Dangerous words

The weaponisation of faith, rhetoric and history

Author

Perspective Media
October 05, 2025

THIS WEEK’S DEEP DIVE
The New Crusades
BY BORIS STARLING

Boris Starling examines how American-style Christian nationalism is crossing the Atlantic, from crusader crosses at London marches to politicians openly mixing faith and politics. Tracing the rise of what he calls "Christianism" – aggressive, exclusionary and nationalistic – he warns that Britain’s traditional separation of church and state faces unprecedented pressure from a movement that uses religious symbols while often abandoning Christian values.

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The separation of church and state is not an optional extra in modern democracy, it is its lifeblood.

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Mumbo Jumbo

Ben Wormald examines how political discourse has transformed into a form of modern witchcraft, where inflammatory rhetoric manifests as real-world violence. Using the shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk – which followed a satirical article about witches cursing him – he explores how Ishmael Reed's prophetic 1972 novel "Mumbo Jumbo" predicted our current moment of algorithmic alchemy and viral outrage.

www.perspectivemedia.com/mumbo-jumbo

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Inflammatory rhetoric is the currency everyone is learning to trade in

History’s false promises

Economist Peter Lawlor examines why we keep reaching for the same historical analogies—from Rome's fall to the repeal of the Corn Laws—when trying to understand current events. Through the lens of economic theory and political rhetoric, he reveals an uncomfortable truth: we don't choose historical comparisons to learn from the past, but to validate the conclusions we've already reached.

www.perspectivemedia.com/historys-false-promises

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A striking analogy can add a veneer of plausibility to a position

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