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Church Questions
How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics?
“I eagerly commend this series.”
― R. Albert Mohler Jr. , President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Election seasons can cause division on a variety of issues. But what happens when you disagree with someone in your local church community? Authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli propose that Christians should learn how to disagree on such issues with a spirit of gracious understanding by recognizing the importance of what binds us together as a local church body―the gospel of Jesus Christ.
― R. Albert Mohler Jr. , President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Election seasons can cause division on a variety of issues. But what happens when you disagree with someone in your local church community? Authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli propose that Christians should learn how to disagree on such issues with a spirit of gracious understanding by recognizing the importance of what binds us together as a local church body―the gospel of Jesus Christ.
64 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2020
23 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Leeman
81 books152 followersJONATHAN LEEMAN is the editorial director of 9Marks, which involves him in editing the 9Marks series of books as well as the 9Marks Journal. He has written a number of books on the church, including Reverberation, and he teaches theology at several seminaries. Jonathan lives with his wife and four daughters in a suburb of Washington, DC and serves as an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington. You can learn more about him and his writing at www.9Marks.org.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
January 27, 2020
Short, simple, and likely to leave you wanting more. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive manual, though. What this timely resource does, it does so well. If you’re a pastor, read it with your fellow leaders. Give it out liberally to your members. American believers in particular need this kind of orientation as we enter a combustible 2020 election season. Satan wants to gain a foothold among the people of Christ; so let’s furnish our minds with careful categories and ready our hearts with self-denying love. This booklet will help.
November 27, 2023
highly highly recommend!! Super short & it's packed with practical ways to, you guessed it, love your fellow church members well who have different politics than you. I think everybody should read this hahah
July 17, 2020
Excellent stuff. Will be buying extras to give away.
April 7, 2025
This booklet is filled with excellent Biblical insights and wisdom. Highly recommended!
May 1, 2025
So helpful. Great theological foundation and practical tips for engaging across political aisles within the church.
August 23, 2021
This is a helpful reminder that Christians are not citizens of this earth, but of heaven. Therefore, since this is the case they must seek to live in harmony one another. This means living those who may disagree with us on tertiary earthly issues that are not gospel issues. The primary goal of this book is to argue that it is not appropriate to say, “You can’t vote democrat/republic and be a Christian.” Leeman and Naselli argue this is in a beautiful manor that points to the hope in the Kingdom of Heaven and unity in the body of Christ.
February 16, 2021
Tempted to buy 200 copies to put in the church foyer.
September 3, 2020
I listened to this book as audio on the Crossway podcast episode released Sep 1, 2020.
As a Christian living in the US, I can recognize how greatly needed this book is for our current cultural moment. Leeman and Naselli call us to humility in how we interact with brothers and sisters who perceive issues of justice differently than ourselves. Without diminishing the importance of political differences, they show how such differences should be viewed in the context of a people who are united to Christ as members of his body and in submission to his kingdom. While I listened to this in 58 minutes at work and did not take notes (let alone recognize chapter divisions), there are two things which I remember standing out in my listening. I appreciated first the clarification that political differences between church members are not about *principals* of justice (i.e what scripture clearly condemns as injustice) but about how we are to use *wisdom* to apply those principals. I also appreciated the authors' distinction between "whole church issues" and matters of Christian liberty, and the distinction between "straight line" and "jagged line" issues. Overall, this is a very practical book which calls Christians to turn away from themselves and be oriented toward their brothers and sisters in love, and ultimately to their ascended Lord in faith and hope.
As a Christian living in the US, I can recognize how greatly needed this book is for our current cultural moment. Leeman and Naselli call us to humility in how we interact with brothers and sisters who perceive issues of justice differently than ourselves. Without diminishing the importance of political differences, they show how such differences should be viewed in the context of a people who are united to Christ as members of his body and in submission to his kingdom. While I listened to this in 58 minutes at work and did not take notes (let alone recognize chapter divisions), there are two things which I remember standing out in my listening. I appreciated first the clarification that political differences between church members are not about *principals* of justice (i.e what scripture clearly condemns as injustice) but about how we are to use *wisdom* to apply those principals. I also appreciated the authors' distinction between "whole church issues" and matters of Christian liberty, and the distinction between "straight line" and "jagged line" issues. Overall, this is a very practical book which calls Christians to turn away from themselves and be oriented toward their brothers and sisters in love, and ultimately to their ascended Lord in faith and hope.
