In late January, Archbishop Mark Haverland fired the British priest Calvin Robinson, who has become something of a celebrity in conservative political circles over the last few years, for mimicking a “Nazi salute” at a pro-life rally in Washington, D.C. Though Robinson maintains his innocence, the archbishop recently released a statement documenting a series of warnings issued to the celebrity priest concerning his antisemitism and political activism.
The Anglican Ink website published Archbishop Mark Haverland’s correspondence with the priest after Robinson maintained on X that he had “not received a single letter, phone call, zoom meeting or anything else” from his archbishop since he joined the Anglican Catholic Church.
“In December of 2024, Robinson began posting about Judaism, starting with a post on X about the Talmud,” Haverland noted, highlighting the celebrity cleric’s escalating antisemitic attacks, in a six-page statement released last Wednesday.
The initial offending post from Robinson read: “The Talmud is uniquely hostile toward Jesus Christ. Islam may play off Christianity — it is a Christian heresy — but Talmudic Judaism is explicitly anti-Christian.” He was citing a quote from Joel Webbon, pastor of Covenant Bible Church in Georgetown, Texas.
Evil Judaism?
Robinson invited Webbon onto his show, “Bros with Fros,” even though Webbon is “a public figure whose antisemitic priors are well established,” Haverland wrote. “During the interview Robinson sat nodding while Webbon stated, ‘religiously, spiritually, Judaism, I believe, is a pernicious evil.’”
Haverland said that he had “received expressions of concern” from clergy within and outstide his denomination that “Robinson was courting anti-Semites online” and “communicated his displeasure” about the priest to Bishop Patrick Fodor of the Diocese of the Missouri Valley, “telling him very clearly that such incendiary activity had to stop.”
Fodor warned Robinson that he was in trouble with his archbishop. On December 13, Robinson wrote to Haverland insisting he was “not antisemitic or a holocaust denier.”
However, the archbishop maintained that Robinson had begun “to use certain rhetoric that was clearly and intentionally anti-Semitic” despite the priest framing his discourse as “just asking questions” and “being anti-Zionist, not anti-Semitic.”
Antisemitic Trolling
Haverland explained that the revocation of Robinson’s license to minister as a priest was not based exclusively on his controversial “salute” at the National Pro-Life Summit on January 25, but “based on the history [of antisemitic trolling] outlined above.”
“I gave a talk at a pro-life event that seemed to go down well,” Robinson said on X. “The joke at the end was a mockery of the hysterical ‘liberals’ who called Elon Musk a Nazi for quite clearly showing the audience his heart was with them.”
The archbishop stressed that he might have overlooked Robinson’s salute if it was an isolated incident “but after accusations of anti-Semitism from a month earlier, the salute was an utterly foolish and intemperate act by a priest.”
“At best he is gravely intemperate and has poor judgment. At worst he is toying with anti-Semitism and engages in the deeply uncharitable activity of trolling and political provocation,” Haverland warned.
Idolatry of Israel
In a February 6 statement explaining why he had revoked Robinson’s license, Haverland wrote: “Prior to the incident at the pro-life rally, Robinson was alleged to have made statements that were antisemitic, or in sympathy with antisemitic groups.”
Robinson’s dismissal triggered a media earthquake and was reported by more than 30 international media outlets, including the Washington Post, Newsweek, Daily Mail, Rolling Stone, and the Washington Times. However, no major media outlet has reported on Haverland’s statement detailing his reasons for sacking the priest.
Meanwhile, during a trip to Israel after his removal, Robinson attacked evangelicals for what he described as an “unhealthy relationship” with the Holy Land.
“Protestants who do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ have to seek him out elsewhere,” he wrote on X. “Knowing Jesus walked these lands, for them it is a kind of substitute for the Sacraments; for many, an idol.”
“This seems to be a problem amongst particular American Evangelical Protestant circles. Not all,” he added in a second tweet. “But it is not exclusive to Dispensationalists, either.”
