In this third episode of the special eight-episode series called 'Politics discerned differently,' Dr. Mark Turman and Kaitlyn Schiess explore the intersection of faith and politics. Kaitlyn, an author and doctoral student in political theology, shares her insights on how Christians can live biblically, engage in political discussions redemptively, and navigate the complexities of elections. 

They discuss the role of political theology and the impact of extreme rhetoric and offer practical ways to integrate faith into political life. Discover the deeper meaning of Christian engagement in the public sphere and learn how to maintain a balanced and thoughtful approach to politics.

• (01:53): Kaitlyn's Background and Passion for Theology
• (03:03): The Role of Political Theology in Christian Life
• (05:52): Defining Political Theology
• (09:28): Kaitlyn's Journey into Political Theology
• (12:57): The Intersection of Faith and Politics
• (17:33): The Impact of Extreme Political Rhetoric
• (23:27): The Psychological Effects of Political Fear
• (26:38): Living Faithfully Through Elections
• (30:33): Spiritual Formation and Political Engagement
• (34:56): Humility and Making Faithful Judgments
• (40:34): Praying for Leaders and Political Idolatry
• (47:30): Hope and Unity in the Church

Episode Transcript (PDF)

Related Denison Forum podcasts: 

• Losing Our Religion: A conversation with Russell Moore
• How does the Bible apply to today’s politics? With Kaitlyn Schiess
• How political should Christians be? Preston Sprinkle discusses his new book, “Exiles”
• Should Christians pursue power? A conversation with David French
• How to vote for imperfect political parties: A conversation with Jason Yates
• Navigating extremism: A conversation with Elizabeth Neumann

Related Denison Forum articles & resources:

• What does the Bible say about politics? • Denison Forum
• Election 2024: Discern politics differently
• Respectfully, I Disagree by Dr. Jim Denison - Audiobook - Audible.com
• House plans to impeach the president: Why I am a Christian patriot but not a Christian nationalist
• How should Christians vote?
• Are Christians required to vote?
• The Bible and the Civil Rights Movement: An excerpt from “The Ballot and the Bible” by Kaitlyn Schiess

Other trusted resources: 

• Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire (Church in the Shadow of Empire, 2)
• The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism: Alberta, Tim
• Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America: Moore, Russell
• Truth Over Tribe: Pledging Allegiance to the Lamb, Not the Donkey or the Elephant
• Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here
• Kaitlyn Schiess

Kaitlyn Schiess is an author, speaker, and perpetual theology student. She is the author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture has been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here (Brazos, 2023) and The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor (IVP, 2020). Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The New York Times, Christ and Pop Culture, RELEVANT, and Sojourner. She has a Masters in systematic theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is currently a doctoral student in political theology at Duke Divinity School. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.