On Good Friday, my wife sent me an article by Ms. Elle Reynolds of The Federalist. It’s called “It’s Because of the Resurrection That the Culture War Matters”. And, on the one hand, it’s terrific. I can hardly disagree with a single word. But the one word I can disagree with makes this piece exemplary of the basic flaw in “Christian conservatism.”
Ms. Reynolds makes a fine start:
“The world passeth away, and the lust thereof,” we’re reminded in 1 John 2:17. Some Christians, most famously in the fundamentalist movement of the early 20th century, have taken this truth as notice not to waste our efforts on influencing our political or cultural regimes. Our eternal salvation is secure, and it’s true that no presidential election or policy platform can endanger that or bring it about.
We do well to remember that our fight is not for earthly power—nor is it against earthly powers. But we make a similarly grave mistake if we let our own salvation coddle us out of caring for the souls around us.
So far, so good. Then comes the turn:
Our great commission is to evangelize, to bring the gospel to all people. No cultural-political fight should ever replace that calling.
Yet part of proliferating that gospel is defending parents’ freedom to instruct their own children in it. It’s ensuring that a baby gets the opportunity to be born, to experience a human demonstration of God’s love from his parents, and to allow the knowledge of Christ to live in his heart. It’s advocating for pastors’ ability to speak the truth to their flocks.
Now, let’s say this about that.
Ms. Reynolds is right about one thing: for Christians, quietism is not an option. We can’t force others to believe. Faith is a gift, a free offering from God. It must be freely accepted or rejected. We make that decision for ourselves; we can’t make it for our neighbors. Still, we can help them to make the right choice. We can help them to see that faith is better than faithlessness, that God is better than Godlessness. And we must.
She’s right about another thing, too: far too many Christians are afraid of “politicizing the Gospel.” My friends who work in politics are amazed at how many pastors say things like, “Of course, I’m opposed to abortion/gender ideology/infringements on parental rights/whatever. But I don’t want to drive away my flock by talking about it from the pulpit.” Some may be genuinely confused about the boundaries between politics and religion. Others simply lack moral courage.
Political engagement is important. There’s no question about that. The trouble is, Ms. Reynolds says that it’s “part of proliferating that gospel.” But is she right?
Historically, Christians have regarded politics as secondary (at best). We need Christian politicians for the same reason we need Christian doctors. Government, like medicine, is integral to life on this world. If we’re to be getting on, they have to be dealt with. And so, as Christians, we must do them “Christianly.” Our politicians must be Christian politicians, just as our doctors must be Christian doctors.
Still, it’s not life on this world that matters. We might save a thousand bodies from disease, or free a million from slavery, but they’re not worth as much as one man’s soul.
Of course, Ms. Reynolds seems to acknowledge that when she says, “Our great commission is to evangelize, to bring the gospel to all people. No cultural-political fight should ever replace that calling.” As Christians, we must agree. But do we really believe it? We mouth the words; do they penetrate our hearts?
I’m not so sure. Because this is the only way conservatives talk about evangelism—assuming they ever talk about evangelism. “Of course, sharing the Gospel is the most important thing,” they say. “But…” (There’s always a “but.”) The conservative will then go on to explain why he’s going to devote the rest of his life to politics instead of evangelism—and why you should, too.
I shared these thoughts with Mrs. Davis. She thinks I’m being too hard on Ms. Reynolds. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I’m just a little frustrated by how much of our time and energy we spend on politics, and how little is spent on evangelism.
Of course, The Federalist is a political website. Maybe it’s foolish to expect a conservative blog to talk about Jesus, just for His own sake, in their Easter edition. But consider how much money Christians heap on conservative magazines, conservative politicians, conservative think-tanks… Meanwhile, St. Paul Street Evangelization brings in just $1 million a year.
What’s our real priority? Do we honestly believe that evangelism is more important than politics? Do we really think that the Great Commission is more important than the Culture Wars? If so, why don’t we act like it?
Ms. Reynolds also seems to suggest that, as the proportion of orthodox Christians continues to decline, our political work becomes more and more urgent. Actually, the opposite is more likely to be true.
Put it this way. Christ’s Apostles devoted all of their energies to evangelism, not government lobbying. They took very seriously Christ’s declaration that His kingdom was not of this world. They were perfectly happy to honor the Roman Emperor, only he kept getting in the way of their mission: to teach and baptize the nations.
So, they followed Christ’s example. The Apostles rendered unto Caesar what was Caesar’s, and unto God what was God’s. They devoted themselves to preaching and good works. They ushered in a new age of philanthropy, a trend that swept even the pagan elites. They were model citizens—except in their refusal to abide by pagan customs.
They suffered for the Faith, but they gave the government no other excuse to persecute them. As St. Paul wrote, “Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.”
And that’s exactly what happened. Thanks to the Apostles’ single-mindedness (and God’s grace), the Faith spread like wildfire throughout the Roman Empire. Then, around the year 307, Helena Augusta converted to Christianity. Thirty years later, her son Constantine the Great followed suit.
C. S. Lewis put it best. “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in.’ Aim at earth and you will get neither.”
So, if anything, it’s because of the Resurrection that the Culture War doesn’t matter.
In 33 A.D., Jesus was put to death in Caesar’s name. Exactly three centuries later, Caesar’s heir confessed Him to be the living God. And Constantine didn’t just pick some obscure Oriental cult to join on a whim. No: his conversion was only one chapter in the conversion of the Roman Empire. He was lifted up by a huge spiritual groundswell.
Aim to win men’s souls and you will get the culture “thrown in.” Aim to win the Culture War and you will get neither.