‘Judeo-Christian’ Controversy
The priest earlier sparked controversy by contesting the term “Judeo-Christian.” Posting a video by Candace Owens, who has a history of making antisemitic remarks about Jewish influence in world affairs and the Holocaust, Robinson asked: “Why are we calling it Judeo-Christianity.”
When asked “why you keep putting this absolute garbage, antisemitic nut case on other people’s timelines,” Robinson replied: “Every word she said made sense. Can you dispute it? Or are you just here to call her names? Weird flex but ok.”
“There is no such thing as ‘Judeo-Christian,’” Robinson posted, and later asked in a video, “Where the %^&* did Judeo-Christian values come from? I’m not saying that people should hate Jews, I’m asking the simple question: ‘Why do we put ‘Judeo’ before ‘Christian?’ Why do we put anything before Christian. I don’t believe in putting anything before Christ.”
On Tuesday, Robinson continued his attacks on the term “Judeo-Christian” while attending the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London, reposting a tweet which said: “I’m at ARC. Every time ‘Judeo-Christian values’ is mentioned I will take a shot.”
Senior Anglican cleric Canon Fr Phil Harris responded by telling Robinson that Christians who support Israel are “not being manipulated into a ‘false dichotomy’” on their Zionism.
Harris also corrected Robinson’s attacks on the Talmud:
The Talmud is a commentary, a series of ‘opinions’; just like Christians have commentaries, the commentaries often contradict each other and are sometimes plain wrong! Not all Talmudic Jews reject Christ by any means, in the same way that not all Christians reject the Hebraic roots of our faith, which, sadly, is now becoming more commonplace.
Jews ‘of the Bible’ who followed Christ were Jews, NOT Christians (cf. St. Paul, who as an Apostle remained a Pharisee and a Hebrew of the Hebrews, cf. Acts). In the same way, Gentiles (non-Jews) who followed Christ were still Gentiles.
Robinson did not reply to The Stream’s request for comment, but wrote on X: “I understand there has been yet another statement released, along with selectively leaked personal communications. To those asking: no, I will not be refuting a cleverly orchestrated character assassination.”
Church-Hopping Priest
The Nordic Catholic Church (NCC) that ordained Robinson to the priesthood released a “letter of reprimand” on the same day as Haverland’s statement, rebuking him for not having “adequately consulted” his superiors before moving to the U.S.
The letter admonished Robinson for failing “to understand or to pay due regard to your promises of obedience to those in authority over you which results in a serious threat to good order in the church, as well as failing to seek letters of endorsement that would be required to accomplish a transfer to another jurisdiction.
“You are no longer considered a priest in good standing, your license is withdrawn and your priestly ministry within the NCC is prohibited,” Bishop Dr. Roald Nikolai Flemestad wrote.
Writing for the Anglican website Virtue Online, columnist Mary Ann Mueller observed that “Robinson is a church-hopper. He has belonged to four different denominations in a space of three years.”
She further elaborated:
Not all of the churches are Anglican. He was initially a member of the Church of England until he left for the Free Church of England in early summer 2022. He then united with the Old Catholic — non-Anglican — Nordic Catholic Church in late 2023. Less than a year later he gravitated to the Anglican Catholic Church.
In January 2024, Robinson was asked to stand down from the concluding panel discussion at the Mere Anglicanism Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, after he linked the ordination of women to feminism and Marxism.
The priest also attacked Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in his speech, noting: “Between them, Luther and Marx destroyed the Christian soul of Germany, which, as we know, has gone on to become the home of heresy.”
In December 2024, the priest was also cancelled from the “Christ Is King: How To Defeat Trashworld,” a so-called Christian nationalist conference organized by Webbon. However, a chorus of Reformed Protestants called for Robinson to be deplatformed after he censured John Calvin’s teachings as heretical. Calvin is regarded as the father of Reformed theology.
Describing him as “the most cancelled man alive,” Robinson’s friends are now appealing to the public to donate $350,000 so they can “purchase a modest house” for the priest in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dr. Jules Gomes, (BA, BD, MTh, PhD), has a doctorate in biblical studies from the University of Cambridge. Currently a Vatican-accredited journalist based in Rome, he is the author of five books and several academic articles. Gomes lectured at Catholic and Protestant seminaries and universities and was canon theologian and artistic director at Liverpool Cathedral. This article has been cross-posted with the author’s permission from The Stream.
