What Good Is Christianity in a Diverse Society?
One of our goals here at The Art of Association is to highlight the perspectives and voices of others seeking to understand and improve civil society and democracy in the United States. I am pleased to do so in this post with help from Michael Wear of Public Square Strategies and Professor Amy Black of Wheaton College. They are the co-authors of a recent report from the Trinity Forum entitled, “Christianity, Pluralism, and Public Life in the United States.” Michael and Amy have grounded their assessment in a series of wide-ranging conversations with a diverse group of more than 50 Christian leaders. The report also reflects the spirit of openness and engagement that have distinguished the authors’ respective prior contributions on these themes – Michael’s primarily in politics, and Amy’s through her scholarship. I read and was impressed by the report just before the pandemic took hold, and I thought it would be helpful to re-up its findings and recommendations for readers who may have missed it. I sent Michael and Amy a set of questions via email, and here are their jointly written responses:
In your report, you place great emphasis on pluralism as “a defining feature of 21st Century American Life.” How do you define pluralism? Is it more important for the church now than it has been in the past?
In the report, we define pluralism as “the presence of socially or politically meaningful diversity of various kinds in a society.” We should add that we’re thinking here primarily of civic society, the way we organize and think about our public spaces, processes, and our public life together.
The history of Christianity in America is one that emerges out of a response to pluralism, and that has been constantly shaped by pluralism in good and bad ways. The early commitment to religious freedom--imperfectly lived out, but valued nonetheless—was in part a response by those who were not able to be fully themselves in British society because of their religious faith. But, of course, there is also a complex, fraught, and, in some major respects, shameful history regarding how American Christians have worked through pluralism as well when it comes to religious pluralism, but also when it comes to racial, ideological and other forms of pluralism.
When it comes to religion and pluralism, or just pluralism generally, it’s important we recognize that pluralism is a reality. The question is not if the United States is pluralist; the question is how we will choose to deal with it. Across the political spectrum, in different ways, various points of view seek to merely disregard difference. That is not going to lead to a healthy pluralism, which, in our view, is a society where people generally feel like they can bring their whole selves to the public and be considered fully a part of that society, part of the American family.
It will be counter-intuitive for many people outside of the Christian tradition to see the church as a potential buttress for healthy pluralism. Why do you think it can be?
Christianity was born in a pluralistic environment. It is a faith that teaches that we are most in line with who we are created to be when we love our neighbors, including those we might otherwise consider our enemies, and bear the burdens of those who are different from ourselves. The Christian faith has motivated incredible acts of service, including the creation of a vast infrastructure of educational, health care, and social safety net organizations that promote a pluralistic society. In the report, we share many stories of Christians, and Christian ideas and institutions, doing just that.
You are right to say it is a “potential” buttress. Here’s the thing: demographically, even as we’ve seen the rise of religious disaffiliation, America is still profoundly Christian. A majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians and worship in that tradition. So, in many ways, it is impossible to conceive of a healthy pluralism apart from a Christian contribution. Christians can and must work to enhance our civic life, offering their distinctive contributions while also making room for those from other faith traditions and those unaffiliated with religion to participate as well. A healthy pluralism makes room for all voices to be heard and respected.
Based on your research, how are Christian leaders and their churches thinking about the growing racial, ethnic, and religious diversity in our society?
The Christian leaders we spoke to overwhelmingly view diversity as an opportunity. In the case of religious diversity, many framed it as an opportunity to grow in and contend for their faith. Living in a religiously diverse society, many said, offers Christians an opportunity to “know what they really believe,” as opposed to just going with the flow of a culture and society that seems to affirm Christian identity. Regarding racial and ethnic diversity, leaders recognized both the challenges and potential of this growing diversity. Some feel like they can be heard now in ways they couldn’t have before, and that there are new opportunities for leadership in a more racially diverse society. They also believe their traditions and backgrounds give them distinctive resources to address the challenges the nation faces now, whether it’s navigating racial tensions and injustice or thinking more critically and constructively about the role of faith in society, political decision making, and other areas of public life.
