October 13, 2010
If you are wondering how Christians should think about politics, a new book out by Dr. Wayne Grudem provides a comprehensive answer. In his book, Politics: According to the Bible, he first provides a framework of biblical principles concerning politics and then sets forth his perspective on how the Bible informs our views on approximately sixty specific issues.
When he was on my radio program recently he said the major impetus for the book came from two people with the Alliance Defense Fund (Alan Sears and Ben Bull) and also from the president of the Center for Arizona Policy (Cathy Herrod). They encouraged him to write the book in order to educate Christians who often had wrong views about the role of Christians in the political process.
It is no surprise then that he begins the book by addressing five wrong views about Christians and government. They are: government should compel religion, government should exclude religion, all government is evil, we should do evangelism not politics, and we should do politics not evangelism. Dr. Grudem answers each of these views as well as related questions within that particular view. He then develops the key biblical principles concerning government and also delineates the elements of a biblical worldview.
A major section of the book provides a biblical perspective on nearly every issue imaginable. Dr. Gruden is certainly equipped to deal with these topics since he has been teaching biblical ethics for nearly 30 years. Most of these ethical issues also have political implications. And he is certainly able to handle the biblical material as the author of Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine and the general editor of the ESV Bible.
Dr. Grudem’s warning to Christians during this election season is, “Don’t fall asleep when the future of your nation is at stake!” I would agree. Who we elect in November will determine the future of this nation. A great way to get educated and motivated is to buy and read his book. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view.