The unlikely marriage between the Church and politics
Having read books, the Bible, and other sources of media, I have seen that religious beliefs have influenced the politics of nations and empires for centuries, for example, the laws of Israel and during exile we read how King Darius was encouraged to pass a law preventing anyone from petitioning any man or god except King Darious for the next thirty days or be thrown into a lion’s den.[1] If as Matthew Petrusek suggests the base of our conceptual map making rests on our theology, it is difficult to not have our politics shaped by our beliefs.[2] However, it seems that political beliefs have also influenced religious ideas, for example I believe the papal bulls issued to allow the enslavement and killings of non-Christians was ultimately influenced by the politics of that time and not just religious ideology. I personally believe that historically, the church has sought to please the government to avoid being persecuted. Today, it seems that political leaders, to get elected or re-elected, furnish a message that garners Christian support. Christians in turn support these candidates in hopes that legislation will get passed that allows Christians to live a persecution free lifestyle. This quid pro quo for years has honestly left a bitter taste in my mouth for both the church and politics.
In America, most church goers spend on average one to two hours a week in the church.[3] In contrast, the average American is engaged with media around 87.5 hours a week that includes listening to/watching/reading/ other voices that may not necessarily mirror that of their pastor and/or church. Some of these voices promote the idea of Christian nationalism. Russell Moore defines Christian nationalism as “the use of Christian words, symbols, or rituals as a means to the end of shoring up an ethnic or national identity.”[4] When I read this definition, I have the image of the legend of the Catholic church baptizing the knights for the Crusades with their sword hand sticking out of the water. Go save this nation from the left and do whatever you have to for Jesus because the end justifies the means.
I think that politicians and religious leaders are using scripture to generate emotional responses to politically divisive issues, such as immigration, abortion and LGBTQ rights. Often catastrophic images are being painted of what will happen if the other side wins, they dehumanize and at times demonize the other political party and any who supports them.[5] Because we care about concepts such as life, freedom, and safety of our family and ourselves, our reptilian brain can take over and we end up aligning ourselves with these leaders.
At the same time, there are those that seem to speak about other things that matter to Christians maybe even quoting from Isaiah 58:6-7
Isn’t this the fast I choose:
To break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free,
and to tear off every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
to bring the poor and homeless into your house,
to clothe the naked when you see him,
and not to ignore your own flesh and blood?[6]
Their idea and passions seem to be appropriate, and we want to align ourselves with them, yet Jesus and his other teachings such as those found in the Sermon on the Mount are absent from their ideas.[7]
N. T. Wright and Michael Bird suggest that the church cannot divorce itself from politics.[8] Therefore Christian leaders are responsible for ensuring that their followers know how to effectively engage. A great starting point, as Shirley Hoogstra suggested is to know your values.[9] I suggest that leaders start by using Petrusek’s conceptual map and disciple their followers on how to effectively evaluate their map starting with theology, ensuring that it is the base, and working up to applied morality/ politics. Once we know our values, we have a starting point to discern where our maps differ from the other voices we hear. Are the ideas a form of utopistic thinking that cannot occur without the redemption of humanity’s fallen nature through Christ? Or maybe the theology seems to be present, but it appears to be disordered, and morality and politics serve as the foundation of the map. We do this so that we don’t mislabel someone as a nationalist who speaks of loving their country and Jesus or label someone a Christian who speaks of Christian principles yet does not love and know Jesus. We also do this to help prevent us from being inadvertently drawn into tribalistic polarized thinking. Because once we are focused on tribalistic thinking we can lose sight of the dangers within our own tribe because we are too focused on the dangers of the other tribe.[10]
I once commented to my brother-in-law that Jesus was nonpartisan. He corrected me by saying that Jesus was very partisan, but the party he promoted was the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the party that we need to promote and the only party whose victory matters and is ultimately secured. Engaging with these texts and questions I see how easy it is to want to secure and hold onto power to secure a comfortable lifestyle, to develop a kingdom of the world. I saw how easy it is to engage in tribalistic thinking where we lose sight of what spiritual warfare really is and who our real enemy is. I need to be reminded of the only party that matters as I lead and teach. I must help others know how to effectively love God and neighbor and how to live out the kingdom of God and not the kingdom of the world.
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[1] Daniel 6.
[2] Matthew Petrusek,
[3] ChatGPT5, “How many hours does the average Christian spend in church versus how much time the engage with media such as news, podcasts, social media?” October 4, 2025.
[4] Russell Moore, Losing our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America, (New York: Sentinel. 2023), 114.
[5] Moore,
[6] Isaiah 58:6-7 (CSB).
