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Christians and the Common Good: How Faith Intersects with Public Life
Christians across the spectrum have soured on religious involvement in politics, tempted either to withdraw or to secularize their public engagement. Yet the kingdom of God is clearly concerned with justice and communal wellbeing. How can Christians be active in public life without getting mired down in political polarization and controversy? For too long, the question of faith in public life has centered on what the Bible says about government. Charles Gutenson, a theologian respected by both evangelical and mainline Christians, argues that we should first ask how God intends for us to live together before considering the public policies and institutions that would best empower living together in that way. By concentrating on the nature of God, we can move past presuppositions regarding the role of government and engage in healthy discussions about how best to serve the common good. This lucidly written book includes a foreword by bestselling author Jim Wallis.
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 4, 2016
Summary: Explores what the teaching of scripture says about God's intentions for how we live together and the implications of this for public policy.
The title of this book may be perplexing to some for different reasons. For some, their experience is one of Christians seeking their own good, or simply their own idea of the good, which smacks of privilege. For others, the perplexing thing may be the idea of a "common good". In our current climate of polarized, indeed Balkanized politics, it seems that few people are talking about a "common good"--policies and community practices where both responsibility and benefit are shared by all constituents to a significant degree.
Charles Gutenson, in a book written during the debates on the Affordable Care Act proposes an approach by which Christians may advance proposals informed by their faith that genuinely advance the common good, not just their own. He argues that one gets there by reading the whole Bible to discover God's intentions for how a people are to live together, not simply the few "government passages" (Romans 13 and Luke 20 in particular) that Christians often reference as the beginning and end of their political philosophy. He contends that this teaching is not to be woodenly applied in a context very different from the biblical one. And he proposes that the life and ministry of Jesus is the definitive expression of how the Triune God would have us live in imitation of him.
He follows these foundational claims with an extensive survey of scriptures from both the Old and New Testament concerning everything from Jubilee and gleaning laws to the continued protection of widows and orphans in the life of the church. A basic thread is a loving concern for the needy among us. It seemed to me that 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 was a particular "control text" for the approach he advocates:
"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: 'The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.' ” (NIV)
He contends that it is not enough that the church act along these lines but that this is also a good principle to inform public policy. Often, he argues, private means are simply not sufficient to address the scope of public need, as important as private efforts are.
With this in mind, he thinks the following policies are in line with a biblically-informed concern for the common good: safety nets like unemployment, certain forms of welfare and Medicaid, a progressive (rather than regressive) tax structure, an honest reckoning with the issues of race and protections from racial discrimination, Social Security and Medicare safeguards to care for our elderly, minimum wages that provide a living wage, or absent that, tax breaks that recognize the benefits others enjoy by keeping wages low, earned income credits, access to health care, estate and inheritance taxes, bankruptcy laws, anti-monopoly laws, efforts to strengthen families, and addressing global poverty.
Clearly, Gutenson advocates what would be a "left of center" social policy and he admits as much. He takes a muted approach to the "culture war" issues of homosexuality and abortion. The strength of his case is the argument that a flourishing society seeks the flourishing of all, and not just some, of its people. It looks out not only for one's own interests but also the interests of others (Philippians 2:4). It recognizes the role that the public power of government may play when the private power of some interests gains benefits at the expense of others, especially those on the margins.
What troubles me is that while the author welcomes more conservative voices and recognizes that solutions to our pressing social problems will require a degree of collaboration absent at present, he is decidedly silent on some issues that I think require attention, such as the recognition of the deep injustice we commit against our children when we consistently ask the government to spend more for the services we want than we are willing to pay, leaving the debts to those who come after us. Also, redistribution of resources via taxation can help or hurt the poor. Why not for example provide tax incentives to companies who offer living rather than minimum wages? I'm troubled that some of these proposals go beyond emergency relief (such as unemployment benefits) to ongoing relief rather than economic opportunity fueled by economic development.
