Roundtable Question: What Role for God in American Politics?

The Pell Center’s next roundtable lunch and conversation will be:

The Time: Wednesday, April 18, at 12:00 PM.

The Place: Wakehurst 003–Basement

The issue: God and American politics.

Featuring: Dr. Dan Cowdin, Associate Professor Religious and Theological Studies and Dr. Jim Ludes, Executive Director of the Pell Center.

“Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar — and God what belongs to God.”

— Jesus Christ in Mark (12:17)

“I certainly believe in the separation of church and state. I do not believe in the separation of faith and politics.”

— Rick Warren on ABC News “This Week,” April 9, 2012

Jesus Christ drew a distinction between God and government that has resonated across the millennia.  In the midst of a U.S. presidential campaign, however, religious language and fervor often blur the distinction, leading to political conversations that sound and feel theological.

So the question for this roundtable is:

What is the proper role for God in American politics?  Should the Gospel be the basis for public policy?  Do some politicians exploit—with or without distortion of God’s word—faith for political gain?

Share your thoughts here, and RSVP to [email protected] to join us for lunch on April 18!

(Note: The blog is open to all to participate, but lunch is open only to members of the SRU Community: students, staff, and faculty.)