Full disclosure: Dr. Jerry Sumney is my colleague at Lexington Theological Seminary<\/a> (LTS) where he is Professor of Biblical Studies, and I am Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship.<\/em><\/p>\n In my experience as a preacher who has tackled social issues in the pulpit and encourages other clergy to do likewise, this is the kind of bromide I sometimes hear from those who wish that the church and the pastor would just keep quiet. \u00a0Maybe it\u2019s because the sermon interrupts their comfortable reverie on a Sunday morning.\u00a0 Or because they feel their ideology is being judged.\u00a0 Or they prefer to only hear about the \u201cspiritual\u201d aspects of the Bible. Whatever the reason, if they detect the preacher delving into public issues, they will not hesitate to voice their displeasure, anger, or threats.<\/p>\n Scripture talks about everything from taxes to immigrants to capital punishment, to name just a few \u201chot topics.\u201d\u00a0 This means that if we take the Bible seriously and believe it should mean something for our lives and our society today, we need to discern its principles and values that can be applied to contemporary issues.<\/p>\n In this highly readable book, Sumney uses robust biblical theology and exegesis to help readers understand the character and actions of God, the kind of public engagement God calls for in Scripture, and why Christians need to put their faith into action in the public square.<\/p>\n The reality is that Christians already <\/em>use the Bible to help them think about their positions on social issues, whether they admit it or not. \u00a0And, in fact, those who say that the church should stay out of politics when it comes to, say, protecting God\u2019s Creation from pollution, are often the same ones who are fine with their church pushing to stop gay marriage or asking their pastor to write a Covid vaccine exemption letter for them \u201cfor religious reasons.\u201d\u00a0 What Sumney does in The Politics of Faith<\/em> is provide sound principles based on critical engagement with the Bible to guide readers to think about how faith can inform and shape the way we regard the relationship between the church and public policy.<\/p>\n Sumney\u2019s position clearly aligns with the progressive Christian viewpoint that the church should advocate for equitable social and economic policies.\u00a0 This position grows out of more than three decades of biblical scholarship.\u00a0 In Sumney\u2019s view, scripture demonstrates that God cares about the poor, the vulnerable, the outcast, and the marginalized. Consequently, God calls people to not only practice personal morality, but to enact laws that provide for the common good.\u00a0 Sumney supports this view by repeatedly showing how both the Old and New Testament are suffused with an ethic that, if enacted, would result in a more equitable and caring society.<\/p>\n Sumney is a Pauline scholar who has authored seven books and has led several scholarly groups within the Society for Biblical Literature.\u00a0 However, this volume is written in a conversational tone free of academic jargon which makes it accessible for both laity and clergy.\u00a0 His skills in making biblical scholarship user-friendly for a lay audience have been developed over decades of teaching Sunday School in his home church, Lay School classes at LTS, and Bible studies in churches across the country.<\/p>\n Chapters 2 and 3 provide an overview of the Mosaic Covenant and the Prophets.\u00a0 One might wish that a few more chapters could have been devoted to the political ethic in other Hebrew scriptures such as the Psalms or the Book of Esther, for example.\u00a0 Nevertheless, these essays help the reader to see how the Torah and the prophetic writings served as \u201ca blueprint for how to construct the kind of society God wants\u201d (15). The Israelites are charged with creating a society where immigrants are protected, widows and orphans are not left to fend for themselves, and economic predators are kept in check.<\/p>\n Especially noteworthy is that Sumney includes a section on the Levitical laws, often ignored, overlooked, or dismissed by most Christians.\u00a0 From a 30,000-foot view, we see that the Holiness Codes are not about micro-managing religious minutia.\u00a0 Rather, they are intended to give very practical and detailed ways for the Israelites to live their lives in community. This is not just because God is pleased by this kind of holy living, but because \u201cGod is <\/em>these things\u201d \u2013 justice, mercy, holiness, and compassion (19).<\/p>\n Sumney\u2019s chapter on the prophets gives us an important insight regarding these questions.\u00a0 Prophets like Nathan, Elisha, Micah, and Obadiah were addressing the leaders<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cClearly, these prophets are not speaking primarily to the average person on the street.