Trueman, Schaeffer, and Two Gates of Christian Civic Engagement

Is it a betrayal of the Christian faith to seek political influence, or is it a duty for Christians, working through politics, to uphold Christian realities in a morally decaying society? Some may see Carl R. Trueman’s critique of modern Christian political engagement as ‘pop Nietzscheanism‘ as an argument for the former. Yet, such a reading of Trueman’s article reminds of C.S. Lewis’s remark, “I sometimes think that writing is like driving a sheep down the road. If there’s any gate open to the left or the right the reader will most certainly go into it.” Trueman’s main purpose, in fact, was to remind the church that with the rise and fall of different politicians and worldly philosophies, the church must not lose sight of their continual duty to preach concerning sin and death. “And so the Church,” writes Trueman, “needs to remain faithful to her appointed task and not become simply an arm of those vying for political power.” The key word here is ‘simply.’