Many of us may be unfamiliar with the term “7 Mountains of Influence.” In fact, unless we grew up in a certain American church tradition, we may have never heard it before.
In its essence, this school of thought arose in the 1970s. It claims that seven schools of thought influence all humans (more on this later). But is this a biblical concept based on Revelation 17:9, or does it overreach into Dominionism and Christian nationalism?
In this article, we’ll examine the 7 mountains of influence, possible biblical foundations for them, and potential issues with this school of thought.
What Are the 7 Mountains of Influence?
Before we explore what each mountain of influence stands for, let’s dive into this movement’s origins and how it became popular today.
The 7 Mountains of Influence, also known as the 7 Mountain Mandate, first came about in 1975 from Loren Cunningham, the founder of Campus Crusade, and Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ (now known as Cru). Cunningham claimed that seven areas of influence, well, influence society. And if Christianity is to have an impact, we need to infiltrate and have power in all seven.
The theory didn’t gain much traction until the early 2000s. For more on the movement’s history, check out this article here. The 7 Mountains of Influence became especially popular during Donald Trump’s presidency. Many Christians believed that a powerful leader representing them in government could help them develop their spheres of influence and advance.
Before we can dive into this theory’s implications, let’s examine what each of the 7 Mountains are.
Mountain of Influence 1: Religion
Since early civilization, every nation has tended to align with one (or many) religions. The religion(s) tend to govern how people act and behave in a society. This is often why we’ll see Christians bemoaning that America “is no longer a Christian nation.” Many Christians also talk about wishing their nation would “return to our roots.” Many believers argued this happened during Donald Trump’s presidency, which used the slogan “Make America Great Again,” implying the nation was returning to its forefathers’ ways.
Mountain of Influence 2: Family
The Bible places a heavy emphasis on family, and for a good reason. Since Adam and Eve left the garden, God instructs humanity to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). Family tends to have major sway over our thoughts and decisions. Often a family determines which religion or belief system a person will align with. This is why we often see Christians strongly emphasizing family values.
Mountain of Influence 3: Education
Many believers (and in many cases, for good reason) will complain that the public education system has attempted to indoctrinate their children. This can also explain why many believers place their children in private Christian schools or home-schooling communities. Youth tend to have impressionable minds. Whoever controls education can choose which truths to give to the next generation.
Mountain of Influence 4: Government
Government determines how a group of people may live. They can, in many ways, legislate morality. Christians may want to have representatives in government to ban certain immoral practices or to implement more Christian ways of living into the legislation.
Mountain of Influence 5: Media
News plays an important role in our lives. Certain media stations can determine which pieces are newsworthy and which are not. They can tell the truth or fearmonger. If Christians have a role in media, they can advance a commitment to the truth.
Mountain of Influence 6: Arts and Entertainment
“Garbage in, garbage out.” We’ve often heard this phrase in association with arts and entertainment. Along with, “Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.” The arts have a grand influence over people. They can shape the way we think and the way we act. If Christians have the opportunity to infiltrate the arts, they can instill biblical values in those who view or listen.
Mountain of Influence 7: Business
In a post-Industrial Revolution age, the business world runs our lives. Commerce determines how we live and whether or not people will be taken advantage of. Christian businesses, if they gain a certain amount of influence, can implement integral business practices and make sure that the poor, downtrodden, and oppressed are not overlooked.
In principle, the 7 Mountains of Influence seems like a beneficial thing. The more Christians who have influence, the more we can instill biblical values. But is there something more problematic under this idea than meets the eye? We’ll determine so in the final section. But first, let’s look at the Bible verses that those under this theory tend to use.
What Does the Bible Say about the 7 Mountains of Influence?
In short, nothing. The phrase itself doesn’t appear in the Bible. However, here are three Bible verses often used to argue for the biblical roots of this movement.
- Genesis 1:26. In this verse, God calls humans to have dominion over the earth. The verse’s context is humanity ruling over animals. The 7 Mountains of Influence theory interprets this verse to mean Christians having influence and dominion over nonbelievers.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-19. Just as God reconciles Christians to him, Christians seek to reconcile society. They seek to influence every aspect of it for the Gospel.
- Revelation 17:9. The whore of Babylon sits on a throne of 7 mountains. Over these, she influences the whole earth. The crux of the 7 Mountains of Influence is for Christians to take back these mountains, therefore allowing Christ to return.
Now that we’ve examined a few of the verses cited by the movement, let’s consider some possible problems with it.
What Are the Problems with the 7 Mountains of Influence?
As mentioned before, the heart of this movement seems pure. The more Christians have an influence, the more they can spread the Gospel. However, the movement’s ideas have a few problems. We will list three below.
1. The Problem of Christian Nationalism and Dominionism
Christian nationalism and Dominionism have the same mission. To have Christians rule over all areas of life. Although this seems good, we must understand that the Bible never mandates us to dominate all of society. It simply mandates us to spread the Gospel from nation to nation. Nothing in the New Testament indicates that we should try to usurp governmental powers and replace them with our own. Although we want Christian leaders in office, that isn’t our main mission here on earth (Matthew 28).
2. The Problem of Cherry Picking and Interpretation
Yes, Revelation 17 mentions 7 mountains (actually, the passage mentions “7 hills”). However, the passage does not mandate Christians to overtake those hills and depose Babylon. Further, the Genesis 1:26 passage never mandates God-followers to rule over those who don’t follow Him. We have to read these passages in context and not apply eisegetical interpretations simply because it fits a movement’s narrative.
3. The Problem of Control
Let’s take a look at the early church. They didn’t achieve the 7 Mountains of Influence. They experienced torture, imprisonment, and brutal execution. Yet, God moved. The problem with the 7 Mountains of Influence is it takes God out of the equation. It believes that if we do not take power, God will have no influence over people. This perspective does not align with the early church’s actions in Acts nor throughout church history when the people of God underwent persecution.
Although the 7 Mountains of Influence may have some good intentions, it overlooks our main mission as Christians. To preach the Gospel to all nations, knowing God himself will pave the way to do so.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/sara_winter
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
This article is part of our larger End Times Resource Library. Learn more about the rapture, the anti-christ, bible prophecy and the tribulation with articles that explain Biblical truths. You do not need to fear or worry about the future!
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