[7] Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 5 – 7. The Bible Project did a podcast series on the Sermon on the Mount which I recommend, Sermon on the Mount
[8] Wright, N. T. & Michael Bird. Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2024), 94.
[9] Shirley Hoogstra, “Untitled Talk,” (lecture, Portland Seminary, Washington DC, September 30, 2024)
[10] Shelly P. Johnson, “When Does the Right Become Dangerous? It May Surprise You,” Resilient and More, April 3, 2025, https://www.shellypjohnson.com/22076-2/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNelFBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHuPdMmhymJIiUlocJ9DG7jE4p33Evjnx4LLHTsZ2yLQT2xdms8q0cO2_7FH__aem_o86m9ES_lOf26PmdsYUqYA
About the Author
Jeff Styer
Jeff Styer lives in Northeast Ohio's Amish Country. He has degrees in Social Work and Psychology and currently works as a professor of social work at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Jeff is married to his wife, Veronica, 25+ years. Together they have 4 beautiful children (to be honest, Jeff has 4 kids, Veronica says she is raising 5). Jeff loves the outdoors, including biking, hiking, camping, birding, and recently picked up disc golf.10 responses to “The unlikely marriage between the Church and politics”
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Jeff, you raise important points in this blog that bring together faith, politics, neuroscience, and theology.
As we consider spiritual formation and the human brain, how might spiritual formation counteract that reptilian response?
Graham,
Spiritual formation is creating habits that align ourselves with God and his character. If we practice these habits, they become part of our fast thinking which will be the go-to response. This takes time and often times assistance from God and others. But I think many people can give examples of a transformed life where they now do the opposite of what they used to always do.
I’ve suggested to others in my responses that we need to create a habit of weighing our thoughts and actions against those found in Mark 12:29-32
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Is what I am thinking or doing equaling loving God and others more than another thing else I think God is wanting (burnt offering and sacrifices).
Jeff,
Woah! You are bringing back some old stuff here! Throw back to 2024!
How might we protect ourselves and friends from falling into the reptilian brain responses but to instead think biblically and critically about what is going on?
Adam,
I think we need to train our brain (fast thinking) to consider our thoughts and actions against Mark 12:29-33.
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Train ourselves to ask, is what I am doing or thinking equaling loving God and others more than anything else, my morality, my politics, etc. Get into a habit and it should protect us from the reptilian brain.
Great post Jeff,
How does Russell Moore’s definition of Christian nationalism challenge traditional views of patriotism and faith?
Shela,
Praying for you and your family’s loss.
I think that many people see faith and patriotism as almost being dependent on each other. You cannot be patriotic to the US unless you believe in God. “God Bless America” and “I’m Proud to be an American” are played at many 4th of July celebration. The Pledge of Allegiance suggests that we are “One nation under God” and our currency as states “In God We Trust.” These were added in the 1950’s as part of the Cold War propaganda. To have patriotism demands you to believe in God.
On the other hand, many leaders would have you believe that to have faith in Christ at least in the US, means that you must love this country and its leadership and see every natural disaster as God’s judgment on sinners.
Moore, I believe is stating that these two things, faith and patriotism, are independent of one another and that one should not use the other as part of its definition.
Hi Jeff, Thanks for your post. What are ways you have found to help bring group conversations and thinking back to a Kingdom-focus?
I haven’t engaged in a lot of group conversations regarding religion and politics, but in my classes the two questions I would have students ask is whether they are treating everyone with dignity and worth that comes simply by being created in the image of God. Secondly, are the allowing others the ability to practice self-determination (free will) or are the forcing their beliefs upon someone else. I think engaging in discussions with these two ideas in mind van help maintain a kingdom-focused thinking.
I think this goes along with Wright and Bird “In order to love our neighbour’, we must allow our neighbour to be beside us and yet different from us. Our neighbor has permission to be ‘other’ than us. That requires us permitting and even celebrating the freedom of others to find happiness, fulfillment, flourishing, purpose and meaning in ways that we might disagree or disapprove of. (159-160).
We’re into maps, aren’t we Jeff? 😉 Great post, thank you.
What do you think might be the most effective tool or method a church leader can use to help followers reorder their conceptual map, ensuring theology is the base and not morality/politics?
Debbie,
Great question. An obvious answer would be Scripture, but we know people have used Scripture to justify all sort of ungodly things. A leader needs a north star within Scripture to help guide their followers. I believe the north star is Jesus’ summary of the Law found in Mark 12
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Leaders can train their followers to focus on these two commands and the man’s response that doing these is more important than any other command or ritual God has given (burnt offerings and sacrifices). Have then use these as a scale, these commands on one side, their thoughts and actions on the other. The ideal is that they would balance each other so that their thoughts and actions would equal love of God and Love of neighbor.
That might be a starting point.