Politics

Evangelicalism in America: A Plea for Unity

A few days before Christmas, Mark Galli’s Christianty Today editorial “Trump Should Be Removed from Office,” went viral. Many subsequently came out in support of Galli’s position, while many others deeply opposed it. Here, I’m not looking at the validity of Galli’s position, nor at the evidence for and against impeachment or the immorality of Trump’s character. Rather, my concern is with the need for unity among American Christians, in particular evangelicals, both for the sake of the evangelical church in America as well as the continued good that the evangelical movement can do in here and around the world.

I consider myself to be a political moderate. I’ve voted for Democrats and Republicans, in both local and national elections. I voted for Obama in 2008, Romney in 2012, and Hillary Clinton in 2016. I never thought I’d vote for Hillary due to policy differences, but I considered Trump to fall short of the minimal character requirements for the Presidency of the United States. I’m now a registered Independent, because I have too many disagreements with both political parties to feel at home in either of them. I’ll either vote Democratic or for some 3rd party candidate in the upcoming election. With that in mind, much of what Galli (and then Tim Dalrymple) wrote resonated with me. I was a never-Trumper from the start. I’ve written my share of criticisms of Trump as a candidate, and as our president. I’ve also written about why people who share some of my religious and moral convictions would vote for Trump, and understandably so.

While there is much more to say about Trump and evangelicalism in the United States, I have a different concern. I’m deeply concerned about unity in the American church, in particular the evangelical part of American Christianity. That unity should run deeper than politics, and it should transcend them. As I write these words, I can hear people on both sides of the Trump divide:

“Abortion is not merely a political issue, it is also a moral and spiritual one!” 

“Immigration is not merely political, it is also a moral and spiritual issue!”

They are right. These are not merely political issues, they are also moral and spiritual ones. But what can we actually do about these issues? Laws are important, perhaps necessary, but a flourishing culture where justice, equality, compassion, and the common good flourish requires much more than mere law. It requires a moral and even spiritual vision that captures the hearts and minds of many. I’m not talking about Christianizing America, but about a common vision for the ideals of our nation: liberty and justice for all. This is a vision that we can share with those of other faiths, or no faith at all.

At present however, the divisions run deep. The divide seems too far to bridge. But our faith tells us that nothing is impossible with God.

Is there any way to avoid the divisions that seem to only get worse with each passing day? 

First, we need to make an important distinction, one which may help lead us back to some sort of unity in Christ. There is a difference between supporting some policy or set of policies that Trump advances, and supporting the behavior of Trump himself. Many conservatives held their nose and voted for Trump, often citing his support for religious liberty or his promise to nominate pro-life judges for the Supreme Court. 

Others seem to have gone in whole hog for Trump, defending him at every turn, no matter what he says or does. The inconsistency of those who claimed character mattered during the Clinton years but have reversed course with Trump is plain to see. The willingness to make moral compromises to justify Trump as well as some of his policies makes unity difficult, to be sure. I’m not sure that unity is possible for those who are willing to ignore things that clearly run counter to the Christian faith, such as loving our neighbor as ourselves. But apart from circumstances in which unity is impossible, we must fight for it.

Second, we have to stop demonizing one another. You can be a faithful Christian, and vote for Trump. You can be a faithful Christian, and oppose Trump. Supporting some of Trump’s policies doesn’t make one a Nazi or racist. Being a never-Trumper does not make one a sellout or an agent of Satan, an elitist, or an occupant of the “moral high horse”. Good, well-meaning people on both sides have deep political convictions. Evangelicals in America differ about many political issues. They also may have similar convictions, about abortion for example, but different views about the best means to reduce the number of abortions. 

Third, we must learn to disagree with one another well. If we could model not only civil disagreement, but loving disagreement, then we would be acting in a truly countercultural manner at this moment in our history. Our culture is crying out for this, and in the power of God’s Spirit we can do it. When we agree about substance, but disagree about the means, let’s make it clear that this is the case. When we disagree about substance, we should be clear about that as well. In both instances, we can do so in love.

Is it possible to be united when we disagree about the substance of Trump’s policies, as well as the means to accomplishing the policies with which we do agree? I would argue it is, because ultimately our unity is in Christ himself. We must allow Christ, through the Spirit, the Word, and other people, to challenge our political convictions. If we never experience this tension, then I would submit that we have not really listened to Christ. And it is imperative that we do so, for the sake of our nation, the sake of our witness, and the sake of God’s kingdom.

We can be part of the answer to the prayer of Jesus, in John 17:20b-21, where Jesus says “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” This is our ultimate mission, one that transcends politics. We must live in such a way that helps others to see Jesus was sent by the Father to redeem us all. The gospel, the good news of the kingdom of God, has united us in the past. May it do so again.


Michael W. Austin

Ethicist. I'm interested in questions related to ethics in everyday life and the pursuit of human flourishing.

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