Joanne says
I remember a speech I heard many years ago at a student conference in Europe. A very conservative speaker from Belgium, I think, used the term “Greco-Christian” to describe European civilization.
At the time, I thought that it wasn’t a bad description, given that European culture draws a lot from ancient Greek civilization , as well as from the Bible. But it wasn’t lost on me that dropping the “Judeo” was not a totally innocent act. Sure, you could argue that it is subsumed in the Christian aspect, but dropping “Judeo” implied that the link between Christians and Jews should be deemphasized, and the sense of brotherhood between them weakened.
carpediadem says
Judaism and Christianity are very different. I’ve never understood until a while ago why they were joined together in this term.
gravenimage says
Judism and Christianity are different in some ways–but have very similar morals, which I think trumps much else.
somehistory says
Many people do not know, or do not acknowledge, that Jesus was a “fulfilment of the Law” .and the prophets ..the Law given to the Jews. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “the Law was a tutor leading to the Christ,” and the Bible makes clear that all of the Promises made…from Genesis to Malachi come True in Christ.
Christians are not under the Law given to the Jews; but the principles remain. As Jesus said if we obey the commandment to love Jehovah with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we are obeying the Law.
The Book of Hebrews, written by the Lawyer and Apostle Paul, lays it all out in plain language.
The Jews who wrote down the words of the Bible…all of the 66 books…make it possible for Christians to know God and His Son.
Kirk says
The point of calling Christianity “Judeo-Christianity” is to de-emphasize Jesus. It basically makes Jesus out to be “just some guy who taught reformed Judaism”.
Kirk says
Look up:
Maimonides: Islam Good, Christianity Bad, Muslims Bad, Christians Good
by Yori Yanover (JewishPress.com)
Maimonides is the authority on Jewish-Christian relations for Jews.
See what he had say about Christianity.
You might not be so quick to refer to Christianity as “Judeo-Christianity” afterwards.
mgoldberg says
The ten commandments. Anyone ever heard of them? That the world should commnence an ethical moral culture delievered by G-d almighty not as suggestions but ‘commandments’ is what defines and defies the term Judeo Christian. That some would like to erase the Judeo from the world is obvious. That others simply don’t understand the value of those ‘commandments’ that changed all of the western society and also the eastern societies requires a moment of thought as to what our ‘shared’ history can teach us. The best of what we have is from those ‘ten commandments’ and the rest is part of that history and story. The ‘replacement’ theologic conundrum is what lies at the heart of this cul de sac. But those who need to erase Judaism, to erase the Torah, to replace it all, that is where the problem of this ‘preacher’ and others lie.
Kirk says
The point of calling Christianity “Judeo-Christianity” is the de-emphasize Jesus and make the the Jewish law more important.
Mark 2:22
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
Romans 7:6
But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
Galatians 6:15
For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.
RightStuff says
Even with extreme vetting, some low-life scum seeps through. I use a five-percent rule of thumb. Even with the most careful vetting, that many make it through the tests. Gotta watch them all the time!
Salome says
The Archbishop can license whom he will on whatever terms he will. For my part, I don’t think Robinson is antisemitic. I think he was thinking aloud and going on an intellectual enquiry at absolutely the wrong time and in thoroughly the wrong forum. And coming up with some bizarre answers on his quest. Like really, from whom is he most at risk? Talmudic Jews or Muslims? In the eyes of the former, I expect that Christians are heretics, but it is the latter whose doctrines require them to subjugate or kill us. I sympathise with some of Robinson’s criticism of evangelical Holy Land idolatry, but consider it misplaced in such a public forum. (For the record, I support the right of Israel to exist and to defend itself within borders extending to territories it conquered from aggressor states. It just isn’t an article of faith.) For someone obviously intelligent but still wet behind the ears, these discussions belong in private. I expect that such discussions with an intelligent interlocutor would probably cause him to change his mind at least in part. Perhaps if someone had reached out after the first offending post and explained why it was misguided and inappropriate, things might have turned out differently. Here we have an enquiring mind, an ego stoked by excessive public exposure and an apparent lack of pastoral guidance from above.
carpediadem says
he’s taking Candace Owens as an authority. These morons and their fellows obsess about whether Jews like Christianity and Jesus while Islamic jihadis murder Christians everyday.
