Oh, God, let it be so.
Innes: I wanted to serve the church more widely by taking what I give my politics students at The King's College and bringing it to a wider popular audience. The contrast with Lisa's presentation of what the Evangelical left believes helps clarify the issues. They mean well, but I think if they achieved half of what they want it would be good night to liberty.
What do you hope your fellow Christians, and others, will take away from the book?
Harper: I hope they will use this book to examine their own hearts and stretch their own minds around some of the most salient issues of our times. I hope readers will be challenged and I hope they will be equipped to engage the public square in a way that brings glory to Jesus in a world hungry for justice—hungry for God's kind of dominion.
Innes: As with all biblical, Christian teaching, my hope is that we would all conform our thoughts regarding public authority and the moral issues of the day more perfectly to God's thoughts and less to our culture and ideologies. Regarding politics, I hope to show people that we should trust government only under God and only for what God has given it to do. Everything beyond that is idolatry.
How are your individual political beliefs shaped by your evangelical Christian faith?
Harper: Biblical concept of Shalom—the vision of the reign of God as one where all relationships in creation are "very good" (Gen 1-2) fundamentally guides my political philosophy. At the heart of that is the reality that we are all made in the image of God. So, you will see that recurrent theme and its implications woven through every chapter.
Innes: Likely not enough. Like sanctification in general, it's an ongoing process. But it makes a big difference to one's political beliefs when you believe that God is sovereign and good, that man is depraved in sin but redeemable in Christ, and that God's word is perfect and applies to all of life. It is worth noting that when Evangelicals come to the Scriptures simply to hear and obey, they come overwhelmingly to a politically conservative position.
How do your views of the role of government differ, and how do they shape your ideas of how Christians should respond to the issues covered in the book?
Innes: In I Peter 2:14, the Apostle tells us that God's gives us government to punish evil and praise what is good. Paul in Romans 13 says the same thing. The blessing of this gift is the dignity of liberty in which people can either develop God's creation and love one another in peace or fail in that. Lisa seems to have a low view of what people can do for themselves and seems reflexively to turn to government, preferably the federal government, to supply every human good. In short, I think the Bible teaches self-government. Lisa sees paternalistic government.
What do you think about religion's role in election campaigns, such as the current battle among those vying to be the 2012 Republican presidential nomination?
Harper: We both believe God institutes Government for our good, but practically speaking, we have very different visions of how that plays out in real life. David believes the fault line is the battle between big government or small government philosophy. I believe the question is one of smart government that works to ensure liberty and justice for all or unjust government that bars some from liberty for the sake of the freedom of the few.
Innes: It is sometimes hard to distinguish between a Christian politician appealing to a largely Christian constituency and the manipulation of religion for political advantage. There are four Evangelical Christians in the Republican race at this point (Nov. 2011). A largely Christian people should be able to discuss public affairs with reference to their moral foundation which is Christ. It cannot be God's desire (and it certainly was not the Founders' intention) that we live out our political life as though we were all atheists in a godless universe. No good can come of that.
Return to the Patheos Book Club on Left, Right and Christ for more conversation about this new book.
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