Empowered Witness: Politics, Culture, and the Spiritual Mission of the Church

by Alan D. Strange, Kevin DeYoung (Foreword)

Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Church in Our Highly Politicized Age  The goal of the church should be simple―share the gospel to the ends of the earth. But in our highly politicized age, Christians can tend to place earthly political and social agendas over God’s spiritual mission of the church.  In Empowered Witness , author Alan D. Strange examines the doctrine of the spirituality of the church, making a clear distinction between the functions of the church and other institutions. Strange argues that if the church continues to push political agendas, no institution will be focused solely on the Great Commission and the gospel will be lost entirely. This book calls readers to become aware of the church’s power and limits and shed light on moral issues in a way that doesn’t alter the deeply spiritual and gospel-centered mission of the church. 

Genres: Politics, Theology, Cultural, Church, Spirituality, History, Christian Living

168 pages, Paperback

Published February 13, 2024

Reviews

[Erik Bonkovsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longest way to say, “Read my dissertation” ever

[Charles Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

the spirituality of the church is my homeboy

[Eddie Mercado · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There is a great temptation to adopt theories which free us from painful responsibilities.” - Charles Hodge

This book is a wonderful distilling of and supplement to Dr. Strange’s dissertation on the spirituality of the church. While abused in the history of Presbyterianism, the spirituality of the church need not be rejected wholesale. There is an application of this doctrine that keeps the church clear from being like the world, while also bringing God’s word to bear in all aspects of life.

[Keira Konson · Rating 3 out of 5]

some good thoughts on the role of the church in shepherding inherently political people but ended up raising more questions than it answered. maybe a good thing that just demonstrates a complicated a topic it is, but i think i got a little lost in the weeds of all the presbyterian general assembly drama of the 1800s.

my biggest takeaway is the reminder that the church does very little good for the world when she simply imitates and becomes the world, but she does incredible good for the world when she remembers she is the only institution given the identity of the bride of Christ Himself.

[Emily Waits (emilylovesreading_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciated the heart of this book, which is to point the church to its primary mission in faithfulness to the gospel and preaching the message of salvation to a lost world, without getting caught up in issues that are purely political and consequently becoming unnecessarily divisive or abusing influence.

First, I think the title of this book is a bit misleading in that this book is primarily devoted to discussing the spirituality of the church as it pertained to Civil War era church and political history and not our current times, though the final chapter is dedicated to our current political and spiritual climate in the west.

This is such a complex topic, and I do believe that the spirituality of the church is an important and interesting doctrine. I did disagree with some of the author’s thoughts, but I do agree that it is of vast importance that the church recognizes its influence and does not exist to primarily push political agendas. We’re not called to be building a kingdom here but in heaven, and it’s citizens of heaven that Christians are first and foremost. However, I think that many “political” issues aren’t merely political and do have real gospel implications where the church does need to take a stand. While I think that the author would heartily agree with this statement, I think that we may draw the boundary in different places.

I enjoyed learning a lot of 1860’s church history that I did not know prior to this or at least not in this detail–grievous in many ways but so important to know. I think that this book serves as a good call to wisdom in how churches handle political discussions and beliefs and is good fuel for consideration, whether you agree entirely with the author or in part.

Thank you to @crosswaybooks for my gifted copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Andy Styer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good for what it is. My expectations were a tad different. 95% of the book is more of a historical survey of the doctrine of the spirituality of the church, particularly as it became fully manifest in the mid-1800s, and most of that survey is focused on Charles Hodge's own theological development. Which, don't get me wrong, is highly interesting to me and helpful just as a Presbyterian minister. But I wonder, for those not in Presbyterian circles, how much interest there truly is in such matters. The last chapter does more leg-work at applying the doctrine to contemporary issues in the church. I think the book would have a greater reach if it had more points of application concerning the doctrine of the spirituality of the church.

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I wanted to enjoy this book more. But the substance of the arguments is so weakened by the many nuances that I don’t know if the primary thesis of the book has substance.

Yes, the church isn’t a narrowly political organ. Its primary mission is spiritual. But a definition of the word “political” or “spiritual” is largely absent from the book and how to navigate the interplay of the two is never spelled out.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange is a great writer and great speaker. He is extremely knowledgeable in his field and aims to teach the reader a great lesson from history. As well, he does a faithful job of expounding God's word in his preaching.

However, this will be a tough read for many, as it deals heavily with Presbyterianism during the civil war, which many non Presbyterians will not persevere through. The last chapter does a great job discussing the aim of the book.

