A Challenge to Bring Two Worlds Together
With the backdrop of the upcoming elections for the President of the United States looming, N.T. Wright and Michael Bird’s Jesus and the Powers[1] have provided the global Church with a thorough review of the moral imperative for remaining involved in public life. While we may have heard this concept in other spaces, Wright and Bird also challenge that the reason behind this is not to:
- achieve God’s Kingdom on Earth: “The work we do in the present to build for the kingdom gains its full significance from the eventual consummation of the kingdom in the time appointed by God,”[2] or
- preserve our current form of democracy: “Liberal democracy is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for a just society, but it can be an enabling condition for a just society.”[3]
Instead, they systematically lay out their reasoning that engaging in today’s political process is a way for us to live out our calling to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14-16).
I found Wright and Bird’s work to complement another impactful book that I picked up after hearing the author speak this summer. In Party Crasher,[4] Josh Butler does a fascinating review of major political ideologies and argues that these ideologies are becoming the new religion of our day. His observations are very similar to those of Wright and Bird:
“When you reject God as King however, politics can turn out to be your only hope. Without the grand horizon of his kingdom, the world becomes more compressed, shrunk, restricted. All your eggs are now in that basket. Everything is riding on the next election, on getting this policy enacted or that person in office. So we take off the gloves and fight for victory, no holds barred.” [5]
With the concern of letting political religions distract from the true Gospel, as well as the rise of Christian nationalism[6],[7] and examples of politicians exploiting their pseudo-Christianity for political gain,[8],[9] It is easy to want “shake the dust from our feet” and critique our social servants from afar or ignore them completely. Yet Wright and Bird are not going to let us off so easily:
“To do that kind of work, to engage in that kind of holistic mission, will require from time to time doing some public theology. This means that we might be compelled to offer some political commentary, to take a stand in a protest, or to run for public office to effect change. If it is obviously unwise to make politics one’s religion, it is no less foolish to think that the life of faith has nothing to do with our political discourse and its legislative chambers.” [10]
This idea of approaching the political sphere from a missional perspectives seems almost preposterous. However, I can share an example from my personal experience where this, at least from a broad perspective, played out in the life of one man. In the Spring term of 1997 at George Fox, I had the honor of taking a history class from senator Mark Hatfield just after he retired from 30 years of service in the United States Congress. Before his time in congress, he was the Governor of Oregon for two terms, where he gained national attention as the only Governor to voice his opposition to the Vietnam War in 1966. In the rise of the evangelical movement of the 80’s he was seen as pushing fellow believers to not forsake the call to social ministry.[11] In his tenure in the senate, he served as the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, making him one of the most influential members and at one time had been considered to be a vice presidential candidate to Richard Nixon.[12]
So, you can imagine this Christian, Republican pro-life and sometimes-pacifist high profile politician had a great perspective to share with young students. His opting to teach in a small Christian liberal arts college a dusty corner of Northwest Oregon made an impact on us. A couple of things I will not forget from his classes:
- His commitment to vote his conscience, even if was unpopular with his voters. His reasoning behind that was clear: the citizenry had voted for him, and he saw that as setting an expectation for exercising his moral conscience in the decisions he made.
- The personal impact he experienced by going against the strong hawkish tide of his Baptist evangelical community and opposing the Vietnam war and being critiqued from the pulpit of his own church.
It would be foolish to think that Mark Hatfield always skated a clean program in his political career. I am sure he made regrettable missteps. The challenge that Wright and Bird lay out for us as believers is not to be perfect, but just to bravely stay involved instead of just complaining from the sidelines. We should share the goal that Senator Hatfield shared with Christianity Today upon his retirement that sums up how this public servant accounted for how he spent his time:
“Whatever I have achieved … my desire would be to glorify Jesus Christ, to give him the glory and not take it for myself.”[13]
So, I have thrown out one inspirational example of a person attempting to integrate his Christianity into his politics. Can you think of others? What be some indicators that this was being done well?
_________________________
[1] N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies (Zondervan, 2024).
[2] Wright and Bird, 87.
[3] Wright and Bird, 158.
[4] Joshua Ryan Butler, The Party Crasher: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems Our Partisan Divide (Multnomah, 2024).
[5] Butler, 38.
[6] Tharoor, Ishaan. The Christian Nationalism Behind Putin’s War. Washington, D.C., United States Washington, D.C.: WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post, 2022. https://georgefox.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/blogs-podcasts-websites/christian-nationalism-behind-putin-s-war/docview/2652418979/se-2.
[7] David French, “Opinion | What Is Christian Nationalism, Exactly?,” The New York Times, February 25, 2024, sec. Opinion, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/opinion/christian-nationalism.html.
[8] “God Bless The USA Bible,” accessed September 2, 2024, https://godblesstheusabible.com/.
[9] Matt Flegenheimer, “What Democracy Scholars Thought of Trump’s Bible Photo Op,” The New York Times, June 2, 2020, sec. U.S., https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/us/politics/trump-holds-bible-photo.html.
[10] Wright and Bird, Jesus and the Powers, 99.
[11] Kenneth A. Briggs, “MAINSTREAM U.S. EVANGELICALS SURGE IN PROTESTANT INFLUENCE,” The New York Times, March 14, 1982, sec. U.S., https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/14/us/mainstream-us-evangelicals-surge-in-protestant-influence.html.
[12] “Mark O. Hatfield (1922-2011),” accessed August 30, 2024, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/hatfield_mark_o_1922_/.
[13] C. M. S. Admin, “Hatfield Praised as Christian Statesman,” Christianity Today, April 7, 1997, https://www.christianitytoday.com/1997/04/hatfield-praised-as-christian-statesman/.
