The Christian and Politics

When I teach on the nature of politics, I explain and apply this information as it relates to organizational settings. I define politics as the process and set of activities where: (1) individuals and groups with different values and agendas, (2) seek to govern and allocate scarce resources (like money and personnel), (3) by influencing one another, primarily through bargaining and negotiation (see Reframing Organizations, chapters 9–11).

That broad definition applies to family politics, organizational politics, and governmental politics. Below I list resources by authors who help us think about the Christian’s relationship to governmental politics and to society at large.

How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics? (Church Questions) by Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli (1 or 2): “Authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli propose that Christians should learn how to disagree on such issues with a spirit of gracious understanding by recognizing the importance of what binds us together as a local church body―the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

God and Politics by Mark Dever (1 or 2): At 57 pages, this book explains what it means to “give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). Dever concludes by calling us to look ultimately to the holy and loving God, who sent his Son to die in order to bring men and women to himself.

*How the Nations Rage by Jonathan Leeman (2 or 3): The author calls us to rethink politics from a biblical perspective, to prioritize Christian character development before political activism, and to focus on identifying with Jesus Christ so that we might love those within our reach. In brief, while politics is an important area for consideration and involvement, it is merely one part of life under the sovereign rule of God (p. 12).

Politics According to the Bible by Wayne Grudem (3 or 4): The subtitle of this book is “A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture.” Given that Grudem covers such a diverse set of issues (such as marriage, economics, and the environment), there will be areas where Christians disagree with him. Grudem states that he himself does not support his own positions with equal confidence, precisely because, at different times, he appeals directly to the Bible, to broader principles, and to facts from the world (pp. 18–19). But this book is an excellent starting point for helping us to think about political issues from a distinctively Christian perspective.

Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty by David S. Dockery and John Stonestreet (eds.) (3 or 4): This book is a collection of essays for the tenth anniversary of The Manhattan Declaration, which is a statement published on life, marriage, and religious liberty (hence the title of the book). These essays “renew and reaffirm” the original declaration, but they also “reflect on what those commitments require of us today” (pp. ix–x).

Political Church: The Local Assembly as Embassy of Christ's Rule by Jonathan Leeman (3 or 4): “The church is political. Theologians have been debating this claim for years. Liberationists, Anabaptists, Augustinians, neo-Calvinists, Radical Orthodox and others continue to discuss the matter. What do we mean by politics and the political? What are the limits of the church's political reach? What is the nature of the church as an institution? How do we establish these claims theologically? Jonathan Leeman sets out to address these questions in this significant work.”

Ethics for a Brave New World by John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg (4): Chapter fifteen of this book is titled “The Christian and the Secular State.” There the authors explore basic ethical questions related to the Christian and the state, such as “How should the church approach social and political matters?” (complete disengagement, complete engagement, or a combination of the two) and “What is the best way for Christians to effect change in a pluralistic society?”