January 26, 2022
Great insight on the differences between whole-church positions and Christian-freedom positions.
The purpose of the book is not to answer which political positions are correct, but rather to show a biblical response to real political disagreements in the body of the church. The book shows how we can remain firm in our positions while extending graciousness in our disagreements. Well-done.
The purpose of the book is not to answer which political positions are correct, but rather to show a biblical response to real political disagreements in the body of the church. The book shows how we can remain firm in our positions while extending graciousness in our disagreements. Well-done.
February 8, 2025
Helpful primer. However, it should be titled, “How Does My Conscience Work?” Or “What Is Theological Triage?” It deals with both of those questions much more than it addresses how one “loves” those with different politics (also, when addressing the “loving” of others, the focus is much more on posture and thought than action or concrete steps). However, it does often use political disagreements and divides to illustrate—so in that sense, it has a political flare.
April 26, 2021
Excellent little book. This is not a book that tells you who to vote for or the “correct” answers to our political dilemmas, but a guide to handling the differences in a loving and biblical way.
“Too often we fail to realize how our political conversations as Christians should be different than the political conversations of non-Christians. Non-Christians can tell you exactly what they think. Christians can too, but the crucial difference is that Christians can also tell you—on some political topics—what God thinks. We have his Book. He has revealed himself. That’s amazing, isn’t it? Yet a huge danger looms. We get into a political argument in which we’re telling someone what we think. But we also have a Bible in our hands, and so we begin to blur the lines between what we think and what God thinks”
“Too often we fail to realize how our political conversations as Christians should be different than the political conversations of non-Christians. Non-Christians can tell you exactly what they think. Christians can too, but the crucial difference is that Christians can also tell you—on some political topics—what God thinks. We have his Book. He has revealed himself. That’s amazing, isn’t it? Yet a huge danger looms. We get into a political argument in which we’re telling someone what we think. But we also have a Bible in our hands, and so we begin to blur the lines between what we think and what God thinks”
October 13, 2020
In these times of so much political disagreement, this was a helpful little booklet about how to relate with Christians with differing views. It begins with the root of our struggle to deal with these disagreements, then offers help on how to move forward. The authors offer a lot of practical examples and Biblical reference.
This was a Crossway audiobook. I found the reader a bit monotone and uninteresting.
This was a Crossway audiobook. I found the reader a bit monotone and uninteresting.
March 29, 2020
This is a helpful and needed booklet on divisive political issues in a church. Too many churches have become cultic and ingrown where there is simply no room for disagreements with the group think. Christian identity becomes entangled and confused with political parties or movements. There are hardly any categories for someone to disagree on such issues and still be deemed Christians. If every person in your church looks and thinks just like you do, is that a sign you’re Christians, or it could it reveal something else?
March 21, 2024
Highly recommend! A short read, but packed with wisdom regarding gospel/whole-church issues vs. Christian liberty issues and how to love other believers who have different opinions about liberty issues. Also a timely reminder of the dangers of placing your hope and trust in a political party, but rather in Christ, whose eternal kingdom is real and the only one that will last. Will definitely be reading more from this 9Marks series!
September 8, 2020
Life and politics are becoming more polarizing by the day, and often the factions work to vilify those in opposition to them. This should not be the case for those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ! In this short, easy-to-read booklet, Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli seek your refocus their readers on what matters most: the gospel of Jesus. There are certain issues where all Christians need to be on the same page or they cannot coexist. However, the list of topics and issues where we can (and will) disagree grows daily, and we all need to practice discernment and Christian liberty. Never expect that you have all the information, and show gracious forbearance to your brothers and sisters in the church. Don’t let non-essential issues cloud your judgment on the things that matter most: preaching the gospel of Christ and making disciples.
