Noticing God with Our Political Imagination with Kaitlyn Schiess

Politics not only include who and what you vote for. It reveals how you see yourself, other people, and God. 

Our imaginations have been malformed by fear-inducing stories and unchecked allegiances, revealing not only our positions on a given issue but our deepest loves and loyalties. While it may seem that joining the “culture war” or withdrawing are our only political options, God offers another way.

In this episode, host Jay Y. Kim welcomes Kaitlyn Schiess, author, speaker, and perpetual theology student. She is the author of The Liturgy of Politics and The Ballot and the Bible, and her writing has been featured in Christianity Today, The New York Times, Relevant, and elsewhere. Schiess is a co-host and Senior Editor of the Holy Post podcast, and the host of Curiously, Kaitlyn. She has a ThM in systematic theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is currently a doctoral student in theology at Duke Divinity School.

Kim and Schiess explore the revealing intersections of spiritual formation and politics, challenging us to prayerfully reflect on the allegiances shaping us. They discuss our need for an imagination that is reformed by the story of Scripture, rather than fear. They also contrast the empty promises of political figures with God's faithfulness to keep his abundantly better promises. In highlighting spiritual practices to help ground us in our local communities, they discuss the freedom and clarity we experience when we are secure in our identity in Christ and belonging with his people. When we know who we are, where we belong, and what story we believe, differences become less of a threat and more of an opportunity for curiosity, conversation, and connection.

Tune in for a refreshing opportunity to reflect on your political imagination with God. 

This episode highlights the following themes:

• Aligning our political loyalties with Scripture
• Prioritizing embodied presence with community
• Practicing spiritual disciplines to learn faithful politics

Links from this episode:

• Learn more about Kaitlyn Schiess
• Read Kaitlyn Schiess’ books, The Liturgy of Politics and The Ballot and the Bible
• Hear more from Kaitlyn Schiess on The Disrupters
• Read the transcript here

God is present; do we notice him? As the world gets louder, listening to God’s voice becomes increasingly challenging. We are bombarded by the chaos of our feeds, by distractions both inside and out, and by the everyday cacophony that drowns out the calm of a life lived in close communion with God. In this season of The Digital Examen, pastor, and author Jay Y. Kim guides us toward reorienting our lives so that we can notice God with the entirety of our beings—heart, soul, mind, strength—in both the mundane and majestic moments of everyday life. 

Learn more about The Digital Examen

Learn more about your host, Jay Y. Kim

Read Analog Church and Analog Christian by Jay Y. Kim

Listen to Meditations from The Digital Examen

Download a Guide to The Examen

Links and Credits

✅ Special offer: Visit ivpress.com and use the code IVPOD25 for 25% off any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.

✅ Consulting Producer: Helen Lee

✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo and Travis Albritton

✅ Production Assistant: Jack Reece

✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts

✅ Social Media Managers: Allie Noble and Makayla Payne

✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard and Elsbette San Blas

✅ Theme Song: "For They Will Inherit the Earth" by Stephen Keech

Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

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