91: Navigating the Intersection of Faith & Politics. Guest: Kaitlyn Schiess

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Aug 16, 2023

Guest Kaitlyn Schiess, a former Liberty University student who detoured to Dallas Seminary and Duke Divinity School, discusses the intersection of faith and politics. They explore reading widely and challenging biases, navigating political differences in Christian communities, moving beyond cherry-picking verses, and seeking Christ-likeness. The guest emphasizes the importance of understanding scripture in relation to political decisions and the dangers of cherry-picking verses to support political beliefs.

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INSIGHT

A Calling Formed By Context And Study

Kaitlyn Schiess's path into religion-and-politics felt God-directed after experiences at Liberty University and seminary shaped her questions about faith and civic life.
She committed to long-term study and scholarly work because the topic demanded sustained, careful engagement.

INSIGHT

City On A Hill Misused

The "city on a hill" idea was appropriated from John Winthrop and often detached from its biblical context and warnings.
Claiming special divine promises for America without the prophetic warnings distorts both scripture and national self-understanding.

ANECDOTE

Scripture Adopted As Branding

Amy discovered that Dave Ramsey's LLC uses Matthew 5:14–16 as its legal name and built a building on a hill, showing selective use of Scripture.
This surprised Kaitlyn and illustrated how groups lean into biblical language when it suits them.

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"Read widely and in diverse communities. Challenge your biases and seek out perspectives that differ from your own. This will lead to a better understanding of Scripture and its application to our lives." - Kaitlyn Schiess

While an undergrad at Liberty University, Kaitlyn Schiess detoured from her plan to go to law school after the ideas involved in the intersection of religion and politics captured her attention. That detour led to Dallas Seminary and Duke Divinity School instead of law school and it has lead to two books on the subjects we're not supposed to talk about in polite company: Religion and Politics.

And that's a lucky break for us because Kaitlyn is the perfect person to join the Untangled Faith podcast to talk about this in a way that feels more like an invitation to something better than a challenge to enter a boxing ring.

Key moments from this episode:

Excitement for the New Book, Kaitlyn's Unexpected Path into Religion and Politics, Co-opting the Phrase "City on a Hill", The Importance of Reading Widely and in Community, Exploring Diverse Perspectives through Commentaries, Navigating Political Differences in Christian Community, The History of Cherry Picking Verses, Moving Beyond Cherry Picking, The Bible's Relevance to Political Questions, Seeking Christ-likeness,

Resources:

Purchase Kaitlyn's new book: The Ballot and the Bible. https://amzn.to/3DNVy0L
Follow Kaitlyn: https://kaitlynschiess.com

Episodes you might enjoy:

https://untangledfaithpodcast.com/2023/08/09/90-historical-cultural-influences-on-evangelicalism-guest-karen-swallow-prior/

https://untangledfaithpodcast.com/2023/06/14/84-boz-tchividjian-on-fighting-against-abuse-in-the-church/

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Phil and Susan Perdue

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