No, this is not honest inquiry. At all.
gravenimage says
Agreed, carpediadem.
PR says
Robinson is a know nothing. As, Judaism pre dated Christianity by well over 1,000 years, how can historical Judaism be anti Christian?
Eddie says
I sense there is something amiss here .
This article seems to be more about conflicting points on theology than anything to do with Islamic jihad. Why is it posted here?
As an article it is unwieldy and rambles to and fro and I lose track of what it is actually saying.
Calvin Robinson is well regarded by Patriots in the UK. He is an opponent to “Mohammedanism” as he terms it. He is anti woke and has traditional views on gender and is opposed to the sexualisation of children..
He seems to talk a lot of steady common sense and appears to be a very committed Christian.
I have never heard him express any detrimental comments about Jews and have never heard him be accused of being Anti Semitic before.
This comes as a surprise – what has happened to him since he went to America?
Calvin Robinson was a presenter on GB News the TV channel which claims to be the “Home of Free Speech” but is considered by many to be “controlled opposition” media. He was fired from his job because he did actually seek freedom of speech!
GB News was initially regarded as a counter to the woke BBC but is happy to have Islamists and woke lefties on their shows but never ‘right wing’ personalities l like Tommy Robinson.
As I understand it he moved to the US following death threats in the UK.
If he is indeed Anti Semitic then that is something most UK Patriots, like myself, will neither condone nor tolerate.
I suspect however that he has been “stitched up” due to his controversial expression of theological opinion.
Can I ask what is the relationship of the Christian Churches with Islam in Michigan?
Has Robinson also been outspoken against Islam?
C says
I agree with everything you say. I think he has been “stitched up” . All the fluff in this article doesn’t anything that deserves the treatment that was doled out. We need more ‘naive’ people with platforms to call out whatever they wish. I do not agree with everything Coleman says but he has often been a reassuring breath of fresh air in the control stultified mind numbing mind controlling public space.
Hoi Polloi says
My exposure to him has been similar – that he was courageous in backing free speech, especially regarding the truth about islam, and those falsely labeled far right. I also observed that he supported many who defended Israel and were angry that Hamas had taken over the streets of London. The charges in this article are all news to me.
gravenimage says
Hating Jews does *not* make anyone a “commited Christian”.
Eddie says
I never said it did.
I think we can say that Robinson has issues with Judaism on religious grounds.
In my opinion it does not merit him being highlighted on Jihadwatch.
What is the object here?
.
England Invaded says
This guy is a Conservative and Christian. He’s not anti-Semitic.
He’s talking about his and the religions of others as most believers do.
If people want to talk about who’s made up fairy story is the best, so what.
I’m concerned with which in reality causes the most harm, which would obviously be islam.
Generally, so is this guy as well, with everything I’ve heard from him
Eddie says
England Invaded
Yes that seems a fair comment.
I am not Jewish nor am I a devout Christian. I have no idea as to the merits of theological argument relating to either religion.
We have all heard enough anti Semitic hatred spouted these last 15 months, and I think all of us a good idea what it sounds like and from whom it mainly originates.
I have not heard that from Calvin Robinson. Perhaps someone can enlighten me who has more in depth knowledge of his misdemeanors ?
Unless Jihadwatch is implying that Calvin, by reason of alleged hatred of Jews, is an Islamist, then I don’t not understand why this article has been posted here at all
England Invaded says
I am from a Christian background but do not consider myself a believer.
This guy has mostly spoken sense whenever I have heard him. He certainly believes in the right to speak and often does so in connection to the biggest threat facing the civilised Western world. He’s also pretty mild mannered as well.