\u00a0 Their messages are spoken most directly to those in power, to the people who run the government,\u201d (27).\u00a0 Once we have established that this practice of speaking truth to power has its roots in ancient Israel, it weakens the argument that the church has no role in politics.\u00a0 In fact, the only logical conclusion is that clergy and congregations should<\/em> speak up when having an opportunity to shape social, economic, and judicial law so that it comes closer to reflecting God\u2019s justice and mercy.<\/p>\n The next seven chapters in The Politics of Faith<\/em> survey the Acts of the Apostles, the Gospels, Paul and his letters, and Revelation.\u00a0 What each of these chapters stress is the way in which the teachings of Christ and the expectations of the early church differed dramatically from the values of the Greek and Roman worlds.\u00a0 Sumney is not shy about Christians and the church living and acting in such a way that reflects \u201cwhat God wants for the world\u201d (41).\u00a0 In Acts, for example, this means redistributing wealth and rejecting economic systems that perpetuate exploitation and poverty. \u00a0As well, the Gospels show Jesus modelling public interaction on social issues. For instance, his exorcising of demons illustrates the power of God (and, by extension, the church) to release people from evil \u201cimposed by the outside\u201d (45) through systems and structures that keep people in bondage.<\/p>\n The disturbing story of the death of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, for instance, is really about rejecting \u201cthe accumulation of wealth that comes through the exploitation of others\u201d (39).\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 puzzling parable in Matt. 13:24-30 about \u201cthe weeds and the wheat\u201d is actually helpful when we encounter those intent on subverting the forces of good. This parable tells us that \u201cwe should not be surprised to find that some people around us oppose God\u2019s will.\u00a0 It should also not discourage us\u201d (55).<\/p>\n Even the passion narratives are political.\u00a0 \u201cCrucifixion was a political execution. . . In all four Gospels, Jesus is executed on a political charge\u201d (70). This is because Jesus was a threat to the rulers of his day.\u00a0 The fact that he was resurrected is not just a story of God\u2019s power over death (which, of course, it is).\u00a0 It is also a theological repudiation of the entire economic, military, and religious system that demanded his death in the first place.<\/p>\n As you and your congregation read The Politics of Faith<\/em>, you may encounter voices who insist that the Bible teaches the faithful to passively accept whatever the government decides to do.\u00a0 Some insist that the church\u2019s only job is to follow Jesus\u2019 command to feed the hungry, care for the sick, clothe the naked, and visit those in prison (Matt. 25:31-46) \u2013 not question the policies that result in hunger, sickness, or unjust imprisonment in the first place.\u00a0 But Sumney refutes that limited view. \u201cSince governments are the organized ways that people structure how they treat one another, the people in charge are expected to create systems that exhibit the values God demands of each person\u201d (61).<\/p>\n Again, Sumney adroitly dissects this misinformed position.\u00a0 \u201cAcknowledging that governments are set in place by God does not mean God\u2019s people should not oppose their unjust policies\u201d (89).\u00a0 Romans is clear that the government\u2019s role is not only to punish evil but to be \u201cservants of God for your good\u201d (v. 4).\u00a0 So, it is perfectly appropriate for Christians, in the prophetic tradition, to \u201chold governments accountable to God for how they wield the power God has given them\u201d (91).<\/p>\n The final chapter of The Politics of Faith<\/em> is \u201cBeing a Faithful Church in Today\u2019s World.\u201d It summarizes what the reader will have learned so far and offers \u201ca biblical framework for determining what participation might look like for us and our church communities\u201d (115). Sumney points to predatory payday lending, oppressive immigration laws, unfair economic policies, and the questions around \u201cbig government\u201d as areas in which Christians can help to shape just policies and laws. \u00a0\u201cThe message of the prophets is clear: Governments and rulers are expected to enact laws and establish institutions that protect people who have fewer resources and less power,\u201d Sumney asserts (119).<\/p>\n This last chapter also provides a corrective to those who claim that the church should not address public policy because of the \u201cseparation of church and state.\u201d Sumney clarifies, \u201cSeparation of church and state does not mean that the church ignores the injustices that our laws allow or prescribe\u201d (120).