Nor does he say anything about fundamental electoral reform including re-districting reform and campaign finance reform. As it stands now, most elected officials in state and federal government do not have to be concerned about "the common good" because of the way their districts are drawn. And this further marginalizes people by race and economic status. The rich are basically able to buy their office, or that of those who protect their interests.
Where Gutenson's voice is welcome is in its clarion call for Christians to pursue the common good, and to wrestle with the "whole counsel of God" on these matters to gain God's heart for the common, and not just our own good. This can be helpful for thoughtful Christians wrestling with the role of Christians in public life, who want to go beyond proof texts and political pundits to constructive engagement.
The title of this book may be perplexing to some for different reasons. For some, their experience is one of Christians seeking their own good, or simply their own idea of the good, which smacks of privilege. For others, the perplexing thing may be the idea of a "common good". In our current climate of polarized, indeed Balkanized politics, it seems that few people are talking about a "common good"--policies and community practices where both responsibility and benefit are shared by all constituents to a significant degree.
Charles Gutenson, in a book written during the debates on the Affordable Care Act proposes an approach by which Christians may advance proposals informed by their faith that genuinely advance the common good, not just their own. He argues that one gets there by reading the whole Bible to discover God's intentions for how a people are to live together, not simply the few "government passages" (Romans 13 and Luke 20 in particular) that Christians often reference as the beginning and end of their political philosophy. He contends that this teaching is not to be woodenly applied in a context very different from the biblical one. And he proposes that the life and ministry of Jesus is the definitive expression of how the Triune God would have us live in imitation of him.
He follows these foundational claims with an extensive survey of scriptures from both the Old and New Testament concerning everything from Jubilee and gleaning laws to the continued protection of widows and orphans in the life of the church. A basic thread is a loving concern for the needy among us. It seemed to me that 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 was a particular "control text" for the approach he advocates:
"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: 'The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.' ” (NIV)
He contends that it is not enough that the church act along these lines but that this is also a good principle to inform public policy. Often, he argues, private means are simply not sufficient to address the scope of public need, as important as private efforts are.
With this in mind, he thinks the following policies are in line with a biblically-informed concern for the common good: safety nets like unemployment, certain forms of welfare and Medicaid, a progressive (rather than regressive) tax structure, an honest reckoning with the issues of race and protections from racial discrimination, Social Security and Medicare safeguards to care for our elderly, minimum wages that provide a living wage, or absent that, tax breaks that recognize the benefits others enjoy by keeping wages low, earned income credits, access to health care, estate and inheritance taxes, bankruptcy laws, anti-monopoly laws, efforts to strengthen families, and addressing global poverty.
Clearly, Gutenson advocates what would be a "left of center" social policy and he admits as much. He takes a muted approach to the "culture war" issues of homosexuality and abortion. The strength of his case is the argument that a flourishing society seeks the flourishing of all, and not just some, of its people. It looks out not only for one's own interests but also the interests of others (Philippians 2:4). It recognizes the role that the public power of government may play when the private power of some interests gains benefits at the expense of others, especially those on the margins.
What troubles me is that while the author welcomes more conservative voices and recognizes that solutions to our pressing social problems will require a degree of collaboration absent at present, he is decidedly silent on some issues that I think require attention, such as the recognition of the deep injustice we commit against our children when we consistently ask the government to spend more for the services we want than we are willing to pay, leaving the debts to those who come after us. Also, redistribution of resources via taxation can help or hurt the poor. Why not for example provide tax incentives to companies who offer living rather than minimum wages? I'm troubled that some of these proposals go beyond emergency relief (such as unemployment benefits) to ongoing relief rather than economic opportunity fueled by economic development.
Nor does he say anything about fundamental electoral reform including re-districting reform and campaign finance reform. As it stands now, most elected officials in state and federal government do not have to be concerned about "the common good" because of the way their districts are drawn. And this further marginalizes people by race and economic status. The rich are basically able to buy their office, or that of those who protect their interests.
