Will They Know we are Christians by our Anger?

I still recall the refrain from a campfire song from my youth, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love.” Sadly, many outsiders to the faith are more likely to know Christians for their angry tone and hateful rhetoric than for their love for God and neighbor.

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 Christianity. Some media portrayals of Christians fuel the fire with spiteful caricatures that have little resemblance to real life. But sadly, the angry and scornful actions of real people lead to negative stereotypes. And all too often, those negative views stem from watching Christians engage with politics.

Evangelicalism, at its heart, is about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a broken and hurting world. The problem is not with political engagement in and of itself; the problem is that many Christians fail to demonstrate Christ-like character as they engage in politics. Evangelicals should participate in politics as an act of Christian love, but they should do so in a manner that demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit and with awareness of the limits of politics.

On this Substack, I will offer some musings on how we can demonstrate love of God and neighbor in American politics. I’ll share some of my insights as a political scientist that can help explain why politics can become so bitter and angry, and I’ll offer practical suggestions for modeling Christian character in our political engagement.

Some posts will include my thoughts, but others will highlight people and organizations who demonstrate love for God and neighbor in how they approach our common life. I hope these reflections will encourage you as you seek to apply your faith to politics.