The Political Posturing of the American Church and its Influence on American Government Policymaking
Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Department
Seminary
First Advisor
Winford Amos, DMin
Second Advisor
Valerie Houston, DMin
Abstract
This dissertation explores the intersection of theology, politics, leadership, and iteration to the present political situation of the American Church. This author argues that crises in governance and church identity stem from the theological disunity of separation between divine authority and moral responsibility. The opening chapter, America’s Theological Roots, will bring out the influence which the Biblical ideas of the Covenant and of Justice have had on the foundation of the American Nation. The second chapter, The American Pulpit and Political Power: A Historical and Contemporary Analysis, explores how preaching has acted as a moral force for reformation and transformation before falling prey to political desperation; it traces the corruption of preaching. It analyzes the churches capacity to succumb to politics by acknowledging the loss of their evangelistic mission. The third chapter, The Crisis of Authenticity: Reclaiming the Church’s Evangelistic Mandate in an Age of Political Captivity, considers the Church’s failure to retain its authentic witness in evangelism as it has been drawn deeper into political and ideological captivity, questioning whether the Kingdom mission of world evangelization remains pure amidst partisanship and cultural idolatry. The fourth chapter, Balancing Faith and Governance: The Role of The Church in Politics Through History and Today, analyzes the essential compromise of religious conviction and civic equality to maintain the ethical core of democracy. The fifth chapter, The Theologico-Political Problem: Authority and Justification in Religion and Politics, brings to light the problem of divine and human authority in the Western intellectual tradition. In its essence, the theologico-political problematic queries how sovereignty can be justified when it makes a double claim to divine kingliness and human consent. The sixth chapter, Biblical Political Theology: A Revolution Toward Geo-Christianity, proclaims Geo-Christianity to be a paradigm shift towards a new form of Christian political reflection integrating biblical creation-covenant-kingdom attitudes with ecological, social justice, and global interconnectedness concerns. The final chapter, Reclaiming the Witness: Theological Pathways Toward Restoring the Church’s Authenticity in a Post-Political Age, develops a theological concept of conspiracy that counteracts modern political chaos with prayerful restoration of the church to its divine purpose. Finding it has recently been rendered servile to political causes, it requires a repentance and a revival of its evangelistic capacity.
Recommended Citation
Shaw, Kathleen Maria, "The Political Posturing of the American Church and its Influence on American Government Policymaking" (2026). Doctor of Ministry. 748.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/748