[Andrew Canavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction from a historical perspective to the spirituality of the church with a well-argued application to contemporary concerns.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting introduction into the doctrine of the spirituality of the church. It felt like it was a strong intro and especially conclusion that got into the weeds in the middle. I think the last 20 pages (chapter 6) are worth reading and the price of the book. If being condensed to teach a class or at church, it would need significant modification/adaptation for the usual congregant.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange's book is a helpful reminder to keep our focus on the Church's primary task--to proclaim the message of salvation to a lost world and to do so without getting tangled up in the weeds of worldly politics and losing sight of that primary task. But his book neither proposes a retreat from the political sphere as if the Church didn't have a duty to call the nations to righteousness and to reprove the evils in society. I have my disagreements with some of Strange's historical and practical conclusions, but these are matters to be teased out in another discussion. One main criticism I had was that he should have written this not as a shorter version of his doctoral thesis, but as a separate work whose focus was more in keeping with the title of the book. That would've had more benefit for lay readers in the Church.

[Hobart · Rating 5 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---

The church is not presented in the Bible as simply another voice in the competing cacophony of shouted slogans but rather that still small voice that testifies to what God has done for us in Christ, that he so loved the world that he gave Christ to die for it, so that all who believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). This is the message of the church, and to reduce it to a mere political agenda is to sell short the glory of the gospel. The Christian faith is not, at its heart, a political message but a spiritual one. A doctrine of the spirituality of the church, properly conceived, holds fast to this thrust and permits the church to maintain fidelity to the Christian message while keeping in check any address that it might consider necessary respecting matters in the civil and political sphere.

WHAT'S EMPOWERED WITNESS ABOUT?
This is one of those books where if I'm not careful I'm going to end up restating and interacting with the entire argument of the book. So we're going to be careful...

The Publisher's site says:

Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Church in Our Highly Politicized Age

The goal of the church should be simple—share the gospel to the ends of the earth. But in our highly politicized age, Christians can tend to place earthly political and social agendas over God’s spiritual mission of the church.

In Empowered Witness, author Alan D. Strange examines the doctrine of the spirituality of the church, making a clear distinction between the functions of the church and other institutions. Strange argues that if the church continues to push political agendas, no institution will be focused solely on the Great Commission and the gospel will be lost entirely. This book calls readers to become aware of the church’s power and limits and shed light on moral issues in a way that doesn’t alter the deeply spiritual and gospel-centered mission of the church.

THE DOCTRINE UNDER CONSIDERATION
This quotation from Charles Hodge offers a good (yet partial) definition:

It is the doctrine of the Scriptures and of the Presbyterian Church, that the kingdom of Christ is not of this world; that it is not subject as to faith, worship, or discipline, to the authority of the state; and that it has no right to interfere with the state, or give ecclesiastical judgment in matters pertaining to state policy.

The Spirituality of the Church focuses on the Church's Spiritual Mission—to proclaim the gospel and help change the lives of believers—and calls the church to remember that's her mission and to keep her from becoming entangled with or too immersed in the concerns of this world, with the power/goals of the State, and so on.

This doesn't mean that the Church cannot—ought not—speak to the culture or State as it regards morality or spiritual issues, but it ought not get into the details of the political realities or functions.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK
Let me just show you the Table of Contents first,

Chapter 1: The Doctrine of the Spirituality of the Church
Chapter 2: Slavery and the Spirituality of the Church
Chapter 3: The Spirituality of the Church Preceding the US Civil War
Chapter 4: The Spirituality of the Church and the General Assemblies of 1862–1865
Chapter 5: The Southern Church and the Reunion of the Northern Church
Chapter 6: The Spirituality of the Church and Politics Today

As you can see, the bulk of the book focuses on the middle of the Nineteenth Century and the Church (primarily the Presbyterian Church in the US)—and Charles Hodge was one of the leading voices and thinkers of the time. The book uses Hodge (and others to lesser extents) as a case study to see how this doctrine can be applied. Strange calls the story of the Presbyterian Church of the 1800s a "great cautionary tale"—you will not see a lot of hero-worship here. The Church didn't live up to her calling, but we today can learn from their failings.

Strikingly, many of those who differed with and opposed Hodge (or that he differed with and opposed) held to the same doctrine. One of the strengths of Chapters 2-5 is that we see that this isn't a "magic bullet" ensuring unity amongst believers that we can use to get the world/governments to do the things we want.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT EMPOWERED WITNESS?

Every decision that the church as church takes needs to be justified in the light of the spirituality of the church, answering positively a question like “Does this advance the true spiritual task/calling/mission of the church?” Endorsing a political candidate and taking a position on a tax bill arguably does not pertain to or advance the cause of the gospel...

