Category: Podcast

Even among sincere followers of Jesus and serious Christian thinkers, discussion of political differences can hit a roadblock based on different understandings, uses, and applications of scripture. In this session we will address some of the potentials and pitfalls of applying Christian scriptures not just to moral issues, but to political decision-making in the public sphere.  We will also examine how Jews and Muslims have understood and applied their own sacred texts to politics, shedding light on similarities and differences with Christians’ political hermeneutics.

Listen to Luke Goble and Josh Butler’s workshop, “Abrahamic Faiths, Sacred Texts, and Political Decision-Making”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.

The church’s struggle to understand its relationship to national or secular governments is not new.  For its entire existence, this question has been a vexing one and the church has come down on various sides of the issue at different times.  Further, this struggle is not relegated to the life of the church, but surfaces throughout the story of the Bible as the people of God find themselves living in and even working for pagan governments.  In this workshop we will examine the history of the relationship between the people of God and governmental structures noting the biblical support as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each kind of relationship.

Listen to Brad Harper’s workshop, “Church & State through the Ages”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.

Listen to Barbara Willer’s plenary talk, “Addressing Empire: Fostering the Common Good in the 21st Century”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.

Listen to T. Allen Bethel’s plenary talk, “The African-American Church as a Prophetic Witness to the Kingdom”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.

Listen to Paul Louis Metzger’s plenary talk, “Beyond Private and Partisan to the Common Good”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.