4 Christian Books to Read About Politics

Politics. Love them or hate them; they are a part of our everyday life, and we just can’t seem to avoid. As believers, politics can be tough to navigate as we try to balance between being good stewards of our right to vote and understanding our commitment to God’s moral law.

With this in mind, we’ve asked a few of our Woodside Campus Pastors to share the books they recommend for Christians trying to traverse the sea of politics. While there are lots of options, we’ve narrowed it down to four— for now.

Below, we’ve given a brief description of each book and a link to access or purchase them. We hope these books will encourage you as you navigate political conversations and seasons with those you interact with daily.

1️⃣ The Secular Creed by Rebecca McLaughlin — https://amzn.to/3EiWiwh

Black Lives Matter. Love Is Love. Gay Rights Are Civil Rights. Women’s Rights Are Human Rights. Transgender Women Are Women. You may have seen signs with some of these messages in your neighborhood. They offer us an all-or-nothing package deal, a secular creed.

In this provocative book, Rebecca McLaughlin helps us disentangle the beliefs Christians gladly affirm from those they cannot embrace and invites us to talk with our neighbors about the things that matter most. Far from opposing love across difference, McLaughlin argues, Christianity is the original source and firmest foundation for true diversity, equality, and life-transforming love.

2️⃣ The Political Disciple by Vincent Bacote — https://bit.ly/4aCLlCp

Vincent E. Bacote’s The Political Disciple addresses this question by considering not only whether Christians have (or need) permission to engage the public square, but also what it means to reflect Christlikeness in our public practice, as well as what to make of the typically slow rate of social change and the tension between relative allegiance to a nation and/or a political party and ultimate allegiance to Christ. Pastors, laypeople, and college students will find this concise volume a handy primer on Christianity and public life.

3️⃣ Compassion and Conviction by Justin Giboney — https://bit.ly/3UGtzbq

Too often, political questions are framed in impossible ways for the faithful Christian: we’re forced to choose between social justice and biblical values, between supporting women and opposing abortion. As a result, it’s easy for Christians to grow disillusioned with civic engagement or fall back into tribal extremes. This state of affairs has damaged Christian public witness and divided the church.

When we understand our civic engagement as a way to obey Christ’s call to love our neighbor, we see that it is possible to engage the political process with both love and truth―compassion and conviction.

4️⃣ God and Politics by Mark Dever — https://amzn.to/3T508gr

In a society where religion is increasingly private and faith is OK as long as it’s not shared, many would seek to keep God out of their politics. But is that right, and is it biblical? This is an important topic to consider, not just for those working in government but for all of us as we seek to be responsible citizens in a fallen world.

Mark Dever unpacks what the Bible says on this topic and teaches how we can give Caesar what is Caesars without compromising on what we believe. We’ll see that our duty to God is comprehensive and that there isn’t an area of life that we can separate from His influence. This little book won’t take long to read, but its impact could last a lifetime.