a political current emerged in the early 20th century in Europe, particularly in the interwar period. Though the core fascist movements in Europe were anticlerical and fundamentally even anti-religious, other Christian-based fascist groups also emerged around the continent during the same period, such as the Iron Guard in Romania, whose ideology incorporated elements of religious mysticism and the Orthodox Church's doctrine; or Catholic-based fascist organizations including the Ustaše in Croatia, the Arrow Cross in Hungary and the Hlinka Guard in Slovakia. In the United States, religiosity played a larger role in the development of a regional fascist movement in contrast with most of its European counterparts, with William Dudley Pelley's Silver Legion representing such ideology.

The term Christofascism is a neologism which liberation theologianDorothee Sölle coined in 1970 to designate one strand of Christian fascism prominent in the United States.