Jesus, Politics, and the Danger of Christian Nationalism (Jesus and Politics Series)

Sep 14, 2016

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How the American church’s blend of faith and partisan politics compromises the mission of Jesus and why a new, distinctly Christ-centered political theology is desperately needed. In this foundational episode, Mike Erre and Andy unpack five key points for developing a theology of politics that resists culture war narratives and reclaims Jesus’s lordship over all of life, including the public square.

Prompted by a storm of Facebook backlash to Mike’s call for Christians to provide a counter-narrative to the increasingly politicized expressions of faith linked to conservative ideology, this thoughtful—and at times fiery—conversation explores how the American church often sacrifices Jesus’s witness for political loyalty.

Key Takeaways: • Politics and the Image of God – Politics is not inherently evil; it’s a reflection of our God-given mandate to order and care for human society. • Following Jesus is Inherently Political – Jesus’s life, birth, and message directly challenged the Roman Empire, revealing that the gospel has unavoidable public implications. • Kingdom Above Country – The kingdom of God is not Republican, Democrat, Socialist, or Libertarian. It indicts all earthly systems and transcends partisanship. • Political Allegiance vs. Gospel Witness – How prioritizing political identity over Jesus leads to hostility, name-calling, and poor witness in both digital and real-life discussions. • How the Church Should Engage – Faithful political engagement flows from kingdom values: nonviolence, humility, justice, love of enemies, and self-sacrifice.

Resources Mentioned: • Luke 2 – The politically loaded birth announcement of Jesus • Revelation – As a critique of empire and prophetic call to allegiance to the slain Lamb • SubversiveKingdom.com – Mike’s website and resource hub

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Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

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