About the Author
Jennifer Vernam
9 responses to “A Challenge to Bring Two Worlds Together”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Jennifer, this post was a fantastic read! The way you tied in Wright and Bird’s insights with your own experience studying under Senator Hatfield was both personal and impactful. And I have to say, I’m not sure you got enough citations in here—maybe a baker’s dozen? A few more wouldn’t hurt, just to be sure! But seriously, your exploration of how we should approach political engagement from a place of faith, rather than letting politics become our religion, is so important, especially in today’s climate. Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful and well-researched perspective!
Thanks for your kind, remarks, Matheiu! I am not quite to the Travis level of references, but I can keep trying! I am glad the Mark Hatfield story resonated. I worried that my praise of a politician would make me sound naive… which is a sad reflection on the current state of affairs: I can’t even point out a positive example without concern of looking foolish!
Jen, you asked some great questions. And I think you helped your readers to feel the freedom to think about some names, because you qualified your example: “I am sure he (your example) made regrettable missteps.” However, my initial reaction was to think of public figures from long ago that Wright and Bird mentioned, including Martin Luther King Jr. and William Wilberforce. No widely-known politician in our present context immediately came to mind, though. I can think of some names who serve on a city council or who ran for mayor, but I would need to look more carefully at how they actually integrated their Christian faith. Your questions actually revealed a need that I have to find more examples and be ready to share when the question comes up again!
I agree with you Travis, or at least with what I think you’re getting at (I don’t want to put words in your mouth). I think we can all agree that there’s immense value in having committed, mature Christ-followers engaged in public life at every level. And yet, when hard pressed I can’t come up with any clear examples either. Is that kind of sad? Maybe they’re out there and I’m just unaware.
I wonder if we looked among local politics, we might have more luck? I also think that there is a subset of public servants who got into the field with idealistic intentions only to be worn down by the bureaucratic machine. It is an unfortunate reality that our politic reinforces behaviors that cater to the noisy over-simplified soundbite rather than nuanced integrity.
Additionally, how often do we typecast anyone running for office as being at best a megalomaniac or at worst a narcissist?
Having to overcome those social realities is a big disincentive to trying to stand in the gap.
Hi Jennifer,
As always I find your blogposts well written and enlightening.
I hit 65 this weekend and have made some life changing decisions, 1) I will never drive a motorcycle and 2) I am not buying the 18 inch chainsaw that I have been coveting for a while. I decided I want to have my skin and limbs intact for age 66.
Apparently, my priorities reflect that of an “older” man rather than a young one.
Next month I am hosting two young men who worked with in Ukraine this summer. They have chosen to be INVOLVED in kingdom work in a war zone (where I am happy to report that Ukrainian Christians are LEAPING to the task that God has set before them).
I share this because I think I am having a priority shift.
Normally, I am thrilled by Christians shining their light in the world. (I was happy at the advent of a 2024 book on political theology) being added to our list).
For instance, I have been an admirer and friend of Dr. Marc LiVecche executive editor of Providence Magazine. They write about themselves…Founded in 2015, Providence examines global statecraft with Christian Realism. We are inspired by Christianity & Crisis, the journal Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr founded in 1941 to argue for the moral and geopolitical imperative of American leadership against totalitarian aggression. We believe American Christians have a special duty to interpret America’s vocation in the world today. We seek to uplift the best of historic Christian political theology, to foster wider conversation about spirituality in politics, and to create a community of serious Christian public thinkers serving America and the world.
My years in the U.S. Army sought to be in a place where I could stand against tyranny. I accepted the concept of “Holy Violence” when needed.
HOWEVER
I wonder, however, if political theology has distracted me from my “Kingdom work.” This morning I read an article “The Year of Elections Has Been Good for Democracy But the Biggest Test Will Come in America By Francis Fukuyama
September 4, 2024, in Foreign Affairs.
Normally, I would avidly read every word, but today at 0700 I am speaking with a pastor in Kenya to vet a Soccer coach who wants to work with GoodSports International (www.goodsportsinternational.org).
When I compare these two events I rediscover that my Return to JOY (RARE Leadership) is really in Loving God, Loving Kids, when necessary use sports. (www.goodsportsinternational.org)
Sigh, I have had a major shift in my priorities since my return from Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary.
The impact that I have on the presidential election is negligible. Despite Fukuyama’s argument that the rise of authoritarian leaders are forcing real democratic debate, I wonder if my energies could best be used elsewhere.
Loving God, Loving kids and using sports when necessary.
Shalom
Russell-
Thanks for your thoughts, and, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! May I also suggest adding: 3) no more climbing on roofs? (Especially with chainsaws).
It sounds like Providence is working to raise Christian awareness in political matters… to go deeper than the splashy headlines, and to dig into the nuance? If so, that is amazing, and I will need to check it out. I know so many who tell me they remain ignorant of politics because they just don’t have the time or find it too depressing. Or there are those that believe they are informed because they read the algorithm-generated information from Facebook. Neither of those approaches seem to jive with this week’s reading.
Great post, Jen. My favorite part was your personal experience with Mark Hatfield’s class. But the thing I’m actually going to highlight in this reply is my own ignorance. You underscored one of the main things I took away from Wright and Bird’s book and that is their argument for preserving our current form of democracy: “Liberal democracy is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for a just society, but it can be an enabling condition for a just society.” To my own shame, that was not a connection I had ever really made before, so I’m grateful to have encountered that idea, and especially in such a clear and well-reasoned form.
Yes, the thought that keeps bouncing around it my mind is that democracy is seriously flawed, but is the best solution we have found so far. I think that it is easier to just assume Democracy is the pinnacle of evolved government… but then we have to wake up from that fairy tale and work address the flaws.