Christian Political Witness

Wheaton College professors Kalantzis and Lee pose a provocative question: “Are Christians today anything more than an interest group?” In light of a 2013 Pew report showing the U.S. on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country, 12 prominent theologians respond. From the salty Stanley Hauerwas to the precise Mark Noll, each gnaws on an ancient bone: since the outlawed Jesus Movement became legitimate under Constantine, what are we to make of Christians and politics? Scot McKnight and Timothy Gombis examine the politics of Jesus and Paul. David Gushee and David Gitari outline an evangelical social tradition and a world evangelical move to social transformation. Jana Bennett asks how a theology that expects consistency in family, state, and church values can exist in a pluralistic democracy. Perhaps Kalantzis’s own essay on Christian power narratives provides the most potent answer. The early church developed a “new language about power based on the hope of resurrection,” he writes, a unique paradigm that used love and self-sacrifice to influence the world around them. Christians must take a sober look at the dangers of theocracy while simultaneously embracing a faith that requires one to bear suffering for justice. (Apr.)