Kinism is the belief that the divinely ordained social order is tribal and familial as opposed to imperial and propositional.[1] The term is often used to refer to a "movement ofanti-immigrant, 'Southern heritage' separatists who splintered off fromChristian Reconstructionism to advocate that God's intended order is 'loving one's own kind' by separating people along 'tribal and ethnic' lines to live in large, extended-family groups."[2]
The Kinistideology emerged in either the 1990s or the early 2000s.[3]
Some kinists were associated with theNeo-ConfederateLeague of the South; one of its members stated that "The non-white immigration invasion is the 'Final Solution' to the 'white' problem of the South,White race genocide. We believe the Kinism statement proposes a biblical solution for allraces. If whites die out, the South will no longer exist."[4]
Kinists claim that the Bible prohibitsracial integration.[3] TheAnti-Defamation League notes that "Despite having an explicit, racially centric set of beliefs, Kinists often deny the claim that they areracists."[3] The movement is loosely organized and as a result, it does not have a single leader; as of 2003, there were various kinist activists in the United States, many of them had anInternet presence which consisted ofwebsites andblogs.[3]
Kinists are different from adherents of other white nationalist religions, such asChristian Identity,Wotansvolk andCreativity: "What sets Kinists apart from many other white supremacist groups is their adherence to a biblical form of Christianity whose core belief isuniversal salvation throughJesus. Many other white supremacist groups completely reject Christianity or, when they do practice Christianity, they adhere to a form of thereligion which only recognizeswhites as capable of receiving salvation."[3]
Joel LeFevre, successor toSamuel T. Francis as editor ofThe Citizens Informer, the publication of thewhite nationalistCouncil of Conservative Citizens, endorsed kinism and said "[V]ery simply, without some level ofdiscrimination, nonation… can permanently exist at all."[3]
Kinists often citeRobert Lewis Dabney[2] andRousas John Rushdoony.[5] Rushdoony's son, Mark Rushdoony, argues this is a misinterpretation of his father's beliefs, who engaged in direct ministry with minorities and wed interracial couples — neither consistent with Kinistideological beliefs.[6][7][8]
TheSouthern Poverty Law Center has called kinism "a new strain ofracial separatism that wants America to be broken up into racial mini-states."[9]
In 2019, a synod of theChristian Reformed Church in North America formally condemned kinism and declared it aheresy.[10] This was in response to a kinist pastor who has since then left the denomination.[11]
