TheSeven Mountain Mandate, alsoSeven Mountains Mandate,7M,[1]7MM,[2] orSeven Mountains Dominionism,[3] is adominionistconservative Christian ideology withinevangelical Christianity, particularly independentCharismatic groups.[1][4][5] It holds that there are seven aspects of society that believers seek todominate: family, religion, education, media, arts and entertainment, business, and government.[6]
It originated from a perceived divine message to evangelicalsLoren Cunningham,Bill Bright, andFrancis Schaeffer to influence seven key areas of society. Initially, Cunningham framed these spheres as a framework forevangelism rather than cultural takeover. Over time, particularly after the 2000 meeting between Cunningham andLance Wallnau and the 2013 publication ofInvading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate by Wallnau andBill Johnson, the movement adopted a more dominion-oriented focus, encouraging strategic social and political influence. It has been linked to theNew Apostolic Reformation and gained visibility through figures likePaula White and support forDonald Trump, with a 2024 poll indicating that 41% ofAmerican Christians believe in 7MM.
The movement’s theology is based on biblical passages like Revelation 17:9 and Isaiah 2:2, promoting the idea that Christians should actively take control of the seven societal “mountains” to establish God’s kingdom on Earth. Adherents usespiritual warfare tactics,prophecy, andintercession to attempt to influence these spheres. Organizations such as7M Films and Ziklag operate under its principles, and prominent political figures, includingMichele Bachmann andLauren Boebert are followers. Critics argue that 7MM mirrors ideological state apparatuses described byMarxist theorists.
The movement is believed by its followers to have begun in 1975 with a purported message from God delivered to evangelicalsLoren Cunningham,Bill Bright, andFrancis Schaeffer ordering them to invade the "seven spheres" of society identified as family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business, and government.A few weeks after the 1975 meeting between Cunningham and Bright, Cunningham heard Francis Schaeffer make a similar argument about taking dominion over seven different cultural areas: family, religion, education, media, art, economics, and government.[7]
The idea was not more widely known until 2000 during a meeting between Cunningham andLance Wallnau. A rhetorical shift of imagery began to transform a post millennial theology of cultural spheres for evangelism and discipleship into one of pursuing social transformation through dominion theology.The movement came to prominence after the 2013 publication of Wallnau's andBill Johnson'sInvading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate.[8][9]
The biblical base for the movement is derived fromRevelation 17:1–18, whereinverse 9 reads, "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains".[13] The seven areas that the movement believe influence society and that they seek to influence are family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business, and government.[13] They believe that their mission to influence the world through these seven spheres is justified byIsaiah 2:2 "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains."[8]
By using strategicspiritual warfare, adherents attempt to gain control of the seven mountains by researching andmapping the geographical strongholds ofterritorial spirits, usingprophecy from the movement'sprophets to determine the demons' names and roles, andintercession in which they pray on-site to rid the location or "mountain" of demons.[5]
Followers believe that by fulfilling the Seven Mountain Mandate, they can establish thekingdom of God on earth and bring about theend times.[8][5]
Ziklag is a Christian nonprofit organization named after the biblical city ofZiklag which subscribes to the Seven Mountain Mandate. Its membership is exclusively forhigh-net-worth individuals with a net worth of over $25 million as well as faith-based interests.[16]
Michele Bachmann, 2012 Republican presidential primary candidate and U.S. representative for Minnesota's 6th congressional district from 2007 until 2015.[17]
Lauren Boebert, Republican U.S. representative for Colorado's 3rd congressional district[18]
Boedy, Matthew (2025).The Seven Mountains Mandate. United States: Westminster John Knox Press (published September 30, 2025).ISBN9780664269210.
Chetty, Irvin G. (2014). "The New Apostolic Reformation and Christian Zionism".Journal for the Study of Religion.27 (2):297–312.JSTOR24799454.ProQuest1736623655.
Sharp, David (May 4, 2022).Hijacked Christianity: How An Aberrant Eschatology Enables A Grievance Culture That Supplants Christian Grace For An Extremist Meritocracy (Thesis).doi:10.57709/28912982.
Willenbrink, Hank (November 2021). "Vessel, Messiah, Warrior: Donald Trump in Evangelical Christian Narratives".Ecumenica.14 (2):221–247.doi:10.5325/ecumenica.14.2.0221.S2CID243967165.
Barrett-Fox, Rebecca (November 2018). "A King Cyrus President: How Donald Trump's Presidency Reasserts Conservative Christians' Right to Hegemony".Humanity & Society.42 (4):502–522.doi:10.1177/0160597618802644.S2CID150231701.