Saying this, though, does not remove the difficulty of defining what is spiritual vis-a-vis what is more purely political. One mans “purely political” may be another man’s “civil consequences of a proper spirituality.” Nothing will save us from the debate over whether a matter pertains to the proper spirituality of the church or falls under the more purely political items that should not concern the church. And there are those on both left and right, particularly hard-liners, who see everything as political, so that all political issues are moral and all moral issues are purely political.

This is not the book I expected from the description or even the title. This is both a complaint and a reaction. However, the book's concept is probably a better idea than what I expected.

So rather than a purely theoretical or scholarly presentation and analysis of The Spirituality of the Church, or one looking at how to address contemporary issues, controversies, and discussions from that point of view—we get a look at how historical figures dealt with it. This allows the reader to see examples of the application of the doctrine to the real world (avoiding the problems of the first strategy) or distracting readers who may differ from the author when it comes to contemporary issues (avoiding problems of the second strategy). So by focusing on historical figures approaching a topic that most readers are familiar with, and are (likely?) largely settled about the events and how things played out, we can see how the various figures applied the doctrine without getting too worked up or distracted.

This also allows Strange to be critical of every figure he talked about when necessary—historical distance can be helpful.

I've seen a some mild criticism of Strange's descriptions of the positions of James Thornwell and Stuart Robinson in distinction from Hodge—but they were mild (and the person who made those criticisms was largely positive toward the book otherwise). And I imagine there are some who'd want to pick a little on his depiction of Hodge and his position, too. But no one is going to challenge Strange's grasp on the overall discussions and positions—this is an area he's devoted years to and it shows.

Nor does this book try to answer every question, address every angle or objection—it's the beginning of a consideration, an invitation to a conversation—one that each reader should have with those around them.

I ended up relishing the experience of reading this book and gleaned so much from it—and I really want to read the dissertation this was based on now (a healthy TBR stack is all that's preventing me from jumping on it now). Chapter 1, "The Doctrine of the Spirituality of the Church" (with the introduction) and Chapter 6, "The Spirituality of the Church and Politics Today" serve as good bookends, ensuring that this isn't just a historical discussion, but one that's vital to readers and believers today—without being so expansive or long that Strange will put off readers who differ from him.

The more I think about this book, the more I like it. I've spent more time talking about it with others than I do most books—and have ended up chewing on it more after those conversations—the more time you spend with Strange, Hodge, and those events/ideas under consideration, the greater your appreciation is likely to be. Empowered Witness is an easy (enough) read, but deals with thought-provoking topics in a thoughtful way, so you're not going to race through this. You're going to walk away from this impressed with the Nineteenth Century figures (even if you were already appreciative with them) and wondering where you can read more people like them. Strange has done us a service with this book, and hopefully, it bears good fruit.

[Macks Milner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Empowered Witness was recommended to me after asking a good pastor friend of mine if he had addressed a certain act of political violence in his sermon; I didn't yet have an opinion of whether or not churches should. I was concerned it might appear as if it is taking sides, possibly alienating or isolating some members of a congregation.

Well, Alan D Strange's book did not answer that question.

If you're looking for something to read about whether or not, or to what extent, pastors/priests/reverends should address political events, take a hard pass on Empowered Witness; it does not deliver on the premise of its subtitle (Politics, Culture, And The Spiritual Mission Of The Church), it does not deliver on the premise of its introduction, and it does not deliver on the premise to which I was recommended it. I would, however, recommend it to those interested in a partial biography of Charles Hodge and/or the in-fighting of Presbyterianism that occurred during the 1860s when it came to the abhorrent reality of slavery with the doctrine of The Spirituality Of The Church. But who came to this book with this title for that? Those are two separate books! Possibly three! I found that utterly frustrating.

Eventually, Strange does finally address the reason as to why we're all reading his book, but it's only in the last 20 pages or so, and EVEN THEN, he still goes back to Hodge, the rift within Presbyterianism in the 1860s (recalling a bunch of General Assemblies from 1818, 1845, 1859, 1861-1865). Still, he doesn't really answer the question. Nor does he ever define terms or make any thorough distinctions. It's like he has a larger dissertation in the works that does not relate enough AT ALL to why we came to this book and shoved it under a particular umbrella just to get it read.

Lastly, I'm not suggesting Alan Strange is pro-slavery, he makes it very clear he is not, but his language regarding it left me scratching my head at times. He defines it as "problematic" and "questionable" rather than, I don't know, evil and vile? Did he think using (simple) words like "problematic" and "questionable" made him sound smarter or something? Just weird...

