How the Christian right is twisting the legacy of an anti-Nazi hero

Leading figures on the Christian right have seized on an unlikely hero in their campaign against secular government.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an antifascist theologian and pastor who resisted the Nazi regime before he was executed in 1945 .

In the short term, this push has taken the form of a well-funded voter mobilization campaign ahead of the 5 November presidential election.

Eric Metaxas' 2009 book, Bonhoeffer : Pastor, Martyr, Prophet , Spy , was marketed to Christians but achieved popular acclaim serving as a biography and an inspirational history for readers familiar and unfamiliar with the historical figure.

At its worst, this interpretation has led to violence, including the murder of an anti-abortion zealot who shot and killed a physician at an abortion clinic.

Bonhoeffer : Pastor. Spy Spy Assassin is to debut in theaters across the US on 22 November .

Documentary-style film features controversial theologian and rightwing pastors.

Letter to the American Church has partnered with influential rightwing organizations, including pro-Trump Moms for America , the anti-LGBTQ+ Her Voice Movement, and Patriot Academy a Christian nationalist group.