January 15, 2021
Que livreto fantástico! A preocupação dos autores não é dizer em qual partido ou candidato você deve votar, mas ensinar como devemos responder aos nossos irmãos em Cristo que possuem entendimento diferente do nosso em relação a questões políticas. Excelentes conselhos!
September 18, 2024
Very very disappointing read. Nine Marks is run (i believe) by Mark Dever who is a registered democrat. Leeman and Naselli are both advocates for CRT, so should our conscience be calibrated when it comes to marxism or do our consciences only need to change when it comes to immigrants who commit unlawful crimes? Naselli also has a published article on how Christians should rethink voting for Trump. He compares Trump to Hitler. Both of these men are the epitome of soft evangelicalism, both of whom support Marxist ideas, both of whom tell the white heterosexual republican to rethink their logic because some things are not related to the “Bible.” Interesting because the Bible has all that we need for life and godliness, it is perfect for correction and reproof. We have Scripture! We have a tool for what to prioritize and whom to protect and how to uphold justice!
July 15, 2020
Loved this short, unique booklet! The authors lay out the difference between what they call whole-church issues (primary doctrines of the faith), and Christian-freedom issues (secondary issues where there is room for disagreement amongst good Christians).
They then conclude the booklet with a good example of "straight-line" judgments and "jagged-line" judgments. Most importantly, the authors end with the following statement:
"Your hope is not in a platform or party or kingdom now. Your hope is in the day the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Christ."
The book ends with sixteen suggestions for how pastors can work for unity in politically divisive times.
They then conclude the booklet with a good example of "straight-line" judgments and "jagged-line" judgments. Most importantly, the authors end with the following statement:
"Your hope is not in a platform or party or kingdom now. Your hope is in the day the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Christ."
The book ends with sixteen suggestions for how pastors can work for unity in politically divisive times.
August 5, 2021
It says paperback, but I listened to the audiobook version of the book.
Related blog post (includes links to free audiobook, journal article, and podcast):
https://andynaselli.com/politics-cons...
Related blog post (includes links to free audiobook, journal article, and podcast):
https://andynaselli.com/politics-cons...
March 2, 2020
Excellent little booklet from a new 9 Marks booklet series from Crossway. Leeman and Naselli apply the important doctrine of Christian liberty to one's political views and actions. They recommend six things: 1) Adjust your expectations. Don't plan for the church to be united on things Scripture does not address directly. 2) Recognize what a church is. It's a bunch of sinners being transformed by grace, including by rubbing against each other. 3) Recognize what unites a church and what belongs to the domain of Christian freedom. Basically, we're not arguing about the Trinity here, folks, or the inspiration of Scripture.
4) Determine whether an issue requires a straight-line or a jagged-line judgment. Somethings have straightforward conclusions without mitigating considerations. But then, there is a lot that Scripture leaves open to balancing acts that different Christians will perform in different ways. 5) Respect your brothers and sisters who have a differently calibrated conscience on jagged-line judgments. Again, these are judgments, balancings of multiple factors. We need to calibrate with Scripture, in the context of the church and with diligent process. We've got to welcome those who disagree with us, just as Christ has welcomed us. We cannot look down on those stricter than us on a particular issue, nor be judgmental toward those who have more freedom on a particular issue. 6) Remember what's important.
I'd recommend this $5 booklet to everyone. Buy a bunch and pass them out.
4) Determine whether an issue requires a straight-line or a jagged-line judgment. Somethings have straightforward conclusions without mitigating considerations. But then, there is a lot that Scripture leaves open to balancing acts that different Christians will perform in different ways. 5) Respect your brothers and sisters who have a differently calibrated conscience on jagged-line judgments. Again, these are judgments, balancings of multiple factors. We need to calibrate with Scripture, in the context of the church and with diligent process. We've got to welcome those who disagree with us, just as Christ has welcomed us. We cannot look down on those stricter than us on a particular issue, nor be judgmental toward those who have more freedom on a particular issue. 6) Remember what's important.
I'd recommend this $5 booklet to everyone. Buy a bunch and pass them out.
January 22, 2023
I would say the American church needs to read this. It's good reminders and perspective about what is actually the most important.
