How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics? (Church Questions) by Jonathan Leeman

How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics? (Church Questions) Reviews

• 
  Matt

  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.
• 
  Allison Wise

  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
• 
  David J. Harris

  Excellent stuff. Will be buying extras to give away.
• 
  Christian Barrett

  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.
• 
  Chelsey

  Tempted to buy 200 copies to put in the church foyer.
• 
  Ian Ritchie

  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.
• 
  Josh John

  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.
• 
  Jessie

  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”
• 
  Meggie

  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.
  
• 
  Jeff

  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?
• 
  Samuel

  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.
• 
  Alan Rennê

  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!
• 
  Josh Miller

  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.
• 
  Steve Stanley

  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...
• 
  Faith Tonnesen

  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!
• 
  Jessica Chen

  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!
• 
  Teresa

  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.”
• 
  Hannah

  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.
• 
  Tanner Keen

  A 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.
• 
  Ivan

  Timely.
• 
  Sam Knecht

  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.
• 
  millie

  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!
• 
  Bill Forgeard

  I listened to the full audiobook on the Crossway Podcast:
  https://www.crossway.org/articles/fre...
• 
  Patience

  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.
• 
  Joshua Lister

  Kind of confusing and not very helpful. This issue is obviously complex and some of the generic advice in this booklet is okay. For instance, not every disagreement should result in a divorce. Pastors are not forced to make everything they preach and think a church membership fellowship issue. Church members don't need to divide over every disagreement. Yes, that is all true. But, there are egregious category errors in this book, which confuses the good advice.
  
  For instance, the authors appeal to our unity in "a new nation...held together by neither sword nor family but only by Word and Spirit." These things are not opposed to each other. The Word and Spirit save and preserve generations of people. That means families. Christ's Kingdom also includes our rulers, who do not wield the sword in vain. The Word and Spirit preserve families and ensure that rulers wield their sword justly. This in turn preserves nations.
  
  A lot more can be said, but I think the last sentence highlights the problem well. "Your hope is in the day the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Christ (Rev. 11:15)". I would invite the authors to stop living pre-ascension. Jesus has authority over heaven and earth now and we're declaring that to the nations.
• 
  Lindsay Dyer

  Excellent and timely.
• 
  Renee Y

  Concise and helpful book for church members to think on how to biblically engage fellow believers in political conversations. I found the authors’ recommendations helpful. Their tone is winsome and they do a great job articulating whole-church vs Christian-freedom issues. If you have read Naselli’s conscience book, this is a great refresher and can be applied to more than just politics but all matters of Christian liberty.
  
  This is a really tricky subject. I appreciated their reiteration that they are not trying to relieve tension in voting issues or what candidate one should vote for, but instead highlight the importance of wisdom and patience.
  
  Loving people who differ with us politically is difficult, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, not impossible. I do think this book is probably easiest applied to church members who would vote within the same party and have differences in policies revolving around taxes, education, climate, or gun laws. However, this book provides insight on how to navigate differences surrounding justice issue across party lines.
  
  Overall, I find politics to be wildly fascinating and increasingly irritating. We try so hard to identify with a party when Christ calls us to identify with him in his life, death, and resurrection. Justice issues matter in the here and now, and so I am thankful for the ability to raise my voice and stand for biblical ethics while having opinions on Christian freedom issues—but I know how the story ends. Justice will reign forever one day soon. And till that day, I can trust the Lord to work his good hand and help guide me in wisdom to love those who disagree with me, to train and recalibrate my conscience, and to be patient and enduring.
  
  This review is longer than the book. Just go read it.