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Abstract

In 2018, Hyung Jin Sean Moon, the pastor of the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary Church in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, presided over a ceremonial renewal of wedding vows wherein he blessed all of those present—along with the AR-15s that were required for attendance. He cited his interpretation of the “rod of iron” language of Revelation 2:26-27 as justification for that provocative gesture.1 In so doing, he echoed the “pro-Second Amendment” rhetoric found in many of today’s “patriot churches,” spaces wherein claims to Christian and white supremacy are freely espoused and underpin both conspiratorial worldviews and eschatological hopes.2 However, this event curiously departs from those ideological staples in at least one regard: Hyung Jin Sean Moon is Korean, and his church is–at least in public—a vocal proponent of racial unification and colorblind ideology. This raises an important question: can the hegemonic structures of white supremacy continue to function after their apparent decoupling from explicit assertions of white dominance? Moreover, what is the role of the “rod of iron” signifier and its associated verses in maintaining the functioning of that structure and the efficacy of the political discourse that it supports?