It seems to be shame that some Jewish people can’t take criticism of their religion f he has said things against it.
I would second your last point and ask this platform for a more in depth rethink.
libertyORdeath says
We haven’t won enough to start fighting ourselves.
libertyORdeath says
Focusing on a small fringe of so-called “antisemitic” Christians at a time when genocidal Islam is rising is the wrong move. People like this are in a completely different category from the jihadis and their communist comrades calling for the ACTUAL deaths of Jews and Israelis. Infighting over accusations of “antisemitism” that are laughable in comparison to the true threats we face is unwise.
We have a lot of work to do. Let’s not hold ourselves back over a foreign religious conflict.
somehistory says
I have thought a lot about how people attack Christians and Christianity when there is no threat from Christians (even those with terribly wrong ideas, which hatred of the Jews is), while mozlums are murdering at an advanced rate.
So many seem to want the focus to be on the faults of some who are religious and say they follow Christ, as opposed to what mozlums are doing.
This has to be one of two things: hatred of Christians and Christianity or fear of offending mozlums. Most likely both.
libertyORdeath says
Anyone who doesn’t know where “Judeo-Christian” comes from isn’t intelligent enough to bother arguing with. That’s like trying to turn Moses into a Muslim prophet.
gravenimage says
Archbishop Reveals Celebrity Priest Calvin Robinson was Fired for Serial Antisemitism
…………………………………………..
Yes–ugly stuff.
Kirk says
Calvin Robinson is not anti-Semitic.
There is no Judeo-Christianity only Christianity
See:
Maimonides: Islam Good, Christianity Bad, Muslims Bad, Christians Good
byYori Yanover (JewishPress.com)
Maimonides is the Jewish fundamental source for relating to Islam and Christianity.
Maimonides, is considered one of the main foundations of modern Jewish law, and the most widely accepted authority on Jewish philosophy.
If you woke up Maimonides in the middle of the night and asked him his opinion of all the non-Jewish religions, he would tell you they’re all stolen from Judaism, they all offer little more than a shallow veneer of what our Torah has to offer, and the difference between all the gentile religions and our own is like the difference between a statue and a real person (Yemen Epistle).
Maimonides considers both Christians and Muslims to be heretics.
A religious Jew is permitted to pray in a mosque, but forbidden to even enter a church
Halachically, Maimonides says in three distinct places that the Christians are idol worshippers.
1. In his interpretation of the Mishna, tractate Avoda Zara 1:3, he writes: “Know that this Chriatian nation, who are making the claim of a messiah, with all their many different sects, are all idol worshippers and all their holidays are forbidden, and we deal with them regarding religious issues as we would pagans.”
And he adds (AZ 4): “Therefore one must know that in every one of the Christian nation’s cities which has an altar, meaning their house of worship, it is a pagan house of idolatry without any doubt.”
2. In the uncensored version of Hayad Hachazaka (Hilchot Avoda Zara 9:4), Maimonides issues the edict: “The Christians are idol worshipers and Sunday is their religious holiday, therefore in Eretz Israel we may not trade with them on Thursday and Friday of every week, and needless to say on Sunday, which is forbidden [for trade with Christians] everywhere.” Trade in this context refers especially to paying back loans, which would enhance their joy on the day of their idol.
3. Also in Hayad Hachazaka, the laws of forbidden foods, the uncensored version (Hilchot Maachalot Asurot 11:7): “The Christians are idol worshippers and their regular wine if forbidden to be consumed” by Jews since it is likely to be used as libation in their pagan service.
He says with regards to Muslims:
In his Letter to Obadiah the Proselyte Maimonides states clearly: “These Ishmaelites are not idol worshippers in the least, and [paganism] has been long since cut off from their mouths and their hearts, and they worship the singular God properly and without any blemish.”
Jews recognize a higher capacity for abstract worship in Islam, while Christianity remains mired in embarrassing paganism.
So, no it is not Judeo-Christianity. It’s just Christianity.
The point of adding Judeo is to de-emphasize Christianity and make Jesus irrelevant.