

226: Unabridged Interview: Amy Sherman
9 snips Sep 12, 2025
In this insightful conversation, Amy Sherman, a Senior Fellow at the Sagamore Institute, discusses her vision for faith communities contributing to civic renewal. She presents a compelling framework of six 'endowments' vital for a thriving society. Sherman explores how churches can engage with education and justice, reshape public life, and invest in beauty and livability. Emphasizing the importance of shalom, she calls for a faith that actively participates in societal transformation, encouraging a holistic approach to community well-being and flourishing.
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Biblical Vision Of Holistic Shalom
- Amy Sherman argues the Bible presents a comprehensive vision of shalom covering spiritual, social, psychological, and physical flourishing.
- Followers of that vision should pursue broad social transformation, not just private piety.
Church Has Both Harm And Contribution
- Sherman admits the church has harmed people historically but also highlights its positive civic contributions across art, justice, and care institutions.
- She wrote Agents of Flourishing partly to surface both the harms and overlooked Christian contributions to society.
Image Of God Shapes Human Rights
- The doctrine of Imago Dei grounds human dignity and historically reshaped treatment of children, women, and criminals.
- Early Christians embodied this theology through rescue, adoption, and opposing cruel punishments.