Faithful Politics
Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters
by Miranda Zapor Cruz
You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 20 Aug 2024 | Archive Date 19 Sep 2024
Talking about this book? Use #FaithfulPolitics #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
Christians who seek to relate their faith to politics have always encountered tensions. Instead of easy answers and simple checklists, we need tools to help us thoughtfully navigate the complexities of Christian faithfulness in an increasingly diverse and polarized society.
In this book, Miranda Zapor Cruz guides readers in forming a vision of citizenship that brings Christian convictions into political engagement while avoiding common pitfalls. Cruz provides a measured, nonpartisan overview of different ways Christians have approached political participation. These ten views represent a range of theological approaches to the relationship between the kingdom of God and the country, including Anabaptist, social gospel, principled pluralist, and Christian nationalist. Cruz describes strengths and weaknesses of each view, with a focus on Christian faithfulness.
In the United States, Cruz argues, Christians who share very similar faith convictions can arrive at different political conclusions. There are, however, principles from Scripture and theology that should inform our thinking and remind us that our ultimate citizenship is in the kingdom of God. Faithful Politics helps us learn from Christians of the past as we discern how to be salt and light in our own time and place.
Advance Praise
"The most comprehensive understanding of the role of the Christian believer in national politics from a biblical, theological, and historical perspective to date. A classic for generations. Research in Faithful Politics is extensive yet reads with ease. This is an essential book for leaders in all walks of life to have depth of understanding in public morals and social concerns impacting decision-making of the same."
-Jo Anne Lyon, general superintendent emerita of The Wesleyan Church
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781514007495 |
| PRICE | US$24.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 216 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1324784
Cruz weaves an excellent framework through which Christians can understand and better engage with citizenship in the Kingdom of God alongside national, regional, and even state citizenship. When I first opened her work, I worried that I would encounter bias that may undercut her ten-view approach. I found myself happily surprised that this was not the case. In her research and analysis, Cruz discusses a range of ideological approaches to dual citizenship in the Kingdom of God and of country. I thought she did well in discussing potential pitfalls in each approach, but that her most ambitious proposal (a better, personal framework) was her most successful. I was surprised to find that Cruz doesn't encourage the reader to choose one ideology or another--particularly in a time in which it seems that indoctrination, one way or the other, is unavoidable. Rather, Cruz suggests that depending on the viewpoint of the individual, their understanding of the Kingdom of God could lead them to partisanship in any respective political sect. This felt refreshing. Cruz aimed to arm the reader with tools through which to make decisions without forcing decisions onto the reader, and my assessment is that she succeeded. I think Cruz's work will be perfectly timed for Christian readers who hope to make an informed decision, whatever that decision may be, come November 2024.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
