Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life

Recommendations

Info

ContentsPREFACE 3INTRODUCTION 4WHAT WE KNOW—DATA AND CONTEXT CONCERNING CHRISTIANITY,PLURALISM, AND THE HEALTH OF AMERICAN PUBLIC LIFE 6The Religious Landscape in the United States 6The State of American Democracy 12HOW CHRISTIAN LEADERS ARE THINKING ABOUTPLURALISM AND PUBLIC LIFE 17Interview Methods 17Insights into Christianity and Public Life 18Christians and Bridge Building 21The Role of Christianity in Public Life 27Are Christian Leaders and Lay People Aligned? 33Politics and Christian Community 35How Politicians and Other Public Leaders Can Support a Healthy Pluralism andChristian Political Engagement 38A WAY FORWARD: RECOMMENDATIONS 43Christian Practices and Teachings that Support Healthy Public Engagement 43Encouraging Positive Christian Contributions to Public Life 47Recommendations for Political and Other Public Leaders 49CONCLUSION: SIGNS OF HOPE, WARNINGS TO HEED 50APPENDIX A: LIST OF INTERVIEWEES AND AFFILIATIONS 52
PrefaceReady or not, here it comes: America is about to become much more diverse. The racial composition of the nation ischanging: by 2045, it is estimated that the nation will become “minority white,” and Hispanics will account for abouta quarter of the population. The nation’s religious makeup is changing as well: over three-quarters of senior citizens inAmerica identify as Christian—but for those under 30, only about half do. The largest religious shift of the last decade hasbeen described as the rise of the “nones”—those who claim no religious affiliation.Meanwhile, a very different set of trends is at play in other corners of the world. In contrast to the US, the percentage of thereligious disaffiliated is declining. While there are fewer Christians who report faith as important in their lives in Europe,Christianity is spreading rapidly in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and China.These changes have brought both good and bad; they have solicited both celebration and lament, hope and fear. Andindeed, we are in uncharted waters. This important and insightful report authored by Trinity Forum Senior Fellow MichaelWear and Wheaton College professor Amy Black, and made possible by a grant from the Democracy Fund, exploresthe consequences and implications of these trends through the perspective of Christian church and ministry leadersin America. Its findings are based on in-depth interviews with more than 50 Christian leaders (mostly, but not entirely,pastors) from a variety of denominations, traditions, locales, and political and theological perspectives. The findings,not surprisingly, show sharp political divides in some areas between groups, but also reveal a broad consensus aroundthe value of pluralism in America, and the opportunities it brings for Christians to live out their faith, and contribute tothe common good and formation of civic character. The resounding message of the report is that Christian thought andpractice has much to offer America in this new pluralistic moment.America was founded on religious freedom and pluralism—and that freedom was the soil from which revivals andrenewals sprang. Where the codified and institutionalized religious traditions of western Europe grew brittle and calcified,America proved to be fertile ground for the Christian faith—as well as many other faith traditions—as America’s religiousfreedom allowed the religiously entrepreneurial to make converts as they may. But against those who sought to “protect”religion from heresy or decline by institutionalizing it, the founders grounded religious freedom in the conviction thatfreedom of conscience is paramount to human dignity—and in the confidence that what is true will endure. In the yearsahead, as America’s religious landscape shifts, the importance and value of religious freedom will only grow. We hope thisreport will be a useful tool to those who proclaim and live out the Good News in every sector of life, a resource for publicleaders navigating this ever-changing landscape, and an encouragement to all Americans of the ways in which religiousfreedom and pluralism has undergirded our civic character and contributed to the common good.Cherie HarderPresident, The Trinity ForumChristianity, Pluralism, and Public Life in the United States | 3
Page 1 and 2: Christianity, Pluralism, andPublic
Page 3: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSABOUT THE AUTHORSWe
Page 7 and 8: Third, and finally, we hope this re
Page 9 and 10: RELIGIOUS IDENTITYAlthough many sur
Page 11 and 12: RELIGIOUS BELIEF AND BEHAVIOREven t
Page 13 and 14: Opposition remains strongest among
Page 15 and 16: To say that questions involving plu
Page 17 and 18: As enmity for the other party grows
Page 19 and 20: PART IIHow Christian Leaders Are Th
Page 21 and 22: they view as essential to it—as e
Page 23 and 24: us and about our Judeo-Christian tr
Page 25 and 26: INSIGHTS INTO THE BRIDGE-BUILDING P
Page 27 and 28: BRIDGING ACROSS POLITICAL, RELIGIOU
Page 29 and 30: DIVIDES WITHIN CHRISTIANITY THAT CH
Page 31 and 32: Some of our respondents raised conc
Page 33 and 34: There are three ways to look at thi
Page 35 and 36: particular, don’t have a politica
Page 37 and 38: Politics and Christian CommunityPol
Page 39 and 40: POLITICS AND THE LAITYWe were also
Page 41 and 42: OPENLY DISCUSS THEIR OWN FAITH AND
Page 43 and 44: literate in the very basic sense th
Page 45 and 46: PART IIIA Way Forward: Recommendati
Page 47 and 48: DISCIPLESHIP AND CATECHISMMany Chri
Page 49 and 50: Encouraging Positive Christian Cont
Page 51 and 52: Recommendations for Political and O
Page 53 and 54: precisely because every man is made

Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?