Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life

Introduction
Pluralism, the presence of socially or politically meaningful diversity of various kinds in a society, is a defining
feature of 21 st century American life. It is the source of great tensions and movements that ripple through our
society and our politics. How to contend with diversity is one of the great questions of our day for political
leaders, religious leaders, and the American people.
One source of meaning from which Americans have drawn wisdom, answers, and direction in the past is Christianity: its
spiritual resources, its teachings, its intellectual tradition, its institutions, and the people who claim the faith for themselves.
Today, however, as Charles Taylor describes in A Secular Age, the value of faith in public life is increasingly contested. We
live in a pluralized, pressurized moment which stems from a “move from a society where belief in God is unchallenged and
indeed, unproblematic, to one in which it is understood to be one option among others, and frequently not the easiest to
embrace.” 1 Such a change does not mean that religion is no longer relevant, but rather that new questions are now salient,
such as whether religion has answers to today’s problems. 2
We believe faith—and this report is focused specifically on Christianity in its diverse and varied expressions in this country—
has much to contribute, and this report explores many of those resources. Prior to discussing the benefits of Christianity
to public life in this pluralistic, modern age, it is important to establish more simply and unequivocally that faith is an
undeniable and pervasive force in American life. That is to say, there can be no debate, particularly in a democratic society,
as to whether faith and Christianity will play a role in the political life of our nation, because Christianity is so prevalent. A
majority of Americans identify as Christians; Christian institutions make up a significant part of the life of our communities;
and Christian ideas and motivations continue to shape the public imagination. The desire for a politics or society that is not
influenced by religion is a desire in some quarters for a politics and society without religious people. Obviously, this would be
a profoundly anti-pluralist sentiment, and we reject it.
This report reflects conversations with 51 Christian leaders from across the country. Together, they represent many different
Christian traditions, backgrounds, and political and theological perspectives. We asked them about their views of the role
of Christianity in public life today, the way politics and faith interact, and what pluralism means for their community. We
received deeply thoughtful, informed, and sometimes provocative responses to our questions.
We share this report with several audiences in mind. First, we hope to equip Christian leaders, institutions, and church
communities with ideas and practices for living out their faith in a pluralistic context in a way that is faithful to their tradition
and oriented toward the good of the community and nation in which they live.
Second, we hope this report will spark a renewed imagination among leaders in secular institutions—government, secular
philanthropy, news and other media, business, cultural institutions, and more—for the positive contribution Christianity has
made and can make in American public life, even in a pluralistic society.
1
Charles Taylor, A Secular Age, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2007. Pp 3. Print.
2
Art Swift, “Majority in U.S. Still Say Religion Can Answer Most Problems,” Gallup, June 2, 2017, Accessed February 6, 2020. Available at:
https://news.gallup.com/poll/211679/majority-say-religion-answer-problems.aspx.
4 | Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life in the United States