In recent decades, populist political movements have seen success across the world, and especially in Europe and the Americas. Populist movements are located across the political spectrum, but can be identified as populist by three characteristics: they attempt to create a confrontational group-identity for their supporters, they contain rhetoric about returning power to the people, and they oppose consultation with experts. Although Western Evangelical Christians have overwhelmingly support contemporary populist movements, mainstream Christian leaders have largely condemned populism. Looking to Christian history, however, we can see instances of these populist characteristics at crucial moments during the development of Christian doctrine, both in the New Testament and during the Patristic period. If Christian leaders wish to be consistent with their social critique, they should either lower their criticisms of contemporary populism or take the opportunity to reexamine the existence of populist tendencies in the development of Christian doctrine.