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This book presses for a mere spirituality that encourages the church as church to mind its spiritual business and not to seek to proclaim anything but 'Thus says the Lord' and what may be rightly implied from Scripture."
▪️from introduction

"The spiritual independence of the church--the doctrine of this spirituality of the church--should never be taken to mean that the church may attend to its religious duties and fail to love its neighbor."
▪️from conclusion

▪️Alan D. Strange, Empowered Witness: politics, culture, and the spiritual mission of the church

This book is a short 130 pages of intense analytical content reviewing the Northern and Southern Presbyterian responses to slavery and the Civil War, how church leaders had to define the role of the church in politics and towards each other, and how we consider the ramifications today.

Are there still echoes of a church so politicized that the Gospel is lost? Absolutely, and this book provides sooo much food for thought especially as our country is hotly divided again today.

I both really liked and struggled with this book. It's primarily a history of the Presbyterian Church of the civil war era and sort of biography of Charles Hodge that would have benefited from examples from other events in history, especially recent history. The last chapter is titled for "Today" and yet it still focused on Hodge and the old church.

While that's all fine, I feel the title and subtitle is then misleading. It made for some really dry, difficult reading for some of the chapters despite its short length. However, Strange very clearly explains and defined the spirituality of the church.

I recommend this book for church leaders and councils especially! Ministers and Elders should be aware of church history and pitfalls.

Thank you to Crossway Reviewer Program for sending me this book to read and review honestly.

[Bobby James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange attempts to recover the historic doctrine of the spirituality of the church and determine ways to apply it today. He evaluates the doctrine as developed and applied in the historic Presbyterian church in America and uses Charles Hodge’s moderate view of the doctrine as the most suitable for recovery.

What’s particularly useful is seeing slavery (man stealing) as the historical context for Hodge’s doctrine. Hodge seemed to essentially be an incrementalist rebuking many of his contemporaries’ calls for immediate and comprehensive government action. Which appears to be dictated by his view of the spirituality of the church. Seeing Strange’s evaluation of the doctrine in the historical context of American slavery makes me think we’re not living in such “unprecedented” times as we like to think. The American church, it seems, has always struggled with an appropriate level of political/cultural engagement. And I’m starting to think a healthy level of engagement is less engagement.

From the Message to All Churches from the PCA from the Introduction, “We believe the church in its visible aspect is still essentially a spiritual organism. As such, its authority, motivation and power come from Christ, the Head, who is seated at the right hand of God. He has given us His rulebook for the Church, namely the Word of God written. We understand the task of the church to be primarily declarative and ministerial, not legislative or magisterial. It is our duty to set forth what He has given us in His Word and not to devise our own message or legislate our own laws.” (xii)

[Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Christian landscape that is often just as fractured if not more so than the secular one in questions of politics and church-state relations, Alan Strange’s book Empowered Witness points the Church back to a fundamentally important Biblical truth which is reflected in the historic Reformed tradition: Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world. There is a profound spiritual independence of the Church of Christ that ought to be recognized in both the Church and the State. The State ought not to interfere in matters of the Church. The modern secular orthodoxies which promote wickedness and punish the righteous must not be imposed on society. That being the case, however, the things of Caesar still do belong to Caesar. Although the Church ought to see itself as having a profound prophetic witness to the State, calling it out when it does evil, nevertheless, the Church ought not think itself as having the same business as the State. The Church of Christ is not just another earthly or political institution, it is primarily a spiritual institution, with a spiritual mission given to it by its founder, Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). Strange traces the Biblical, historic and contemporary implications of the Spirituality of the Church, giving special attention to the 19th century American Church controversy on the issue of race and slavery that is particularly illuminating. It’s a helpful primer on issues of ecclesiology that are incredibly relevant and urgent for Christians today.

[John Dekker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book may be slightly misleading: it is much more a work of church history than theology. It is a shortened version of he author's doctoral dissertation, and discusses the spirituality of the Church from the perspective of the life and work of the nineteenth century American theologian Charles Hodge.

The doctrine of the spirituality of the Church says that it is a spiritual entity with a spiritual message and that it should not get involved in politics. Now, Strange follows Hodge in taking a moderating position on how we construe this: avoiding, on the one hand, the over-politicization of the Church (as exemplified by the Gardiner Spring resolutions of 1861, which called on American Presbyterians to support the Federal Government as a religious duty) and the "hyper-spirituality" of the Church (as exemplified by James Henley Thornwell, who argued that the Church should say nothing in condemnation of slavery).

Strange finishes with a chapter on "The Spirituality of the Church and Politics Today" but he doesn't really say much about what that moderate position might look like today. For example, he doesn't say anything about abortion. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but it left me wanting more.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that Alan Strange (a great guy and excellent preacher) could write a good book on the spirituality of the church. This isn't really that book--though it has plenty of interesting history about the split and non-reunion of the presbyterian church around the time of the civil war.

