LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Reflection Essay: Christianity and the State
Submitted to Professor Joe Easterling
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
THEO 650 – D03
Public Theology
by
Joshua Arlaus
July 24th, 2022.
Aristotle has stated that to him humans are political animals.1 What has been so
interesting through out history is that politics and religion have always been interwoven. This is
especially true for our modern culture as well in the world. “Deciding whether a religious leader,
such as a pastor, can be involved in the political sphere as well as serving the masses as their
religious guidance.”2 When we look at Christianity, we can notice that it has a structure that
includes law. We can see this through Moses’ life when God utilized Moses to give the world the
ten commandments in Exodus 31:18. We can even see this pattern in Abraham’s life when God
made a pact with Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, and he
would inherit the land that God would guide him to in Genesis 17. Most individuals have a
particular belief when it comes to the case of whether religion and politics should be separate
or not. This paper is focused on why believers should be involved in the political realm of our
world. At the same time, believers need to understand that there are situations in politics that
can cause issue within the Christian community.
Individuals with different belief systems can make many religiously influenced choices
when it comes to politics, whether someone is liberal or conservative. Since there is no Christian
party in politics there is also not a specific political stance any Christian must take.3 If we look
back in history, we can see that as the church was created and being spread across the world,
the church was also involved in politics as well. Even if the government through out the
different regions of the world did not like or approve of this. In the beginning of America’s birth,
America chose to follow in England and Scotland ‘s Protestant belief systems. America was very
1 McQuilkin, Dr Robertson, and Paul Copan. An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking in the Way of Wisdom.
IVP Academic, 2014, 517.
2 Ibid.
3 5 McQuilkin, Dr Robertson, 517.
worried that Church and state would get too involved and in turn start to cause conflict or
overrun one another taking away from one or the other’s foundation. 4 The separation of the
religion from politics has been a controversial issue and debate even unto these days we
currently live in. The First Amendment was constructed so that Americans would be allowed to
have religious freedom.
What individuals do not want to see are people who start with a religious background
beginning to change and tend more to politics than their religious duties and vice versa. The
government is often viewed as individuals who often lead in such a way to maintain control over
the society and this governance sometimes bleeds over into the religious realm.5 Many who
would start from religion and go into politics could easily single out individuals and cause many
issues for those who do not cling to Christian values. The biggest concern is that mixing religion
and politics would cause for people to promote their own beliefs instead of those that ring true
to the core of God’s will for both his gospel and the governance of his world.6 Religious
extremism is the same as secular extremism and individuals need not to lean towards this style
of leadership. History illuminates that it never ends well when individuals take God’s word and
misuse it. Same thing applies to rulers who misuse God’s power to rule. God does not allow this
to go on forever and always finds a way to show his power and authority on earth. Individuals
need to find the balance God desires between the two to be successful. It is up to the people to
know when too much “religion” or when too much political influence is being promoted beyond
what is required or necessary.
4 Ibid. 525.
5 Ibid. 530.
6 Ibid.
Another issue when it comes to mixing too much religion with politics is that we can run
into some dangerous beliefs that can trickle down into the political world. One belief system
that can cause problems for those who believe in Christ is called Humanism. Humanism is an
issue because this belief system puts its faith and trust in humankind instead of God or Jesus
Christ. This group does not find it necessary to seek God, but instead they seek to dive deeper
into the “self.” This can lead to so many issues because humankind is naturally sinful and
corrupt. These individuals choosing to lead without God’s word and ethics would cause a shift in
society that would be disastrous and rebellious. All these types of issues are reasons why it is so
challenging to bring together religion and politics, but it is not impossible. Christian believers
need to be involved and begin practicing this balance because God’s word and love needs to be
spread. A government that acknowledges, praises, and worships God in spirit and in truth would
be way more efficient at leading its people than anyone who does not. No one can see the
perspective that God can see, and we need this perspective to be successful. Only believers can
start to bring this to the forefront and help create leaders that have God’s spirit in mind.
“Politics and religion deserve their own sphere in the life of believers, but these spheres
should not be without impact on the other.”7 It is easy to see that no matter what, politics are
involved in our society. Every community has it’s form of government and politics. Some more
efficient than others. Believers that do enter governance need to be sure not to fall into the
same temptation as the rulers during the time of Jesus’ life on earth. Because Jesus performed
God’s word and will differently than so many expected, they thought it was wise to kill him. How
wrong they were. Though it was in God’s plan for Christ to be the sacrifice of the world, it was
still not right on the part of the government to plan to kill Christ for his influence. Believers must
ensure they do not fall into the trap of becoming the persecutor.8 Believers need to utilize
politics to attain the goal of the gospel.
The main goal of the gospel is to reach spirits for the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ.
The great commission explains how it’s our duty to inform our fellow brothers and sisters about
the truth of God’s will through Jesus Christ. Christ’s followers have been called to bring light to
the world and share the love of Jesus. In conclusion, believers need to be involved in politics,
but they need to practice the proper balance and make sure their intentions are in line with
God’s desires through Jesus Christ.
Bibliography
Dr Robertson McQuilkin and Paul Copan, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking in the Way
of Wisdom (IVP Academic, 2014)
