War, poverty, the environment, gay marriage, religious liberty—today’s American Christians must decide where they stand on a variety of contentious public policy issues. Does the Bible provide guidance on how we might vote or run for office? Acknowledging that there are a range of applications, Longman takes into consideration key Scriptures and offers an evangelical interpretation for each topic.
| Title: The Bible and the Ballot: Using Scripture in Political Decisions By: Tremper Longman III Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 327 Vendor: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Publication Date: 2020 | Dimensions: 8.5 X 5.5 (inches) Weight: 14 ounces ISBN: 0802877346 ISBN-13: 9780802877345 Stock No: WW877345 |
How to read the Bible on matters of public policy
Christians affirm the Bible as our standard of faith and practice. We turn to it to hear God’s voice. But what relevance does the Bible have for the contentious public policy issues we face today? Although the Bible does not always speak explicitly to modern issues, it does give us guiding principles as we think about how we might vote or act as political figures ourselves.
The Bible and the Ballot demonstrates the proper use of Scripture in contemporary political discussions. Christians regularly invoke the Bible to support their positions on many controversial political topics—gay marriage, poverty, war, religious liberty, immigration, the environment, taxes, etc.—and this book will help facilitate those conversations. Tremper Longman provides a hermeneutical approach to using the Bible in this manner, then proceeds topic by topic, citing important Scriptures to be taken into consideration in each case and offering an evangelical interpretation.
Longman is careful to suggest levels of confidence in interpretation and acknowledges that often there are a range of possible applications. Each chapter includes questions to provoke further thought in individuals’ minds or for group discussion.
The Bible and the Ballot is a ready guide to understanding the Bible on issues that American Christians face today as we live within a pluralistic society.
