The Spirit of Our Politics
Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life
- Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Published: 2024
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
For those discouraged and exhausted by the bitterness and rage in our politics, Michael Wear offers a new paradigm of political involvement rooted in the teachings of Jesus and drawing insights from Dallas Willard's approach to spiritual formation. When political division shows up not only on the campaign trail but also at our dinner tables, we wonder: Can we be part of a better way? The Spirit of Our Politics says "yes," offering a distinctly Christian approach to politics that results in healing rather than division, kindness rather than hatred, and hope rather than despair. In this profound and hope-filled book, Michael Wear--a leading thinker and practitioner at the intersection of faith and politics--applies insights taken from the work of Dallas Willard to argue that by focusing on having the "right" politics, we lose sight of the kind of people we are becoming, to destructive results. This paradigm-shifting book reveals: Why we need to reframe how we view our political involvement as Christians How as Christians we can reorient our politics for the good of others The crucial connection between discipleship to Jesus and political involvement A different way of talking about politics that is edifying, not stomach-turning How to navigate political strife in churches and small groups Why who we are in our political life is not quarantined from who we are in "real life" Why gentleness is entirely possible in our political discourse The Spirit of Our Politics is for readers of any political perspective who long for a new way to think about and engage in politics. That new approach begins with a simple question: What kind of person would I like to be?
Endorsements (14)
“It’s rare to find a book so wise and helpful that I want to put it in the hands of every pastor, parent, and future leader I know. The Spirit of Our Politics is such a book. Michael Wear weaves together his expertise on American politics and Dallas Willard’s vision for the centrality of discipleship in the Christian life. In doing so, he accomplishes the rare feat of merging political theology and spiritual formation in ways that are profoundly necessary yet virtually absent in the current political discourse both in the church and in broader society. This book opens a window, letting a new, hopeful breeze blow into the dark, airless room of American politics. The Spirit of Our Politics should be required reading for every Christian in America.”
“I know many people I respect as spiritually mature. I know many people who know politics from the inside out. I don’t know very many who fit both of those categories. Michael Wear does. This book shows a smart, bold, hopeful way forward, paying attention to what Dallas Willard would tell us is the real conspiracy—the inbreaking kingdom of God. If you have never thought spirituality and politics belong in the same sentence, this is the book you must read.”
“From the very first sentence, I knew this was the book I’d been waiting for. In The Spirit of Our Politics, Michael Wear not only diagnoses the root of the problem that has led us here but also offers a compelling way forward. This book is essential reading for anyone who takes seriously the commission of Jesus to go out and be the salt and light we are called to be.”
“The Spirit of Our Politics is the most urgently needed and clearly articulated discussion of faith and politics I have ever read. If a large number of people were to read and embody the moral and political knowledge available here, it would immeasurably enhance our country—not to mention the church.”
“The Spirit of Our Politics is one of the most important books of our time. In this brilliant text, Michael Wear draws on Dallas Willard’s insights to argue that our personal character deeply influences our political landscape. While Wear delves into the complexities of how our politics reached its current state, this book isn’t merely an analysis of the past; it radiates with a visionary outlook for the future. Instead of merely lamenting what has been, Wear offers a thoughtful and constructive path forward. Every reader, regardless of their political inclination, should take up the invitation contained in this essential reading. Through it, we are prompted to reflect, What kind of person would I like to be—and how can my conclusion shape a better political tomorrow? Joshua DuBois, CEO of Values Partnerships; former executive director, The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Michael Wear has written an important book at an important time. The work of self-government is challenging when the world makes partisanship a religion. We might have important disagreements on public policy, but as brothers in Christ, Michael and I share the same calling—to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. As Christians work to build something more constructive, Michael gives us worthy reflections on a complicated topic.”
“The Spirit of Our Politics gets to the heart of our current divided politics. Michael Wear has written a powerful call that affirms the agency each citizen has to contribute to a healthier and more just politics and society. As a Christian, I found here an inspiring path to return to the heart of our faith and build a culture of engaged, faithful service. Our politics would be dramatically healthier if The Spirit of Our Politics was our guide, and I encourage my colleagues, and all readers who seek a positive future for our politics, to read it.”
“Both are good, but they really belong together. The Spirit of Our Politics gets right to the heart of what it takes to be effective, loving, and joyful in public life. It’s the book I wish I had written myself as a practical, informed, realistic, visionary, and wise guide to spiritual formation for civic renewal in our generation.”
“Liberal democracy depends on virtuous citizens who are committed to its survival, yet it often fails to inculcate these virtues. Michael Wear outlines the role of Christianity in helping to lay the foundations for virtuous civic engagement in an era when the faith is arguably in jeopardy of becoming a victim of vituperative culture wars. Based on a sensitive reading of Scripture and deep experience working in contemporary politics, Wear offers a vision of Christian politics rooted in service and compassion, not conquest or domination. This is a crucial book for thinking about the future of American Christianity.”
“If you are exhausted by and exasperated with politics, this book is for you. The Spirit of Our Politics won’t try to drum up your enthusiasm for our broken political system; it will draw your attention to a greater and truer story—and the way that story should then shape our common life together. Michael Wear has given us the gift of diagnosing the deeper spiritual problems underneath our divisions and disagreements—and proposing a better path forward.”
“Michael Wear has clarified and focused our attention on the gaping divide between the beliefs that so many of us profess and the contemptuous politics that so many of us practice. People of faith have a long way to go to align the calling to love one another with the actions to create a politics grounded in that love. Wear offers countless selections from Scripture and scholars alike to help us in that urgent path of discipleship.”
“A must-read for American Christians. Michael Wear leads us away from the intractable right-left disagreements and toward a far more important question: How is American politics shaping us spiritually? No matter where you are on the political spectrum, this book will help you move away from being discipled by your political party and toward being discipled by Jesus.”
“Michael Wear is a trusted voice to a generation of Christ followers looking to express their faith in every area of culture, including politics. The Spirit of Our Politics is the book that is needed today, to help us to separate what needs to be separate and integrate that which will make us whole—individually and as a nation.”
“Michael Wear is a man of deep faith who clearly brought his love for Jesus to his work in the White House. His book Reclaiming Hope offers important insight about his time working in the public square for the legitimate and necessary place of both faith and people of faith in today’s political environment, and it deserves serious attention. His Eminence Timothy Cardina Dolan Reclaiming Hope is an important and extremely timely book. It is partly a memoir, partly a reflection on the relationships between faith and governing power, and partly a road map for navigating the unprecedented social and cultural changes we are facing. It’s readable and thought-provoking. Get it, read it, and talk to others about it.”
“In Reclaiming Hope, Michael Wear makes a powerfully compelling case for engaging the intersection of politics and religion. Drawing from his personal and singular experience in the White House under the Obama administration, Wear writes a lifeline for these times—that despite any personal differences, hope can unite. The pages in your hand could give you hope and lead and guide us forward as a nation. We can all reclaim hope and carry it with us.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem