Wisdom Conversations Calls for Engagement, Faithfulness and Truth in American Democracy
How are we, as followers of Jesus Christ, to engage the world while remaining faithful to our Christian calling? This profound and urgent question was at the heart of Cornerstone University’s fall Wisdom Conversations event on October 3, 2024. With nearly 900 students, faculty, and community attendees, this year’s event set a record, underscoring the compelling relevance of the fast-growing Christian thought leadership series and timely discussion, “Christianity and American Democracy: Living as a Faithful Christian and a Good Citizen.”
Respected Christian leaders of national distinction in media and arts, journalism, former White House advisers, medicine, and academia, including a former atheist and former Marxist, addressed the sometimes conflicting intersection of faith, democracy, and citizenship. These influential leaders also urged the audience to consider the significant role Christians can and must play in shaping a Biblically Orthodox moral and spiritual direction of the nation through positive engagement in the American democratic process as citizens.
“The question of tonight is not just to prepare us for four weeks of the election. It is to prepare us for life after the election,” challenged Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, president of Cornerstone University and moderator of the evening’s exchange of ideas. “Our prayer as a university is that we have open ears and humble and courageous hearts to do what divine wisdom, God’s wisdom, beckons us to do.”
Cornerstone welcomed a distinguished panel of speakers that included Dr. Kristin Collier, director of Michigan Medicine’s program on Health, Spirituality and Religion; Gabe Lyons, best-selling author and founder of THINQ Media; Dr. Marvin Olasky, scholar, author, and renowned former editor of WORLD Magazine; and Michael Wear, CEO of the Center for Christianity & Public Life. Together, they explored practical ways Christ-followers can integrate faith and citizenship in ways that honor God and serve the greater good in America.
Politics vs. Faith: The Ongoing Tension
A core issue the panelists addressed was the sometimes polarizing intersection of politics and religion, particularly how Christians navigate their dual citizenship — as citizens of the earthly kingdom of America and the heavenly kingdom of God. Also at issue are the limitations the government, especially the presidency, can offer to solve issues that are better navigated at local and community networking levels and relationships, according to Gabe Lyons.
Regarding today’s polarizations between faith and politics, Michael Wear expressed concern about the spiritual harm politics is causing American lives, arguing that many people turn to political ideologies for fulfillment of spiritual needs that should only come from God. “Politics should not be our core identity,” he emphasized, “… but rather a tool for advancing justice, affirming human dignity, and loving our neighbors.”
As a leader on the frontlines of medicine’s conflict with God as creator and healer, Dr. Kristin Collier offered a parallel from Jeremiah 29’s theme to “seek the welfare of the city” which is a call to serve and help others flourish even amid what feels like exile. “We have citizenship in the city of man, the secular city of man, which is perishing and passing away, and this ultimate citizenship that we have now, and kingdom of God, which is everlasting.” The real political witness, according to Collier, is to reflect Jesus Christ.
A former advisor to George W. Bush who has also written about America’s storied political conflicts, Dr. Olasky provided historical context for today. He explained that the cultural and political landscape has shifted dramatically. Reflecting on modern America versus ancient Israel’s culture of adherence to holiness to God, he observed that “America is a liberty theme park, not a holiness theme park,” explaining that when Christians try to impose their moral views through political power, they often face resistance. He suggested that the church’s attempt to control morality through politics has led to increasing divisions in public life and also pointed to the moral failures of political figures that undermine confidence in political leaders. And yet, there is agreement among the panel that a Biblical worldview of rights, morality, and human flourishing is grounded in God’s ultimate vision for His creation and communicated throughout Scripture.
Pendulum Swings and Disengagement
Gabe Lyons echoed this concern over public disenfranchisement with religion and politics, pointing to his research from the book “unChristian,” which revealed that 87% of young Americans believed Christians were “too political.” He attributed this perception to events during the mid-2000s, particularly the influence of evangelicalism under President Bush. This led to a pushback, especially among Gen-Xers, who felt that Christianity was being overly defined by politics rather than by faith in God’s kingdom.
Lyons suggested that in response to this over-politicization, many Christians have swung to the other extreme, disengaging from politics altogether. While disengagement may seem like a safe route, it risks missing the opportunity to advocate for policies that reflect Christian values of justice and human dignity. We cannot allow politics to define our faith according to Lyons, “but we also must not retreat from engaging in the political process.”
A Christian Vision for Human Flourishing
A key takeaway from the discussion was the importance of Christians using their influence to promote policies that foster human flourishing in line with God’s will. The panelists collectively emphasized that Christians should ask which policies would best promote justice, dignity, and the common good, rather than aligning strictly with political party allegiances, further urging them to seek God’s vision rather than political convenience. Lyons posited that we should “start to look, issue by issue and try to make our best human determination about what’s going to produce” the most human flourishing for the nation. Dr. Olasky similarly recommended “getting out of our echo chambers” to access various perspectives that can create better mutual understanding at least, without compromising values. Another perspective according to Wear is to “lower the temperature in our own thinking” and participate in politics “not as an act of imposition, but in a spirit of loving service.”
