Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life

PART III
A Way Forward: Recommendations
Christian Practices and Teachings that Support Healthy
Public Engagement
Ultimately, Christian political engagement requires determining how best to apply Christian principles to public life.
This process requires great discernment, and leaders across traditions and social locations vary significantly in their
interpretations of what is best. Our interviewees pointed to several Christian beliefs and practices they found helpful for
promoting healthy political engagement.
CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS AND BELIEFS
Many of the leaders we interviewed talked about the importance of the Christian tradition and the central theological
commitments that provide a basis for all political activity. Indeed, it was striking to us that despite the wide range of
perspectives and responses, at some point in their reflections, almost all of those we interviewed talked about the centrality
of one or both of what are often called the great commandments —love of God and love of neighbor. Bishop Curry offered a
powerful analogy about the great commandments, describing the law of love as “the Marbury v Madison of the Bible, that is
the supreme law of God. Everything must be tested by love of God and love of neighbor, and if it doesn’t meet that test, it’s not
of God.”
This ethic of love offers an essential starting point, according to many of our interviewees. As Samuel Rodriguez explained:
“So all of our political engagement must begin with a foundational premise that every single human being is created in the
image of God. We must begin with that. It shouldn’t be defending something. It should be elevating the image of God. If the
defense of something does take place, that defense should be a positive ramification or outcome, a tangential derivative to
elevating the image of God.”
In a variety of ways, many leaders connected love for neighbor with the importance of serving the common good. Galen Carey,
for example, explained that love of neighbor means that Christians “seek the good, not just of ourselves, but of our whole
community.” Christina Edmonson described this motivation as “a deep love of people that is rooted in a humility about our
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