A Secular Faith
By: Darryl Hart
The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – November, 2017
To what extent should the Christian in America embrace the separation of Church and state? This hot button topic is often discussed from a perspective that equates the existence of the United States with that of God’s covenant relationship to ancient Israel. In A Secular Faith, Darryl Hart argues that America was never founded as a Christian nation. Furthermore, when religious people attempt to find a universal Judaeo-Christian foundation for the political life of the country, they run the risk of watering down Christianity to the point where the gospel is no longer evident and we are merely left with a set of morals and ethics. The end result is that Christianity is redefined and presented, not as the message of redemption through Christ and the hope of the coming kingdom of God, but as moral standards that preserve the nation from ruin.
Hart’s presentation of the history of the Protestant influence in American politics and the current debate about separation of church and state is rather interesting, although I did find it a little tedious at times. Nevertheless, his position that Christianity can flourish in any political system, and that Christians are a people living in exile while awaiting a new kingdom is well worth considering. Whether one agrees with the author or not, A Secular Faith is worth the read for those facing the challenge of being Christians in a pluralistic America.
- Pastor’s June Book Selection - June 3, 2023
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- Pastor’s December Book Selection - December 13, 2022
