As a newcomer to the American political scene, the past four years of living in this nation has been a time of learning for me, and also a time of frequent exclamations of surprise. As a Canadian, I was most surprised by the strong party affiliations that function here. Growing up, I didn’t even know who my parents were voting for, let alone what political party they typically aligned with. In the few national elections I have voted in, I have yet to vote for the same party twice. I have also been surprised by the stalwart commitment of many Christians to single issue voting. It seems to me that for many in the church, faith informs some aspects of political thought, but not all.

As I look back on the 2004 presidential election, which came during my first four months in this country, I struggle to remember any conversations with my divinity school classmates about how faith informs their stance on particular issues. One of my theology professors, Serene Jones, recently wrote an article on faith and citizenship in Yale Divinity School’s publication, Reflections. She suggests that while many people point to faith as a reason for their political choices, very few people are willing or able to put serious theological reflection behind these positions. She urges us to first challenge each other to articulate clearly why political values are based on Christian belief, and to then ask the hard question of how these “faith-answers connect with the faith-politics of your everyday interactions. Why are we not demanding that it be asked – as a political question – day in and out?”

Jones goes on to identify four points where her theology leads to a particular political position. I will follow her example and lay out a few points for myself:

1. Throughout the Bible, we frequently hear that not only does the earth belong to the Lord, but that the fate of the earth is intertwined with the well-being of its people. I support political leaders who are willing to consider the earth, as well as future generations of humanity, in their policy decisions. If these voices are not heard, then democracy, I believe, has failed.
2. God’s Son, Jesus, was tortured and killed by imperial forces. I am called to look for Christ in the faces of those imprisoned in the name of the war on terror. I will never support a political leader who is willing to allow torture to be used for any purpose.
3. I believe that God calls us to welcome the stranger, and offer hospitality to those who are different from us. This ethic of hospitality challenges me to seek the welfare of all who come to this community, regardless of their legal status, and drives me to seek a better system of immigration.

I could go on, but I think it is crucial that we ask each other the hard questions of how our faith informs our political positions, and whether they do. I also think that it is crucial that we ask our political candidates, even those we like, the questions that no one else is asking. For example, if they aren’t talking about the Patriot Act and the use of torture by the military, then we need to ask them what their position is on that issue. As Christians, I do believe we are called to engage in the political system, but never so fully that we lose our ability to bring a prophetic word when necessary.