\u00a0 This is not to say that the our system of government should be converted to a theocracy or that churches should endorse certain candidates.\u00a0 Rather, \u201cwe should want churches to speak out when candidates support policies that move further from God\u2019s will rather than toward it.\u00a0 We should clearly state that our cultural individualism has led us to give advantages to those who need it the least\u201d (121).<\/p>\n Each of the eleven chapters contains several discussion questions which are sure to spark generative conversations for adult forums, clergy groups, and personal reflection.\u00a0 A pastor might consider inviting their governing board to read a chapter a month over the course of a year and pick one or two discussion questions that can guide decisions about the church\u2019s ministry.\u00a0 A youth pastor working with senior high school students could lead a Bible study and draw on Sumney\u2019s book for reflection and discussion.\u00a0 Denominational leaders could invite clergy to read and discuss The Politics of Faith<\/em> in colleague groups within their judicatories or in ecumenical gatherings.<\/p>\n However this book is used, The Politics of Faith <\/em>is a welcome corrective to misunderstandings about the Bible, what it meant to its original audience, and how it should be applied today. Sumney\u2019s book is a helpful tool for informed civil discourse about the role of the church in an unjust world. And it can guide discernment and discussions about how congregations can live out their mission to reflect God\u2019s justice, love, mercy, and compassion in our communities and society.<\/p>\n Want to hear more from Jerry Sumney about the Bible and public policy?\u00a0 Register for <\/em>The Bible, Politics, and Ministry: Guidance for Clergy and Congregations<\/a>, a conversation with Jerry Sumney and Efrain Agosto<\/a>, biblical scholars who will explain how Scripture authorizes and compels us to engage public policy as part of our faith.\u00a0 <\/em>Hosted by The Clergy Emergency League and the Wisconsin Council of Churches. <\/em>Tuesday, September 21, 2021,\u00a0 7:00 Eastern, 6:00 Central, 5:00 Mountain, 4:00 Pacific.\u00a0 To register, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Latinxs, the Bible, and Immigration<\/a><\/p>\n Abortion and the Progressive Church: Is It Time to Break the Silence?<\/a><\/p>\n The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\/strong>\u00a0is the Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship at\u00a0<\/em>Lexington Theological Seminary<\/i><\/a>\u00a0in Kentucky and ordained in the ELCA. Dr. Schade does not speak for LTS or the ELCA; her opinions are her own.\u00a0 She is the author of\u00a0<\/em>Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019)<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit<\/a>\u00a0(Chalice Press, 2015). She is the co-editor of\u00a0<\/em>Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).\u00a0 Her latest book, co-written with Jerry Sumney is\u00a0<\/em>Apocalypse When?: A Guide to Interpreting and Preaching Apocalyptic Texts<\/a>\u00a0(Wipf & Stock, 2020).<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/em>@LeahSchade<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2021\/09\/aaron-burden-lW79kLuvl8E-unsplash-1024x769.jpg\")
\u201cThe Church should stay out of politics, and politics should stay out of the Church!\u201d<\/h2>\n
Yet, the Bible is <\/em>a political document, in the sense that it addressed the issues of public concern for its time.<\/h3>\n
If you are a pastor or a lay person who is looking for solid reasons why the church should address policy issues, Jerry Sumney\u2019s book, The Politics of Faith: The Bible, Government, and Public Policy, <\/em>is just what you need.<\/h3>\n
In other words, it\u2019s not a matter of whether <\/em>the church and Christians should be involved in shaping laws and policy, but why <\/em>and to what purpose<\/em>.<\/h3>\n
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Appropriate for clergy and laity<\/h3>\n
Who, then, is the intended audience of these biblical writings?\u00a0 Is it just the common people within the faith community?\u00a0 Or are they targeted toward those with more power, influence, and authority?<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nSumney is also adept at unraveling troublesome and troubling passages in the New Testament to unearth the underlying dynamics of justice.<\/h3>\n
But doesn\u2019t Romans 13:1-7 argue that God is the one who establishes governments? And, as such, governments should be allowed to conduct their business without interference from the church?<\/h3>\n
Helpful discussion questions<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nRead also:<\/h4>\n
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