The spirit of our politics feels negative and harmful. Michael Wear believes the improved spiritual health and civic character of individuals can change that.

“We belong to a political party because we believe things, we should not believe things because we belong to a political party”.

Michael Wear is the author of The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life. In this episode he talks to Life & Faith about his desire to cultivate a more healthy and vibrant political and civic life in his country that is wracked with polarisation and enmity across the political spectrum.

Wear is under no illusions as to how large a challenge that is but remains committed to making a contribution towards a healthy pluralism.

He also has huge reservations about the way in which faith has been captured to further political, rather than religious, outcomes. Wear think there is huge danger in Christianity being instrumentalised as a means of advancing one set of political ideas. Instead, faith should be about the flourishing of all society.

Explore:

Michael Wear’s latest book The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life.

Michael’s previous book Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama Whitehouse About the Future of Faith in America.

The Centre for Christianity and Public Life