However, the second half felt repetitive. I'd also say nuance was given to some issues that in my opinion are less debatable and not enough nuance given to more debatable issues. But that is partly the point of the book - being able to disagree. I also feel like near the end the book sometimes reduced things to "issues" and "political matters" to talk about rather than realities deeply impacting people. But it's a short little book so I understand if they didn't talk with as much nuance as they could've!
However, the second half felt repetitive. I'd also say nuance was given to some issues that in my opinion are less debatable and not enough nuance given to more debatable issues. But that is partly the point of the book - being able to disagree. I also feel like near the end the book sometimes reduced things to "issues" and "political matters" to talk about rather than realities deeply impacting people. But it's a short little book so I understand if they didn't talk with as much nuance as they could've!
January 25, 2024
2024, let’s go. This booklet is an especially helpful starting point for church members looking to prepare their hearts for an election year. The principles and questions presented are not only beneficial for political differences, but many other issues of conscience as well.
“The point is, life and politics are not static, and with every passing day we need a fresh dose of wisdom, because the political landscape keeps changing.”
“Personally, we would be shocked if any political party ever felt like a perfect fit for a Christian, as that just might suggest one’s Christianity has been subverted by party thinking.”
“Be strict with yourself and generous with others.”
“The point is, life and politics are not static, and with every passing day we need a fresh dose of wisdom, because the political landscape keeps changing.”
“Personally, we would be shocked if any political party ever felt like a perfect fit for a Christian, as that just might suggest one’s Christianity has been subverted by party thinking.”
“Be strict with yourself and generous with others.”
June 20, 2020
Informative.
This booklet diagnoses the problem, then concisely outlines several recommendations.
The Bible does not provide Christians with ‘straight-line’ positions on most political issues. Therefore, many of our political views are in the domain of Christian freedom, informed by our conscience, biblical principles, and knowledge available to all through common grace.
I especially appreciated the recommendations in the conclusion; humbly listen to and pray for those you disagree with, and meditate on eternity and the final judgement. Timeless advice for a turbulent era.
This booklet diagnoses the problem, then concisely outlines several recommendations.
The Bible does not provide Christians with ‘straight-line’ positions on most political issues. Therefore, many of our political views are in the domain of Christian freedom, informed by our conscience, biblical principles, and knowledge available to all through common grace.
I especially appreciated the recommendations in the conclusion; humbly listen to and pray for those you disagree with, and meditate on eternity and the final judgement. Timeless advice for a turbulent era.
Read
June 25, 2020A helpful 60 page booklet from 9Marks that Christians especially passionate about politics ought to read. The over-arching theme of the book is that followers of Jesus should remember the purpose of the Church and distinguish between issues that are explicitly biblical and those which require applied wisdom and consciences. Would take maybe an hour to read straight through. Recommend.
November 13, 2024
My friend’s church was offering this book and I thought it would be a helpful resource for election season. It had lots of interesting information and answered some of the question I had about politics in the church.
September 4, 2020
Timely.
September 7, 2020
A wonderful resource to put in the hands of church members, either in an election year or any time national politics is discipling members more than their church.
October 14, 2020
brief, clear, and leaves you with many things to consider as you lovingly engage those in your own church who may think differently than you do on the topic of politics. listened to the free audiobook on spotify!
October 18, 2020
I listened to the full audiobook on the Crossway Podcast: https://www.crossway.org/articles/fre...
May 18, 2020
Leeman and Naselli offer helpful insight and practical wisdom for contexts in which politics has become too elevated in the church and the intensity of disagreement has reached a fever pitch. Their straight-line versus jagged-line distinction is really good and offers some helpful categories. However, at times they border on dismissive. Without establishing why politics matter, the emphasis seems to be on loving church members with different politics by recognizing that politics aren't that big of a deal. And it's true, politics are not the gospel and we should never pretend that they are. We do need to be wise in recognizing that not all political questions are straight-line issues, but we must love church members with different politics *because* the issues that we are wrestling through are a big deal, not because they are insignificant. Granted, it's difficult to do a deep-dive in less than 70 pages, but there were a few spots where they needed to slow down and capture more of the complexity of what goes on in political disagreements in order to address them well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews