The Ballot and the Bible, Kaitlyn Schiess
The Ballot and the Bible, Kaitlyn Schiess
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The Ballot and the Bible
How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here

Author: Kaitlyn Schiess

Narrator: Kaitlyn Schiess

Unabridged: 6 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/03/2023

Synopsis

"A nuanced look at America's legacy of scriptural language." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

How do Bible passages written thousands of years ago apply to politics today? What can we learn from America's history of using the Bible in politics? How can we converse with people whose views differ from our own?

In The Ballot and the Bible, Kaitlyn Schiess explores these questions and more. She unpacks examples of how Americans have connected the Bible to politics in the past, highlighting times it was applied well and times it was egregiously misused.

Schiess combines American political history and biblical interpretation to help listeners faithfully read Scripture, talk with others about it, and apply it to contemporary political issues—and to their lives. Rather than prescribing what listeners should think about specific hot-button issues, Schiess outlines core biblical themes around power, allegiance, national identity, and more.

Listeners will be encouraged to pursue a biblical basis for their political engagement with compassion and confidence.

About Kaitlyn Schiess

Kaitlyn Schiess is a writer, speaker, and theologian. She is the author of The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor and is a regular cohost on the Holy Post podcast with Skye Jethani and Phil Vischer. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Christianity Today, Christ and Pop Culture, Relevant, and Sojourners. Schiess is currently a doctoral student in political theology at Duke Divinity School. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Clif on September 02, 2024

This book describes the use of Biblical passages throughout American history and then proceeds to analyzes how various political opinions were supported or attacked. Examples are cited on both sides of various questions and the author provides what I found to be insightful commentary. The author’s ap......more

Goodreads review by Ethan on June 28, 2023

A very important exploration of the intersection of American culture and Biblical interpretation in American Christianity. The author is well trained both in political theology and Biblical interpretation. She explores a series of historical events and the Biblical interpretations and understanding r......more

Goodreads review by Katie on September 10, 2023

I have really come to appreciate Kaitlyn Schiess' voice on so many things over the past two years. She is intelligent, educated, thoughtful, and well-spoken. This book is a must-read for all Christians as we wrestle with the way our Christianity affects our political ideology and witness in the publ......more

Goodreads review by Annalise on October 15, 2023

I think I'm gonna have to go back and read this one again in a different format-- the audiobook was so good but I don't think I absorbed everything. Anyway, this is an excellent overview of how Scripture has been manipulated in the American political space, as well as instances when it has been used......more

Goodreads review by Faithful Intellect on February 21, 2024

Book Review Rating: 6/10 This book is: - An insightful survey of how the Bible has been used throughout American history. - A solid refresher on how to improve how we interpret the Bible. This book is not: - The history of how evangelicals came to support the Republican Party or Donald Trump. - A novel a......more

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