Join an ongoing conversation about evangelicalism and politics.

Harold Heie, Senior Fellow, The Colossian Forum (TCF) & Rob Barrett, TCF Director of Fellows and Forums are hosting an online conversation called "American Evangelicalism: Present Conditions, Future Possibilities." This month's topic is Evangelicalism and Politics. I joined a great group of colleagues representing a range of academic disciplines, ideological perspectives, and theological views to post initial thoughts to spur discussion.

Christians in the United States, especially evangelicals, have an image problem. Many of those outside the faith (and plenty of insiders, too) have negative views of Christians. From what they see, they have little interest in learning more about the faith.

Many resources are available to help you prepare to vote. In a previous post, I offered a media guide with links to some web sites for newspapers, online media, fact-checking organizations, and political blogs to help you follow current events and learn more about political issues. In this post, I will suggest some additional resources that may help you learn more about candidates as you prepare to vote.

Campaign Web Sites

How can you prepare for Election Day? Before choosing between candidates, first decide which political issues matter the most to you and learn more about the different positions on the ballot. Research the candidates, and then make your choices.

Priorities, Priorities

For those of you who would like to read a range of perspectives on some of the major domestic and foreign policy issues under discussion in Election 2012, I encourage you to join in the Alternative Political Conversation (www.respectfulconversation.net). This project, created by Harold Heie, provides a forum for Christians to discuss a range of views on political topics.

I am often asked to recommend what I think are the most useful media outlets to help people who want to follow politics and current events. I don’t have a simple answer to this question, but I will suggest some good Internet sources that will help you learn more about politics, find answers to vexing questions, and help you choose candidates to support.

Newspapers

Here are some thoughts that I recently wrote for the Center for Public Justice's Capital Commentary:

The Olympic flames have been extinguished, the summer is drawing to an end, Mitt Romney has chosen his running mate, and party leaders are preparing for their national conventions. The election season is about to begin in full force, and all signs point to a contentious and angry battle ahead. 

This past week, I was interviewed by The Christian Post about my latest book. Follow the link below to find out more about the origins of the book project, some thoughts on why(and how) we can try to talk about politics with humility and grace in our churches and small groups, and some of the ways we can be an effective Christian witness in politics.

Interview: Evangelical Scholar on Honoring God in Politics

By Napp Nazworth , Christian Post Reporter

As I have discussed in previous posts, government is a gift from God that offers many benefits to society. Most of us likely agree that a robust yet limited government is essential to create a safe and ordered society and provide for the common good.

But if government does so much good, why do we have such strong disagreements about its proper role and reach?

My last post offered some preliminary thoughts on why government is necessary. Here are a few more thoughts to continue the conversation. 

What are some of the key components of good government?

One of the most important government functions is maintaining the rule of law. Laws should reflect a concern for the general well-being of everyone and outline our responsibilities to one another as part of a political community. As such, they create clear boundaries for how people can live and work together peacefully.