When one looks for a term with which to better understand the contradictions and ideological twists of the authoritarian right, sooner or later one comes across a term from Christian theology: “katechon”. This ancient Greek word has appeared more and more often in right-wing debates for several years now - as a mysterious explanation for right-wing esoteric visions of history, politics and order. The word “katechon” originates from the Bible and denotes a mysterious force that restrains the Antichrist and thus prevents the Apocalypse.
The uncertainty of the concept
How does this term fit into the ideology of right-wing nationalists? “It is a matter of stylistic and intellectual enrichment of the vocabulary”, says historian and publicist Volker Weiss to ARD. In his book “Katechon: On the return of political theology in modern times” he traces the history and political use of the term. In right-wing politics, there is a return of religion, says Weiss.
Who or what exactly this “katechon” represents remains unclear in the biblical text. It is this uncertainty that makes the concept applicable today. “The advantage of the figure of the katechon is ultimately that it remains uncertain”, says Weiss. Unlike the Messiah, it is not specified who fulfills this role. In this way, the figure can be flexibly interpreted in a political context, he explains.
The main mission - to deter evil
Theologians have been dealing with this issue for a long time, writes ARD. The ancient Roman philosopher and theologian Tertullian viewed the Roman Empire as a “catechumen&rdash; not because of its moral qualities, but because he believed that it guaranteed the existing order. Therefore, the “catechumen&rdash; is not necessarily good - the only decisive thing is that it deters something that is considered worse.
Later, the term was used in different ways, connecting it now with the church, now with the state, now with the imperial order. In the 20th century, Karl Schmitt - probably the most prominent constitutional lawyer of the National Socialists - adopted the term and made it a central element of his political theology, recalls ARD. After the end of World War II, Schmitt saw in the “catechumen” a force that stops the collapse of the political order. He particularly saw the liberalism of the Americans as a threat. Thus, the “catechumen” became for Schmitt a symbol of resistance to progressive political and social change.
Are Trump and Putin holding back the liberal order?
That is why it is not surprising that the concept of “catechumen” is once again in vogue right now. Wars, crises, shaky democracies and autocratic leaders fuel the need for simple interpretations. This is precisely what the “catechumen” offers. as a story about an apocalyptic battle between the Antichrist and a powerful man who opposes him and prevents the collapse.
This idea is particularly popular with right-wing populist and far-right ideologies, explains the ARD. They use and recognize specifically the figure of the “protector”: the Russian ultranationalist and ideologist Alexander Dugin turns Vladimir Putin into a catechonic ruler – a single-handed bulwark against the postmodern, decadent liberal world order.
In the US, fundamentalist Christians and parts of the MAGA movement see US President Donald Trump as a “catechumen”. The politician from ”Alternative for Germany” Maximilian Kra also referred to this term and in February 2025 asked in X: “Is Trump the catechumen?” For Volker Weiss, this shows that the figure of the so-called a catechumen can be anyone: "What is "catechumen" for some is Satan for others," he says. Almost any political figure can be called that, as long as he fights against a correspondingly defined image of the enemy. What is crucial is not the personality, but the function assigned to him.
Technological innovations in the role of "catechumen"
The concept moves even further from its theological origins in the interpretation of the tech billionaire Peter Thiel. According to him, "catechumen" is no longer personified by a state or a ruler, but by technological innovation - precisely this technology with which Thiel promotes his own economic expansion.
Progress becomes a kind of last line of defense against possible decline. In Till's case, the "catechumen" serves to legitimize a radical libertarianism that views state regulation and control as obstacles and interprets only technical progress as a promise of salvation. Thus, the "catechumen" is no longer a theological enigma. In the visions of the new right, it has become a flexible political term for struggle - and part of a narrative framework that presents authoritarian rule or radical libertarianism as the only possible response to the liberal world order.