Every year, (and especially every four years), we’re faced with the daunting task of voting for those who will shape policies and legislation that will impact us and our neighbors. So how do we as followers of Jesus exercising Spirit-filled wisdom navigate this topic faithfully? Below we’ve provided a series of sermons, articles, and books to better equip you to think through this.
Watch/Listen
SERMONS
podcasts
Videos
READ
ARTICLES
“How Do Christians Fit Into a Two-Party System? They Don’t” by Tim Keller in The New York Times
“The historical Christian positions on social issues don’t match up with contemporary political alignments.”
“Bad Reasons to Vote for Someone and Good Questions to Ask” by Midtown Fellowship
“Biblically, I can’t even tell you as a Christian that you absolutely should or should not vote. But I can tell you the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection give us a new perspective and a new identity.”
“America is in the Grips of a Fundamentalist Revival” by David French in The Dispatch
“I wasn’t sure I’d ever live to see a truly large-scale religious awakening. But here we are. Here it is. There’s just one catch. It’s not Christian. It is, however, quite fundamentalist.”
“I’m Not Hateful, You Are!” by David French in The Dispatch
“Do the first verses of Matthew 7 describe a reality that isn’t just personal but also cultural and political? Can a nation suffer the consequences of mass-scale intolerance? I think yes. I think we’re living it right now.”
“Jesus is Not Your American Patriot” The Gospel Coalition
“‘God and country’ is a popular sentiment. Despite the fact that America was reputedly built on Judeo-Christian values, this seemingly honorable motto is problematic.”
“Patriotism and Christianity” in Christianity Today
“What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism?”
“Our Exile Heritage” by Midtown Fellowship
“Like the Christians Peter wrote to in Asia Minor, we are now called to pick up the mantle of living as exiles for the benefit of the world around us by seeing and knowing and glorifying Jesus.”
“Parenting and Patriotism” - by Midtown Fellowship
“Should we be leading the charge in celebrating this nation? Or should we lead the charge in mourning the many sins of our nation? And how should we talk to our kids about it?”
“The Freedom of Fear” by Midtown Fellowship
“Fear of God means politics and politicians aren’t ultimate. So if my candidate loses or the worst candidate ever wins, I can remain confident that God will hold the universe together.”
Books
Onward: Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel by Russell Moore
“As the culture changes all around us, it is no longer possible to pretend that we are a Moral Majority. That may be bad news for America, but it can be good news for the church.”
Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement by Justin Giboney, Michael Wear and Chris Butler
“Too often, political questions are framed in impossible ways for the faithful Christian: we're forced to choose between social justice and biblical values… As a result, it's easy for Christians to grow disillusioned with civic engagement or fall back into tribal extremes… When we understand our civic engagement as a way to obey Christ's call to love our neighbor, we see that it is possible to engage the political process with both love and truth―compassion and conviction.”
Thou Shalt Not be a Jerk: A Christian’s Guide to Engaging Politics by Eugene Cho“When we stay in the Scriptures, pray for wisdom, and advocate for the vulnerable, our love for politics, ideology, philosophy, or even theology, stop superseding our love for God and neighbor.”