Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life

Politics and Christian Community
Politics often came up in our interviews even when we did not specifically ask about it, but we also asked interviewees a few
questions directly related to politics and Christianity. Christian leaders felt that politics affects their ministries significantly,
and they expressed deep unease about how politics is affecting those they serve.
POLITICS AND CONGREGATIONAL LIFE
Several Christian leaders raised concerns about how to address politics in their congregations. As CJ Rhodes said, “Any time
you speak or don’t speak it is a political act. And you’ve got some people who will say ‘Amen’ to what you say and others who
will say, ‘I thought you were a man of God? How could you?’” Larry Snyder suggested that “You have to be…very cautious
about what you say because one of the things you don’t want to do is to alienate a huge portion of people so that they no
longer even listen to what you’re saying.”
Interviewees reported that politics looms large, larger than it should, when people think about faith. Galen Carey said that
“we [the National Association of Evangelicals] deal with a lot of people from other faiths or other parts of the Christian faith,
who assume, when they meet us and they hear the word evangelical, assume that we are a political group, a voting bloc.” Bob
Roberts relayed a story from a pastor he knows who said that, in the past, when people in his community would ask to meet
to learn more about the church, they would want to know where he stood on theological questions like why God allows evil
in the world. Now, when the pastor gets a meeting request, it is more than likely because “they have a whole list of political
litmus test questions that they want to ask me before they can decide if they want to go to my church or not, which is just a
brand new thing.”
Some of our interviewees raised concerns that religious leaders can focus so much on politics that they lose sight of their
central purpose and ministry. Gabriel Salguero described the phenomenon of “an over-exposure that doesn’t let us be
reflective because we’re so engaged that we don’t pull away to be deliberative, we’re over-exposed to the political landscape
and under-exposed to our own deepest convictions.” Bob
Roberts warned of the dangers of seeking too much political
power, calling on religious leaders to step back so they
can speak with a prophetic voice. He offered this specific
example: “If we can’t challenge the President, regardless of
party, about morality and integrity and justice and honesty,
then nothing else should matter. Because that’s the role of a
religious figure. It’s not to gain control and power to push an
agenda. It’s to call the power that is into accountability on
Biblical values.”
Joseph Darby contended that politics is inescapable for the
church, not only for its theological and public implications
but because of how politics affects the life of the church.
“Politics profoundly affects my work, and any clergy person
who says otherwise is walking in the dark with their eyes
closed. To my mind, politics began in the church,” he said.
“People cannot focus on spirituality if they’re worried about,
‘How I’m not going to pay my bills, why don’t I have a roof
over my head?’”
Politics profoundly affects my work, and
any clergy person who says otherwise
is walking in the dark with their eyes
closed. To my mind, politics began in
the church. People cannot focus on
spirituality if they’re worried about, ‘How
I’m not going to pay my bills, why don’t I
have a roof over my head?’
—Rev. Joseph A. Darby, Senior Pastor, Nichols
Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church,
Charleston, SC
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