Inside Out 258: Faith in Election 2012
10.17.12 |
Ask about the intersection of faith and politics, and some people just glow with energy. Others, I find, just grow uneasy.
Which brings us to the question that inspired today’s Inside Out conversation: what does it mean when Christian pastors and speakers call for believers to “vote their faith”? Is it a call to vote for candidates who share a Christian’s view of the Bible, or are pastors asking believers to evaluate candidates and political platforms based on the intrinsic values of Christianity?
It’s difficult to think about this without also considering a more foundational question: how do we believe God intends His followers to interact with the culture? How we think God uses His people for His purposes in the world says a lot about how we view the November election—or any election. Does Christ call His people to dive into the political process to promote change through policy, developing and supporting programs to feed the hungry, employ the unemployed or protect the unborn? Or does God call believers to the work of one-on-one transformation, feeding this hungry person, or visiting that ill neighbor, changing the world for good through individual acts far away from the legislative process?
We talk about “voting your faith”—and more--in this week’s Inside Out podcast with guest Dr. Tobin Grant, a professor of political science at Southern Illinois University; he writes on the topics of politics and campaign finance reform. Click on the “listen” button above to hear our conversation about faith, values and how the personal beliefs of those in government leadership are different than they were in previous decades.
After you join us for this 12-minute conversation, please let us know what you think by typing a comment or two below.
To find an assortment of Christianity Today articles on American politics, including those from Dr. Tobin Grant, click here: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/
For a list of his books, click here: http://politicalscience.siu.edu/faculty/grant.html
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