In other words, instead of pulling highlights from his dissertation, Dr. Strange could have given us some straight talk about what is and isn't the mission of the church (as he did on a recent Crossway podcast, for instance).

So I enjoyed the book but can't really recommend it except to the biggest of presbyterian history buffs. But Dr. Strange is a wise man well worth listening to, so here's hoping he continues to publish.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The doctrine of the spirituality of the church has been misused to either sideline its spiritual mission to make disciples of all nations or ignore clear biblical teachings. This book examines how Presbyterian ministers Charles Hodge and James Thornwell employed and adapted this doctrine differently in response to slavery and the Civil War. While the book doesn't provide definitive answers for the church's political engagement, it offers valuable guidance for safeguarding the church's central mission while maintaining it's prophetic witness to the culture. Would love to see someone do a comparative study on how this doctrine was employed within Reformed churches during the Nazi era to further see its potential for rightly using it today.

[Todd Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible book. While I may not agree with all Dr. Strange’s conclusions and his book recommendations tend to lean to the two-kingdom camp, I do appreciate his historical review of Hodge and the time of the Civil War. The focus on the spirituality of the church can serve to bring a balance back to the discussion of church and culture. We may differ on application but I appreciate the moderation of Hodge and the attempts to correct the church lest she err too far in one direction or the other. Too often I feel like those who lean R2K claim spiritual superiority regarding the topic and stifle discussion.

[Lia Ross Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was more challenging than I expected and quite different from what I had in mind. Despite reaching the halfway mark, I was still awaiting conclusions that could connect historical content to today's perspectives on politics and the church. Unfortunately, the narrative felt more like a lesson on Civil War era history. I want to commend the author for condensing a substantial dissertation into a shorter book, but, respectfully, I couldn't find enjoyment in this one.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Dan Waugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book is an interesting historical review of how the 'spirituality of the church' as a doctrine developed, was employed and misused in the decades surrounding the U.S. Civil War, it does little to explicate the biblical basis of the doctrine or help the reader understand how the doctrine ought to be employed today in faithful ways. Strange often states that it should be utilized and is key for the church to remain true to its calling and mission, but he offers little advice on how to do so.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding work of historical theology and retrieval. Strange provides a detailed and nuanced survey of the doctrine of the spirituality of the church (the idea that the church as an institution has a spiritual message and spiritual authority within this sphere) as it developed in American Presbyterianism. Highly recommended for careful thinking about how the church relates to political questions.

[Zachary Fiol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read. I honestly would not give this book to a laymen. It was more of a Presbyterian history book than a read on how to apply the spirituality of the church. Kevin DeYoung’s book on the mission of the church would be my go to book on this topic. With that said I love many of the points he said in the concluding chapter. Generally, a helpful read on a difficult topic. More of historical book rather than a biblical/practical read on this topic.

[Alex Overbeek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting read for what it is but what it is chiefly is a history of the debates in the Presbyterian Church surrounding American slavery and the Civil War. The main theological thrust of the book could probably be summed up on one page. If you are looking for practical ways to engage in (or avoid as the case may be) political discourse as a believer and as a church then you may be disappointed with this book.

[Adam Kareus · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is a great look at Presbyterian history with regards to slavery and how the church split around the time of the civil war, it lacks in modern discussion about the spirituality of the church. The spirituality of the church is an important topic for our modern church and how to navigate what belongs to the domain of the church is something all churches need to ponder.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful exploration of a forgotten doctrine. Some parts were a little hard to follow but worth the read.

[Corby H · Rating 3 out of 5]

On any given day, the last thing I want to read about is American Presbyterian history, like what a yawnfest...but within the context of the abolitionist movement and the Civil War it gets interesting. So, if your anything like me, you'll appreciate the manner in which Strange takes readers through the highlights of the debates that raged within the American Presbyterian church regarding slavery and how both, the North and the South, used the doctrine of the Spirituality of the Church for its own ends. And Strange does this without getting in the weeds, (the book is about 140 pages which is a nice plus).

For those wanting "5 tips to becoming an empowered witness", this isn't a "for Dummies" book, so you won't find it in these pages. But I wouldn't consider that a demerit. You will find a treasure of historical insight that can give you the navigational instruments needed to plot a route through our contemporary political a social issues.

Hey, if you're into reading "boring" Presbyterian history, you've already read this, but if we share the same reservations concerning this topic, I would encourage you to give it a chance as it's definitely worth a read.

[Sarah Kroese · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was basically an advertisement for a dissertation. It was a long ramble with no firm conclusions.