Childish Governance: The Subjugation of Childhood to Empire Building

Children have become central figures in contemporary political and religious rhetoric because they symbolize innocence, purity, and the future of society, making them powerful tools for moral and cultural arguments. By positioning children as vulnerable and in need of protection, leaders can galvanize support for their agendas, framing their policies as urgent moral imperatives. This is evident in the current intertwining of Christian theological rhetoric and public policy around issues like gender-affirming care, education, and public health, where invoking the welfare of children allows proponents to sidestep nuanced discussion in favor of emotional appeals. My research demonstrates that as children within Christian traditions function primarily as instruments for the confirmation, solidification, and expansion of Christian power, they have been rendered an unreliable ground for accomplishing aims which do not serve the interests of those in and seeking power. They may only find liberation when adult Christians cease seeking earthly power.