STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
This is the moment in an investigation when authorities seek a deeper answer as to why, why a person took beliefs that many people have and converted them into violence. Prosecutors say the man charged with killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband had a notebook with other targets - most are all Democrats. The acting U.S. attorney says abortion rights supporters were among those targets, and that calls attention to a radical antiabortion ideology. NPR domestic extremism corresponded Odette Yousef joins us. Good morning.
ODETTE YOUSEF, BYLINE: Good morning.
INSKEEP: OK, so what do you know about this man's background that seems like it may be relevant here?
YOUSEF: Well, one aspect that's getting a lot of attention, Steve, is the religious context that he comes from. I spoke with Fred Clarkson from Political Research Associates about this, and he has homed in on a couple of aspects of Vance Boelter's background. One is that he graduated from a theological institution called the Christ for Nations Institute, which is the precursor to something called the New Apostolic Reformation. Boelter did missionary work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well, and videos of him sermonizing there show him saying that there will be prophets and apostles in the U.S., which again is distinct to NAR theology.
INSKEEP: OK, so he went to this earlier version of this theological institute that is now known as New Apostolic Reformation. What more can you say about it?
YOUSEF: Well, it's a decentralized network of churches and religious leaders who used to really be on the fringe of the conservative Christian right. But today, prominent figures in the network are closely tied with House Speaker Mike Johnson. They've been featured in prayer events he's organized. This is a neo-charismatic expression of Christianity, Steve, and it's distinct in the sense that it embraces ideas such as modern-day prophets and apostles. It also espouses what's called dominionist thinking, where they believe it's important to take control over every aspect of society to impose Old Testament biblical governance. So Clarkson says it is definitionally an antidemocratic venture.
FRED CLARKSON: It's just understood that it's going to involve physical warfare.
YOUSEF: And the Christ for the Nations Institute issued a statement saying the school is, quote, "aghast and horrified that a CFNI alumnus is the suspect." And, quote, "this is not who we are. This is not what we teach."
INSKEEP: And I guess we should emphasize individuals do things for their own individual reasons. And it's hard to say at this point exactly why the suspect acted this way. But what does this connection to this NAR group mean when it comes to the suspect's views on abortion rights?
YOUSEF: Well, this movement considers abortion to be an abomination. But as you said, the question is, how have we come to the point that this is expressed by killing people instead of debating policy? I spoke with Carol Mason at the University of Kentucky. She says, over the last several decades, rhetoric about abortion on the right has morphed into a radicalized ideology.
CAROL MASON: Abortion used to be seen as a sin like adultery or blasphemy. But over time, it became not just a sin. It became evil until people were convinced that abortion is not simply a matter of terminating a pregnancy but is actually a full-scale genocidal industry meant to serve an evil, Satanic, global cabal, whose mission it is to wipe out Christian civilization.
YOUSEF: And what's additionally worrying here, Steve, is that we're in a post-Roe era. You know, we heard from opponents of Roe, including President Trump, that overturning Roe was really about letting states decide abortion policies for themselves. But, in fact, there's been an increase in abortion-related violence in states that continue to protect access.
INSKEEP: NPR domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef. Thanks so much.
YOUSEF: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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