“How then should I live?”

The essays and responses on the present topic of evangelicalism and politics have been scholarly, insightful, and thought-provoking.  For me, the discussion, inevitably, comes back to a personal question: How do I, a professing “evangelical,” live out my faith in my everyday world that is inherently part political? 

I pose the following questions to myself as a GenYer who came to a believing faith as teenager, a working professional who has lived in the DC area for the past decade, a mom raising two young children, a committed member of a local church, a neighbor, a student studying politics and religion (evangelicals in particular) as well as an engaged (or so I hope) citizen: 

• How do I form my opinions on the political matters of the day – both domestic and international – and engage in political discourses and actions at the local, state, federal, and, perhaps even, international levels? 
• How do I respond and behave in everyday situations that may involve politics – be they informal conversations with family and friends, postings on social media and the Internet, classroom discussions, public events, media encounters, etc. – with other evangelicals, non-evangelicals, and both (indeed, does the composition of the group matter)? 

Is not the future evangelicalism formed, in part, by how each evangelical responds to and approaches politics in formal and informal contexts? 

For me, as I reflect on this topic, a starting thought is that, because we do not live alone in our society, there is an inherent political dimension to how we go about our daily lives – sometimes it’s obvious such as when we vote, and other times, in less deliberate ways, such as when I break for a stop sign.  In that sense, whether we think we are consciously engaged in political life or are completely distanced from all things political, our thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions can carry political meanings and implications even we are unaware of them.   

If the Bible informs us on how we should live in our present world, then, surely, it has implications for how we think about and engage with its political dimensions.  Our lens and source should always be the Bible.  But I don’t always do that, admittedly. 

Ted Williams points out that “[w]hat we believe and profess on Sunday morning is often separate from how we engage in the political process and culture on Monday.”   He’s right.  The empirical data suggest that, while certain dimensions of religiosity—religious attendance, religious beliefs, religious affiliation—are sometimes correlated with some of our political attitudes and behaviors, other non-religious factors (our gender, education, geographic residency, socio-economic status, etc.) are often better at predicting these outcomes, even among evangelicals.  And I wonder, too, if the strength and magnitude of these religious-political correlations vary over time. 

The “major cause,” Ted believes, “is that modern American often adhere to the unbiblical principle of dualism, which essentially separates the religious and the secular.” That may be true. I would perhaps also consider our general lack of political knowledge and decreasing literacy in the Bible.  Some political scholars have argued that most voters (not just Christian ones) are essentially uninformed (at best) or ignorant (at worst).  There is simply too much political information too process, e.g., how could I possibly comprehend every position held by every political candidate on my ballot and their full implications?  Sometimes, life simply gets too busy for me to read and understand, much resolve my position on, even the major issues (even though my primary job is to study political science!). 

Some of us rely on heuristics, or shortcuts, to help us sort through the mountains of political information.  Just as partisanship sometimes serves as a heuristic for people to figure their stances on an unfamiliar or less salient issues, I often, without much careful thought, quickly default to my “evangelical” position as a cognitive shortcut, too.  In the end, before adopting an ideological position, I don’t always take the time and effort and ask myself, as Ted recommends, “What is God’s will for the government, What direction does biblical text provide for the major policy questions of day?”

Corwin Smidt’s point that “given the purposes for which it was written, the Bible does not provide any substantial systematical discussions of politics that explicates a particular philosophical perspective related to civic political matters” is well taken.  When I do peruse the Bible, or Christian writings, for an answer to an issue, I do not always find a specific instruction, e.g., vote “yes” or “no” on gun control or local a municipal bond.  Even for the passages that are particular and instructive on specific political matters, their direct application often require historical, textual, and interpretative considerations that are often beyond my inadequate knowledge and understanding of the Bible.  Moreover, as Corwin notes, “[h]uman thought is always tainted by the adverse effects of the fall and humankind’s sinful condition.”  Even with decades of scholarly examination and the purest intention, there will always exist a level of fallibility in how we interpret the Bible and how much we can presume to understand “God’s will.” We only know in part. 

So, should I throw in the towel and quit politics altogether or operate on an entirely secular political philosophy and framework (or default unthinkingly to a “cultural evangelical” position)? I think the short answer is, no.  Politics cannot be divorced from my everyday reality, even if I tried to divorce myself from it.  So, how I should I proceed, where do I go from here?  Reading the essays in this series, I glean several helpful personal applications: 

• I shouldn’t give up on seeking God’s perspective and wisdom on matters political (the Bible encourages us to seek His wisdom and to believe in it), and I should do so, humbly and discerningly, in the company of fellow believers.
• When engaging in political discourse or action in the public square or in a Christian community, my attitude and posture should be that of humility and civility; I do not presume to have the right answer just because I hold “an evangelical” perspective.
• Finding a godly, biblical response is important; how I seek these answers and approach political life and issues matters, too.
• Importantly, the core biblical truths of how I should live out my faith in this life – in particular, to love God and others – should direct how I live my political life as an earthly citizen as well; for me, at least, there is no distinction between the two.