Your report came out before the police killing of George Floyd and the wave of protests in support of Black Lives Matter, but do you have any observations about the role of Christian voices and churches at this moment?
A few observations: First, it has been striking to us to see so many Christian writers gain prominence for their contributions to the conversation over the past few months, including Jemar Tisby and Austin Channing Brown hitting the NYT Bestsellers List, as well as Esau McCaulley’s several notable op-eds. This is a moral moment, and we’re seeing a diverse array of Christians step up and be called on to provide leadership. Indeed, Christians have been a part of or led many of the protests we’ve seen, including the protest in D.C. that garnered the attention and participation of Senator Mitt Romney. Really, we’ve seen in real-time the vindication of many of the recommendations from our report, whether it’s the contribution of theological concepts like reconciliation, justice, and dignity; our highlighting Christian contributions for bridge-building; our recommendation regarding local action and involvement; or the power of Christian institutions to facilitate difficult conversations and partnerships.
How can Christian churches play a constructive role in bridging divides in civil society given the divisive role that religion so often plays in our public life?
Religion has indeed been a source of division, but much of that division is overplayed between self-proclaimed elites. Religion is far less divisive at the local level, where religious groups routinely partner with one another and build bridges to foster greater understanding and work together to care for their communities. Every day, churches serve as a gathering place for a broad range of people who would otherwise be unlikely to meet, not to mention sing together, pray together and serve one another. Churches of course have to wrestle with the same divisions as the rest of society, but they have resources that at least have the potential for creating solidarity and fellowship.
Are there examples of churches and Christian organizations building bridges and serving as forces for inclusion at present that you would highlight?
Many of the leaders we interviewed described bridge-building as central to the Christian ethic, talked about its importance in the life of the church, and offered us practical examples of Christians reaching out across a range of differences to try to bring people together. Several of the leaders we interviewed talked about their work as a natural outgrowth of the biblical command of love for neighbor. They reminded us that bridge-building is difficult, time-consuming work. By definition, it reveals a significant gap that needs bridging, so churches need to be patient, humble, and persistent. Effective bridge- building requires careful listening to better understand people across differences and build trust.
The leaders we interviewed offered many practical examples of bridge-building work. Shirley Hoogstra, President of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, talked about the work of Christian colleges teaching classes inside prisons. Luis Cortes, President of Esperanza, described his work as part of an interfaith group that protected a local mosque after it was vandalized and apologized on behalf of the community for the hateful actions. Tom Lin, President of InterVarsity, a national organization for campus ministry, offered multiple examples of colleges reaching out to InterVarsity campus leaders for help reconciling racial tensions on campus.
In your recommendations to Christians seeking to have a positive impact on our public life, you encourage them to “Go Local.” Say more about why and how they should do this.
Of course, important decisions are made at the federal and state levels, but these policies are carried out in our local communities, with positive and negative effects. As we live out our daily lives and interact with people in our cities and towns, we see what is working well even as we identify problems and gaps that need to be filled. One of the best ways to “go local” and serve the community is to meet with local leaders, identify areas of greatest concern, ask them where they most need help, and then partner with other local organizations to address those needs. The Christian leaders we interviewed offered us many examples of churches and Christian organizations quietly and diligently at work at the local level, interacting with diverse groups of people and working together to enhance their communities.
Any final thoughts from your report you’d like to share?
Across the country, Christians and Christian organizations are contributing to society by bringing diverse people together and caring for their communities. We should welcome these contributions alongside the good work from people of all religious backgrounds. A healthy pluralism makes room for everyone to participate, allows space for many voices and perspectives, and strengthens society. We hope our report provides insight into the role Christianity plays, and can play, in twenty-first century America, and we’d encourage your readers to find ways to support and partner with organizations and leaders who are telling and living a good story about faith and American pluralism.
