Pulse
21 October 2024
Even a casual observer of US politics in the run-up to the election in November would be struck by how contentious and polarised the country has become.
There is the eternal clash between the right and the left on wide range of issues including economic policies, healthcare, reproductive rights and immigrants. And there are also the social divisions and tensions on questions related to racism, identity, and gender.
Unfortunately, deep polarisation is also evident among Christians in general, and evangelicals in particular. There is disagreement and conflict in evangelical circles surrounding the two presidential candidates – former president Donald Trump and vice-president Kamala Harris – and what they stand for.
The MAGA (Make America Great Again) evangelicals rooting for Trump believe that he will introduce policies that are grounded in Biblical values, if he is voted into the White House.
Those associated with Evangelicals for Harris, however, are convinced that Trump is a false messiah who does not have the interest of the country at heart. They believe that Harris’ policies are more aligned to the teachings of the Bible.
In the midst of the heated rhetoric and confusion, more than 300 pastors, faith leaders and Christian public figures put their signatures to an excellent and compelling document called the Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction (https://www.evangelicalconfession2024.com/).
In a series of seven affirmations and rejections, this document clearly delineates the basic principles that must govern the Christian’s involvement with politics.
The document reminds me of the Barmen Declaration of 1934, whose chief architects were Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Barmen clearly underscores adherence to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and which rejects the ‘German Christian’ movement which is aligned to Nazi ideology.
Our Confession of Evangelical Confession, which begins with a robust statement which declares the Lordship of Christ over the Church (Point One), clearly echoes Barmen. ‘We affirm that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the only head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). No political ideology or earthly authority can claim the authority that belongs to Christ (Philippians 2:9-11).’
The document rejects as false the teaching that Christians should be loyal to a particular political party or promote a certain human leader:
We reject the false teaching that anyone other than Jesus Christ has been anointed by God as our Saviour, or that a Christian’s loyalty should belong to any political party. We reject any message that promotes devotion to a human leader or that wraps divine worship around partisanship.
This statement can be regarded as an obvious – if oblique – reference to the Christian nationalists who are sold on Trumpism. The document criticises and rejects the relationship between Christianity and patriotism that is embodied in Christian nationalism. In Point 5, it clearly states that
We affirm that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John 19:36), therefore the Church necessarily stands apart from earthly political powers so that it may speak prophetically to all people, the society, and governing authorities.
This stance may lead some Christians to think that they should not be involved in politics at all. The document rejects this conclusion as unwarranted. It therefore rejects the opposite extremes of political detachment and uncritical affiliation and identification as false and without biblical basis.
We reject both the call for the Church to withdraw from societal issues out of fear of political contamination, as well as any attempt to distort the Church into a mere vehicle of political and social power.
What, then, is the proper approach for the Church?
It is to fulfil the ministry and mission which God has given to it, namely, the ministry of reconciliation. The Church does this firstly ‘through the proclamation of the Gospel’, and, secondly, by ‘addressing issues of justice, righteousness, and peace.’
The statement emphatically affirms the Bible as God’s Word that is ‘authoritative for faith and practice’ (Point Three). Stressing that prophecy must aligned with ‘the teachings of Scripture’ and ‘the character of Jesus’, the document roundly rejects the misuse of Scripture for political ends. It states that ‘using God’s name to promote misinformation or lies for personal or political gains is bearing his name in vain.’
Addressing the serious divisions in evangelical churches in America which are fuelled by different political loyalties, the document underscores the ‘unity of all believers in Jesus Christ’ (Point Four). The death of Christ on the cross has brought down ‘the barriers that divide us’, making people from every nation and tribe into one family.
Consequently, the signatories categorically reject:
Any attempt to divide the Church, which is the Body of Christ, along partisan, ethnic, or national boundaries, and any message that says it is God’s desire for the human family to be perpetually segregated by race, culture, or ethnicity is a rejection of the Gospel.
Point 6, on the value of every person, can be read as in part addressing some of the more liberal policies of the Democrats that are either tacitly or directly supported by some evangelicals. A good example are the policies surrounding reproductive rights of which the vice-president has been a strong advocate.
‘We affirm that all people bear God’s image and possess inherent and infinite worth’, it states clearly. But more explicitly, it insists that
Our faith in Christ … compels us to act with love and mercy toward all from the very beginning of life to the very end, and honour everyone as an image-bearer of God, regardless of age, ability, identity, political beliefs, or affiliations … We commit ourselves to advocate for the value of everyone our society harms and ignores (Italics added).
Points 5 and 2 address issues such as the character of the leader and the style of leadership.
Point 5 underscores the importance of character: ‘We affirm that the character of both our political and spiritual leaders matter.’ The document maintains that spiritual leaders must display the fruit of the Spirit.
But what about political leaders? ‘Outside the Church’, the document asserts, ‘we will evaluate leaders based on their actions and the fruit of their character and not merely their promises or political success.’
On leadership style, the document insists that the leader must always be motivated by love, not anger (Point 2). ‘God’s saving power revealed in Jesus Christ,’ it affirms, ‘is motivated by his love for the world and not anger.’
The statement probably addresses the politics of anger, fear and violence which led to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, which involved evangelical Christians and leaders. The document makes clear its categorical rejection of such actions: ‘… we do not employ fear, anger and terror as we engage in our mission, but instead we follow the more excellent way of Jesus which is love.’
And again: ‘We reject the stoking of fears and the use of threats as an illegitimate form of godly motivation, and we repudiate the use of violence to achieve political goals as incongruent with the way of Christ.’
The architects of this document must be applauded for presenting so clearly how evangelical Christians in America should understand their political roles and responsibilities. The document highlights the true nature and ministry of the Church and warns against the dangers of false allegiances and idolatry.
The points raised and explicated in Our Confession of Evangelical Confession are absolutely timely and crucial in this current climate of confusion and conflict in the United States.
However, it should also be noted that they have made decision at the polls harder, not easier, for evangelical Christians.
Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor at Trinity Theological College (Singapore) and Theological and Research Advisor of the Ethos Institute for Public Christianity.