The Demise of the Religious Right

Steve Monsma, of the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has visited Breakthrough a couple of times, most recently in September to film me for a DVD that will be issued along with his new book, Healing For A Broken World: Christian Perspectives on Public Policy, to be released in February. He is someone for whom I have a great deal of respect.

I just got the latest Capital Commentary and read his thoughtful response to recent books and articles such as the one in New York Times that claims the Religious Right is falling apart. Monsma's concern is that conservatives will swing from the right to the left on issues instead of developing "distinctive policy positions shaped by a biblically based worldview." We will consequently "miss an opportunity to be the salt and light that the world desperately needs and that our Lord has called us to be."

In Monsma's view...

The great need is to apply a Christian worldview to today’s contentious public policy issues and thereby come up with something new and distinctive to contribute to current public policy debates. As we do this, we will find ourselves not walking in lockstep with the public policy positions of either liberals or conservatives.

Key to a Christian worldview is commitment to biblically rooted principles such as justice, solidarity with all those in need, and the integrity of independent civil-society institutions such as families, churches, and nonprofit social-service organizations.