Being a Kingdom People While Faithfully Engaging in Politics
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36, NIV)
The more I reflect on the intersection of faith and politics, the more I am convinced that this is not an excuse for withdrawal (which I have been prone to), but an invitation to see proper authority as Jesus does.
In Russell Moore’s Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, evangelicals are warned that politicized Christianity took us to a dark place that is being abandoned by a generation, not because of the challenging doctrines, but because of deep issues like hypocrisy, complicity in racial injustice, and culture wars. [1] In Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies, Wright and Bird argue that the Church’s task is to be a witness to the reign of King Jesus amid the false powers of this world.[2] Reading Russell Moore alongside N.T. Wright and Michael Bird, the tension becomes crystal clear: Christians are faced with a confusion of allegiance.
The Kingdom and Its Counterfeits
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1st Timothy 2:1, NIV)
Jesus is our only king, and no political party or ruler can reign with complete truth and justice. As a body of Christ, we are called to pray for our leaders and care about government and policy, because this is a means to promote human flourishing. But we can’t find our salvation there. Wright and Bird rightly see Jesus’ resurrection as an ultimate political statement: the world’s real ruler has all power and authority, and is not Caesar or any earthly power, but only King Jesus.
Unfortunately, there are countless counterfeits in this world, even among the church. Moore exposes that despite the humility and compassion of Jesus, some Christians are entrenched in power games and culture wars that bear the name of Christ. When Christianity becomes a tool to gain power, a tribal identity, or a manipulation strategy (whether consciously or not), it ceases to be the gospel.
The irony is explained well by Tom Holland in his book Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind. In Western society, values like compassion, equality for all, and human dignity are deeply rooted in Christianity’s radical claim that every person has the imago Dei.[3] If even our modern, secular frameworks have a Christian heritage and foundation, and if it is this foundational concept that distinguishes the church from the kingdoms of this world, why are Christians now forgetting this in a pursuit of power?
Christian Nationalism and the Temptation of Power
Christian nationalism is a clear sign of the divergence from our historical Christian heritage. Rather than practicing humility and compassion, it utilizes the language of faith, confusing the kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this world. Wright and Bird criticize this directly, arguing that Christians are to resist political and imperial idolatry, and to resist any power that demands loyalty above Christ.
Yet there are dangers on both ends of the spectrum. Progressive ideologies quietly replace Jesus with justice. Having grown up conservative, I became disillusioned with the hypocrisy and drifted left, only to find the same manipulation and moral blindness, only packed differently. Without Christ at the center, both sides operate as anti-Christ through self-righteousness. When Christ is removed from our politics, opponents become enemies, and manipulation becomes a means of control and self-preservation.
One of my favorite Bible teachers, Tim Mackie, draws this together in his Lecture on the Early Church and Politics.[4] The early church didn’t disengage in politics, but it did put it in a rightful order. Loyalty to any political party must be relativized in light of allegiance to Christ. This is the posture the church desperately needs today.
Recovering Public Faith
So where do we — or at least I — go from here? In a world where moral imagination is shaped more by social media than Scripture, we need spaces where believers can wrestle with difficult conversations, free from the echo chamber that social media presents. We must grapple with difficult questions on topics like immigration, poverty, war, racism, and the protection of the vulnerable. Ultimately, we must remind ourselves and others that Jesus, not our ideology, is king.
For me, this means welcoming and creating safe environments where conversations are supported and complex issues are explored, while keeping our eyes on the death and resurrection of Jesus.
References
[1] Moore, Russell. Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. Sentinel, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2023.
[2] Wright, N. T., and Michael F. Bird. Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies. SPCK Publishing, 2024.
[3] Holland, Tom. Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind. Paperback edition. ABACUS, 2020.
[4] Mackie, Tim, dir. Tim Mackie Archives. Lecture on the Early Church & Politics: Tim Mackie (The Bible Project). n.d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXcSJVW8rg4.
About the Author
Christy
9 responses to “Being a Kingdom People While Faithfully Engaging in Politics”
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Thanks Christy, for this introspective post. Since you admit a “proneness to withdrawal,” what is the most significant, specific step you are now taking to faithfully engage in politics without compromising your primary allegiance to the Kingdom?
Hi Debbie, for me, engaging in politics is part of my allegiance to the Kingdom. I have been convicted that if I am to follow Christ and desire wholeness, wellbeing, and a transformed life for others, I cannot withdraw from things that have such a profound impact on those around me. I also acknowledge that the call for others may be different – less engagement in politics for allegiance to Christ to have prominence.
Christy,
Well done. I also love listening to Tim Mackie. I listen to the Bible Project podcast every time I am shoveling snow, so it helps me enjoy the work involved.
How are you navigating your children through this political climate? Since you were raised conservative and then drifted left, how do you help them find their own space and voice while also guiding them along?
One of the BEST things about parenting teenagers is getting to engage with them on complex topics. As they grow in maturity, it brings me so much joy to discuss wicked problems, help my kids understand that they are wicked problems, and talk about ways we can manage them.
Thanks, Christy, for your post. I, too, often withdraw from political topics and conversations. I would love to hear what you define as a safe, welcoming space in which you can open and share your political ideas.
I have started to ask my friends more questions, try to learn from them, and also allow them to learn from the things that I have been pondering. It isn’t always easy, but I am finding an increased depth of relationship when we can discuss the difficult things.
Hey Christy,
You made some really impactful statements in this post—ones I may or may not have recorded for future plagiarism (just kidding!). I especially appreciated your line: “As the body of Christ, we are called to pray for our leaders and care about government and policy, because this is a means to promote human flourishing. But we can’t find our salvation there.” And this one really stood out: “Without Christ at the center, both sides operate as anti-Christ through self-righteousness.”
I’m curious—what has it looked like for you personally to keep Christ at the center when the world around us feels so divided?
Hi Elysse, I think we can engage in politics in a healthy way, but we can’t allow it to run our lives (whether it’s through worry, rage, or political allegiance that’s greater than to Jesus). The world is divided, but we don’t have to be.
Christy! You make a compelling, contemplative argument, really spotlighting ideology as a stronghold. How do you remain centered in the midst of the ideological onslaught brought by the varying sides?