As we approach a Presidential election that has many believers confounded, how should our faith shape the decisions we make in the voting booth? Many have said that it depends on whether you view modern America as being a ‘Christian nation.’
Dr. Jonathan Den Hartog weighs in on whether that’s the case.
“I think there are two parts to that. First – how do we understand the nation in relationship to Christianity? And so I will go on record as saying I think institutionally, constitutionally the United States is not a Christian nation.”
He explains how he gets to that determination.
“We don’t have an established church. The First Amendment says that we are going to give religious liberty to all faiths. Historically, Christianity is very important. I will defend that point up and down. But institutionally or constitutionally, I don’t believe we are a Christian nation. That goes to definition, but by my definition we’re not.”
What are the implications of this definition in how we apply, and don’t apply, our faith to politics?
“What do we do with that reality? I think we can say no, the constitution doesn’t give Christianity a privileged place, but what it does do is it frees up people of faith, whatever their faith, to have a responsibility of participation and of citizenship. So Christians have not only a right and a privilege but a duty to be involved to bring their faith reflections to bear on all kinds of issues.”
Our relationship with God may not make us economic experts, but there is much it does do.
“You know that faith doesn’t give them special insights to know the exact tax rate policy or something, but it does mean that they better be reflecting on this. Because we enter the political realm as whole people. Having integrity means we don’t chop ourselves up and act one way on Sunday and one way on Monday. We’re whole people, and we carry the same person into the voting booth with us.“
Dr. Jonathan Den Hartog is Associate Professor of History & Chair of the History Department at University of Northwestern, Saint Paul. His new book is Patriotism and Piety: Federalist Politics and Religious Struggle in The New American Nation.
