Perhaps the most eggregious error being made by conservative Christians, with regard to our present attempts to promote morality and Christian witness in the public sphere, is the false notion that politics can actually change culture. Make no mistake about it, politics is important in a culture. But it is not primary in importance. The long absence of evangelicals in the realm of politics, for many decades, had tragic effects. I am personally grateful for the good men and women, both Democrats and Republicans, who feel it is a divine calling to pursue service through elected office. But if given the choice I would much rather teach and make disciples through the ministry of the church personally.

My reasons for this preference are not what you might think. I do not see ordained Christian ministry as a "higher calling" at all. We need Christian lawyers, Christian artists, Christian teachers, Christian shop owners, Christian government workers, and Christian servants in general in all capacities of life. Work is itself a vocation of God and thus a good thing.

The problem here is that conservatives are quite confused about the way culture is actually changed. The late New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan understood this far better than many modern conservative Christians. He wrote: "The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society."

I am persuaded that the most important thing Christians can bring to society, whether in politics or anything else, is the place of ultimate questions and how these shape a culture. We are able to understand the "purpose" for which all of life exists and thus we can humbly inform every decision and public act with Christ-centered input. If we keep our faith private and inward we will fail society. If we invest in culture, with meaningful public service for the glory of God, using all our various gifts in private and public ways, we will impact culture accordingly. Christians need to engage this culture, aggressively and actively. They need to also learn that partisan politcs is not the primary way to alter culture and bring about true success in society.

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Comments

  1. K. Darrell September 22, 2005 at 11:07 am

    As a young man and a neophyte, I was confused by the “Christian Coalition” mentality and really thought politics was the end all. I would passionately argue for issues that now seem “insignificant” in light of a lot of other developments. Fortunately through your book “The Coming Evangelical Crisis” and Michael Horton’s “Beyond Cultural Wars” my thinking was radically altered. For this, I am truly thankful.
    Thanks,
    Keith

  2. Gene Redlin September 22, 2005 at 4:57 pm

    …persuaded that the most important thing Christians can bring to society, whether in politics or anything else, is the place of ultimate questions and how these shape a culture. We are able to understand the “purpose” for which all of life exists and thus we can humbly inform every decision and public act with Christ-centered input.
    If we keep our faith private and inward we will fail society. If we invest in culture, with meaningful public service for the glory of God, using all our various gifts in private and public ways……
    So John, Does that include calling out gross error as we see it? Does that mean we fail if we do nothing and keep silent as you so rightly said? There is good and evil and as Christians our job is to encourage GOOD and to confront EVIL. I don’t think this is as subjective as it sounds.
    Sometimes that means taking on the evil and deciept in the public arena. That would be POLITICS. The abortion Rights NARAL aren’t coming to our Churches to be discipled any time soon. The Voice the wobbly center needs to hear is that of pursuasive language spoken with confidence and boldness. There is too little of that in the world right now.
    I have never been a middleground enthusiast. I am persuaded. I will not keep silent. Neither should any Christian of conviction. That means politics sometimes. That means the public forum sometimes and that means coallitions sometimes.
    We can even disagree. I don’t mind if someone else is wrong in my eyes, let’s just talk about it as Brothers.
    Together we can do more than any one of us can do alone.
    We don’t have to walk lock in every step of the way.
    We do have to walk in appreciation for our differences and love each other more than the world and the devil hates us.

  3. K. Darrell September 23, 2005 at 9:38 am

    Gene,
    I think our message is inherently political. The confession that Jesus Christ is Lord means that Ceasar, Bush, Communism, and/or anything else in this world is not the true lord. Our message is the reconciliation of the cosmos, which includes nations, political orders, etc. There is not an ounce of this word that Jesus Christ will not redeem.
    Yet, politics, I believe, is more of a derivitive issue, the fruit of Reforming the Church and individuals through the preaching of the Word and administration of sacraments.
    Keith

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