Where Gutenson's voice is welcome is in its clarion call for Christians to pursue the common good, and to wrestle with the "whole counsel of God" on these matters to gain God's heart for the common, and not just our own good. This can be helpful for thoughtful Christians wrestling with the role of Christians in public life, who want to go beyond proof texts and political pundits to constructive engagement.
June 23, 2012
Okay may be a little strong but I didn't hate it. The Biblical research is good, but when it comes time to apply it to the role of governments the author drifts off into some weird land of weird leaps of logic. This appears to be an attempt to justify the political left's agenda with scripture. The author is guilty of the very thing he accuses others of by picking and choosing and finessing scripture to fit his preconceived ideas.
November 17, 2019
This book seems to have been written as a response to God's Politics by Jim Wallis, which I have, but have not yet read. I highlighted quite a bit, but most of it was because I disagreed with it. One of the biggest issues I had with it is Mr. Gutenson's insistence that there it is entirely consistent with Christianity that the government be used to require others to contribute to the "common good." At least, he seems to hold that opinion about anything that is consistent with Liberalism. However, when it comes to any opinion held by Conservatives (e.g. the LGBT agenda or abortion) well, then it's wrong to force them to do as we think right.
July 15, 2017
Very Helpful to start thinking and open the dialog through a myriad of our Public policies and the personal beliefs behind them. I found myself processing my whys in which I view things politically.I'm trying to really think through the issues in our cultural and political climate and not just gravitate to what my personal preference might be.
June 8, 2012
Dr. Gutenson was one of my seminary professors, and I confess, he was one of my favorites. His biblical exegesis was always good and he challenged us to move beyond simply proof texting passages to hear their context and history and then draw conclusions for our modern culture based on the outcome that God desired for us as his people. This book continues that tradition and expands on it to discuss the role of Christian faith in modern public policy. Gutenson argues that it is not necessarily in shaping specific policies but in helping us as a community to achieve the outcome that God has in mind for us. He begins with biblical passages that define God's vision of how His people should live together and the kind of culture they should strive to build. Then he brings those outcomes forward to discuss them in the modern context concluding the book with a look at specific issues before us today and how the outcomes we have just described need to shape the discussion. The book is an excellent read and I would rate it with more stars than are available. For a fuller review, please see my blog, Preacher on a Soapbox at http://preacheronasoapbox.blogspot.com/
April 25, 2012
I must confess that I am left of center in both my theology and politics. Gutenson says he is right of center in theology and left of center politically.
I used this a daily devotional. He suggests a way of reading the scriptures that takes the Bible and applies it to modern life not by using a handful of proof texts but actually taking the Bible as a whole and attempting to translate God's will stated in the Bible to today. The main focus is to show that God wants us to help the marginalized. No excuses. Action based Christianity. I have taken away a better understanding of the Bible and appreciation for what God is calling me to do.
I used this a daily devotional. He suggests a way of reading the scriptures that takes the Bible and applies it to modern life not by using a handful of proof texts but actually taking the Bible as a whole and attempting to translate God's will stated in the Bible to today. The main focus is to show that God wants us to help the marginalized. No excuses. Action based Christianity. I have taken away a better understanding of the Bible and appreciation for what God is calling me to do.
January 20, 2012
I really enjoyed Gutenson's introduction--which may be why I didn't love the rest of the book. His introduction is in a laid-back, conversational style, while the rest of the book is a bit dryly academic. It was well-organized and made a good case, so it was still a decent book, but after the tone of the introduction, I found the rest of the book to be in a jarringly different (and less engaging) voice.
June 30, 2012
I really enjoyed this discussion of the emphasis and importance of Social Justice issues in the context of the Bible. This is an honest, in depth discussion of real life public policy issues. Recommended reading.
January 14, 2015
A good primer for Christians just beginning to explore concepts of social justice. Includes important basic ideas on hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation) and ethics. The author is COO of Sojourners.
January 15, 2014
Excellent introduction to the role of faith in action--in government and in the arena of social justice.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews