Lutheran Pastors and Politics: Issues in the Public Square

by Jeffrey Walz, Steven R. Montreal

Pastors serve their parishioners' spiritual needs and often address community and social issues, including politics. While much is known about how the public views politics, what about pastoral opinion? Based on two recent surveys of LCMS pastors, the authors examine how these men view politics and government today and the relationship between church and state. Lutheran Pastors and Politics uses extant literature to explain a theory of LCMS clergy involvement in the political realm, test the theory against data gathered through two surveys, and comment on findings in light of an American society that is morally challenged and has little faith and trust in the governmental system. The authors will seek to discover the attitudes toward politics held by LCMS clergy and what implications these attitudes have for pastors' earthly ministries, especially in light of the ways they may overtly or subtly influence parishioners' political views.

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007