Guns, Gods, and Blockchains: Christian Nationalists Forge a Techno-Theocracy in Appalachia
A collection of Christian nationalist venture capitalists are building a "techno-libertarian" theocratic community in Tennessee. reported On Tuesday, Mother Jones reported what could be seen as another indication of a emerging form of right-wing politics gaining a tangible foothold, moving beyond its previous reliance mainly on internet platforms and talk radio.
The creation of right-wing Christian nationalist groups is not a recent occurrence—back in 2021, an extremist church with a fascination for firearms called the Rod of Iron Ministries came into prominence. bought a complex in Texas in anticipation of a conflict with the authorities.
The new initiative close to Gainesboro, Tennessee, has received support from the theocratic investment group called New Founding.
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And it's unusual.
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The Highland Rim Project isn’t merely an outdated utopian dream,” wrote Kiera Butler. “Instead, it’s intentionally future-oriented, saturated with Silicon Valley techno-libertarian principles. These communities will be structured around ‘digital self-governance,’ incorporating elements like cryptocurrencies and fostering a culture where traditional civil liberties—particularly concerning property rights, unrestricted political expression, and civilian arms—are upheld and sustained.
Included among those participating in the initiative is Andrew Isker, a podcasting minister hailing from Minnesota. He has decided to relocate his household of six due to concerns expressed about Democratic Governor Tim Walz’s policies. According to Isker, “The schools might make my son wear a dress and call him by another girl’s name without me knowing anything about it. If I object once this happens, BAM! Child Protective Services swoops in, removes him from us permanently, and we never see each other again.”
There is no proof that this occurrence has taken place or that it is probable to occur in the future.
As stated in the report, Isker and his fellow countrymen view their initiative as the establishment of an entirely new type of nation-state.
The term used to describe the broad notion outlined by Isker is called the ‘Network State,’ which represents an emerging and popular technological trend where internet communities are starting to contemplate the possibility of establishing their very own nations," stated the report. "Initially, these nascent states would emerge in cyberspace before materializing as tangible entities. In essence, the Highland Rim Project embodies this concept from a Christian nationalist perspective. As explained by Nate Fischer, CEO of New Founding, put it Last year on X, "nation-states do not represent the primary governmental structure nowadays. There’s no reason why Christian nations or communities couldn’t establish networked states instead."
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, hasn't made public endorsements of these initiatives. However, he has invested significant energy into promoting cryptocurrency technologies and undoing recent federal efforts aimed at regulating them, reflecting the sector’s backing of him during the 2024 elections. He is reportedly now telling prosecutors To stop looking into cryptocurrency scams.
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