I grew up being taught and believing that Christians shouldn’t get involved in politics. We’re supposed to be about the spiritual things and leave the world to their games of power. Christ is on the throne so we shouldn’t be bothered by who is in the Oval. Jesus isn’t Left or Right so we shouldn’t be or even appear to be. The Christian life, I was told, stays out of politics.

As I grew and learned more, I realized that political aloofness isn’t the default Christian posture throughout history, but rather an expression of a specific tradition called quietism. Emerging in 17th-century Catholicism through figures like Miguel de Molinos and Madame Guyon, quietism taught that the highest form of the Christian life was total passivity before God—a “quiet” soul that ceased striving or willing. Unsurprisingly, this view discouraged moral action, evangelistic effort, and political or social engagement as worldly distractions (pietism often yields the same result). Recognizing this helped me see that political inaction is not inherent to biblical Christianity, but rooted in a particular spiritual tradition.

I then realized my next question: does the Bible teach that Christians ought to be political aloof? Fast forwarding through years of personal study, discussion, and experience, I came to believe it isn’t.

Three Truths for a Christian in a Democratic Republic

To grab hold of some clarity, let’s first start with three truths I think most of us can all agree on.

Christians have an obligation to love their neighbor

Jesus clearly teaches us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. 22:39). When he was cheekily asked, “Who is my neighbor?” he answered clearly: everyone (Luke 10:25-37). This means every Christian has the responsibility to love our families, our cities, and the neighbors in our country. Whenever we’ve the chance and ability, we’re to work for the good of those within our sphere of influence.

Christians have a responsibility to govern

This is true for a Christian who is a citizen of a free democratic republic. Christians in other governing structures would have different rights and responsibilities depending on the governmental environment they’re in. Christians in America have a right and duty to govern (and love) the nation through casting their informed votes for leaders, legislation, and other significant societal matters. Being an American comes with a responsibility of governance. It is a right that should not be taken for granted nor a duty to be forsaken.

Christians have a right to express truth

The First Amendment protects the right to free speech. Christians have the freedom to teach, correct, protect, and promote truth, goodness, and beauty in our society with their words. Scripture calls believers to lovingly exercise the ministry of their tongues—to speak words “fitly spoken” (Prov. 25:11), to offer gracious speech “seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6), to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15), to communicate what is “good for building up” (Eph. 4:29), and to give “a ready answer” that brings joy (Prov. 15:23). Knowing ideas have consequences, it is crucial that Christians minister with their mouths in their areas of influence to enlighten, encourage, correct, and build up society so our neighbors may live in reality and not fall victim to destructive illusions.

This third point is one of the reasons I write on this blog and post on social media. I want to use my words to help my brothers, sisters, and neighbors think well on important issues. I don’t write publicly to stir people’s emotions or build a platform, but to bring light into the public square to help others (myself included!) to see things more clearly and live better because of it. I write to tear down what’s bad and build what’s good.

Given these three truths, here is my argument:

An American Christian ought to vote and speak in a way to as an act of love for their neighbor (i.e. their family, city, state, and country).

The way a Christian does these things will be different according to their resources, influence, and skill, but the activity of doing these things should not be neglected since it’s an expression of our duty to love.

Some Caveats

A few clarifying notes on what the above does not mean may help.

First, this does not mean that political engagement is the primary mission of the church. The church’s sole mission is to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ from all nations (Matt. 28:18–20).

Second, this does not mean that gathered worship should become a political rally. When the church gathers, its aim must be to worship Jesus, preach Jesus, administer the ordinances of Jesus (i.e., baptism and communion), and call people to trust and obey Jesus through the faithful teaching of Scripture.

Third, this does not mean that all Christians must agree on every political issue or policy. As Andy Naselli has shown, many political questions are complex and can be approached in good faith by different people in different ways.

What this does mean is that Christians should not be hesitant to engage politically. They should be eager to do so for the good of their neighbor and the glory of King Jesus. Political engagement is not ultimate, but it is necessary. The church must never confuse the gospel with politics or elevate earthly citizenship above heavenly allegiance; yet followers of Jesus must remember that their gospel-shaped convictions are meant to inform every sphere of life, including the political one.

Christian Faithfulness in Nazi Germany

To put some flesh on this, consider what faithfulness to Christ looked like during the rise of the Nazi regime.

If you or I were Christians living in Germany in the 1930s, would it have been faithful to Christ to stay politically aloof—to remain “above” politics while Hitler consolidated power, silenced dissent, and began his campaign of hatred, tyranny, and violence? Of course not. We would expect Christians to use every means available to resist such evil: to speak publicly against Nazi ideology in order to persuade neighbors of its moral corruption and to protect Jewish friends and families. If given the right, we’d vote against the Nazi Party’s rise to power and call other believers to do the same. In that situation, political action would be an obvious expression of neighbor love. Refusing to engage politically would have meant abandoning our neighbors to destruction.

You could do the same hypothetical by asking, “How should Christians have engaged with the African slave trade, the Jim Crow laws, the South African apartheid, the Soviet suppression of religious liberty, or the regimes that persecute Christians and minorities?” In each case, faithful discipleship demanded more than private piety. Each called for public, courageous, neighbor love.

Political engagement, rightly understood, is a necessary arena where Christians live out the command to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is not ultimate, but it is necessary.

There’s a lot more to say (likely to come later), but not less. Loving our neighbors in America means that, in ways suitable to our position, skills, and influence, we are to be light and salt in both spiritual and political matters.