Navigating Polarization and Engaging With Grace
The evening’s discussion also touched on how modern political discourse has become increasingly polarized with “resistance” being a chaotic destabilizing influence in culture today. The panelists lamented that many people now view political opposition not just as disagreement but as enmity. This has created an environment where productive conversations are rare and ideological battles often replace meaningful engagement. Dr. Collier offered that instead of resistance being a “power grab,” Christians should be a “community that’s filled with hope and peace and love and to witness to the kingdom to come.”
“That’s the beauty of the Constitution,” Lyons reminded the audience. “We exist as a country as a resistance to tyranny. … Our framers set up … this incredible opportunity to send representatives to represent us, to do something about this through a political means that has nothing to do with violence.” He further suggested the need to create a culture “that tells a better story” through the influence of media that values “the dignity of human life.”
Wear believes that Christians should lead by example, cultivating spaces for respectful dialogue and pursuing common ground with humility. “We are called to love our neighbors,” he said, “and that includes those with whom we politically disagree.” The panelists advocated for Christians to approach political conversations with a posture of listening and learning, emphasizing the importance of seeing others not as enemies but as fellow image-bearers of God.
Moral Formation and Political Engagement
As the conversation turned toward action and complexities around a definition of “the common good,” the panelists urged Christians to recognize the importance of moral and spiritual formation, providing a countercultural community that represents the kingdom of God. By nurturing a deep understanding of Biblical principles, Christians can resist cultural pressures and remain faithful to their higher calling while contributing to goodness for others.
Dr. Collier defined “the common good” as rooted in bearing one another’s burdens, as Christ did and how Christians can reflect love for Jesus through compassion and recognizing the dignity of every person, regardless of political or social status. “We flourish most in networks of calculated giving and graceful receiving,” according to Collier. The panel agreed that honoring the image of God in all individuals should remind us that politics is not the ultimate — our primary focus is living out God’s love in the world.
Panelists also suggested that the church and Christian institutions, like Cornerstone University, play a vital role in preparing the next generation of leaders who can engage thoughtfully and courageously in the political sphere, affirming the importance of Christians participating in the political process.
Balancing Patriotism and Faith
The discussion explored how Christians can honor their responsibilities as citizens while keeping Christ at the center of their identity, addressing the complex relationship between patriotism and the Christian faith. Lyons encourages, “We should care about our country. We should celebrate the beauty and the beautiful things about our country and our nation.” And he further explains, that while Christians are called to love and support their country, he and the panelists agreed, elevating nationalism should not rise to an idolatrous level. We should be patriotic but must remember that our ultimate allegiance is to God’s kingdom.
A Call to Engage with Wisdom, Love and Truth
The purpose of the Wisdom Conversations evening was to explore how Christians can live out their dual citizenship — both as citizens of heaven and of a democratic society. As Paul of Tarsus said, “For our citizenship is in heaven.” As President Moreno-Riaño expressed at the beginning of the evening, “The writer of Hebrews tells us they were to run with patience, endurance, the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus.”
As the evening concluded, the panelists spoke directly to the hundreds of Cornerstone students in attendance with a clear challenge: to engage in political and civic life in ways that reflect Christ’s love and truth. They encouraged Christians to embrace their dual citizenship by faithfully participating in American democracy while keeping their ultimate hope anchored in God’s eternal kingdom. By doing so, Christians can offer a radical, life-giving vision for the world, grounded in justice, mercy, and the transformative power of the gospel.
Created in 2022, Wisdom Conversations was developed in part to model for students respectful engagement over society’s most divisive and conflicting challenges from the lens of a Christian worldview. Nearly 250 Cornerstone University students attended this highly relevant event and here are some of their practical takeaways from the evening:
“One thing that I really loved is that it was closely tied to Scripture. I felt the discussion was both God honoring and critical to have as we think about representing our Lord well through our political position.” — Bria Lampen
“During this conversation, we were reminded that to show love and humility during these challenging conversations, we must listen more than we speak and be like-minded with Christ.” — Lydia Hilton
“This event was helpful and thought-provoking for someone who is beginning to make her own choices to vote and be involved in politics.” — Keziah Alatis
“One of my biggest takeaways was ‘America is not a holiness theme park, it is a liberty theme park.’ We need to realize this as Christians and come into the political realm with that lens.” — Eva Harrill
“What stuck out to me was when the panelists emphasized the fact that our faith in Jesus should make us more motivated to be involved with politics, in a loving way. The division in our country’s political system doesn’t need to influence how we approach the biggest issues in our country as believers.” — Sarah Murphree
Wisdom Conversations
Cornerstone invites you to watch the full video of the evening’s inspiring exchange and to register for spring 2025’s Wisdom Conversations focused on Lonely U.S.A.: Our Loneliness Epidemic and How to Cure It.
Featured national guests include Dr. Jean Twenge, a best-selling author, psychologist, and researcher on generational differences; Ms. Chaitali Sinha, a psychologist, inventor, and chief clinical R&D officer for Wysa; and Mr. David French, a best-selling author and an Opinion columnist for The New York Times.
One of West Michigan’s fastest-growing Christian thought leadership series, Cornerstone University’s Wisdom Conversations continues to be a platform for respectful, thoughtful and challenging discussions, equipping students and the community to navigate the complexities of authentic Christ-centered faith, politics, and public life with wisdom and grace.