What is the Seven Mountain Mandate?

The Seven Mountain Mandate is a framework that teaches Christians should pursue influence over seven major spheres of society—religion, family, education, government, media, arts and entertainment, and business. In its more developed forms, it becomes a theology of dominion that reframes Christian mission around control rather than discipleship.

Where did the Seven Mountain Mandate originate?

The Seven Mountain idea is often traced to claims made about the mid-1970s involving leaders such as Lauren Cunningham and Bill Bright. Over time, later teachers expanded the framework and reshaped it into a more explicit dominion-driven movement.

Is the Seven Mountain Mandate biblical?

Scripture calls Christians to faithful witness, discipleship, and gospel proclamation. The Great Commission focuses on making disciples, not seizing institutions. Christians can engage culture as salt and light without adopting a mandate for dominion or control.

How should Christians engage culture without dominionism?

Christians should engage culture through faithful presence—living obediently in their vocations, loving neighbor, serving in humility, and remaining rooted in the local church. The New Testament emphasizes proclamation, discipleship, and spiritual weapons rather than political conquest.

The Seven Mountain Mandate: History, Origins, and a Biblical Assessment

⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 2 min read

The Seven Mountain Mandate: History, Origins, and a Biblical Assessment

Show: Contending for the Word | Speaker: Dave Jenkins

Episode: The Seven Mountain Mandate: History, Origins, and a Biblical Assessment

Show Summary

In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins examines the Seven Mountain Mandate by tracing its historical development, commonly claimed origins, and its shift from cultural engagement into a theology of dominion and control. This is not a political discussion, but a biblical and theological one. Scripture calls believers to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), remain anchored in the sufficiency of God’s Word, and guard the mission Christ entrusted to His church.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How Christians have historically engaged culture without seeking dominion
The frequently cited “1975 origin story” and how it has been reshaped over time
How modern teachers reframe influence into a mandate for control
Why the Seven Mountain Mandate distorts the Great Commission and the mission of the church
How Christians can pursue faithful witness without confusing influence with control

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Episode Notes

Key Scriptures

1 John 4:1
Matthew 28:18–20
John 18:36
Matthew 20:25–28
2 Corinthians 10:3–5
Romans 1:16
1 Timothy 2:1–2
1 Peter 2:11–12
Jeremiah 29:7
Ephesians 4:14–15

Episode Highlights

The Seven Mountain Mandate reframes cultural engagement into a strategy of dominion and control.
Christian mission is centered on discipleship and proclamation—not seizing institutions.
Church history demonstrates faithful influence through witness, service, and costly love—not conquest.
Claims of “new revelation” or “strategic words for the church” must be tested by the sufficiency of Scripture.
When the church collapses the line between church and state, discipleship is replaced by activism and strategy.

Why This Matters

Christ does not need strategic human control in order to reign. Christ reigns now. The church is called to faithful witness, humble service, and gospel proclamation. Discernment is not built on suspicion—it is built on the Word of God.

Reflection Questions

Have I embraced language about “taking ground” more than Scripture’s call to make disciples?
Do I evaluate teaching by urgency and momentum—or by the Word of God?
Am I rooted in a healthy local church where I can grow in discernment and accountability?

Call to Action

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe to Contending for the Word and share it with a friend. For more biblical resources, articles, and discipleship content, visit our page for Contending for the Word at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube.

Dave Jenkins

Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.