God and Caesar in America: An Essay on Religion and Politics

by Gary Hart

Book Overview

An informed discussion of the relationship of faith and politics by former U.S. Senator Gary Hart. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1555915779
• ISBN13: 9781555915773
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 4.7" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

Consistency of Christian Convictions

"When any faith becomes an instrument of politics, it no longer is a religious faith. It is simply a political instrument like all others." So writes Sen. Gary Hart in this well-reasoned and challenging warning about the unholy merger of faith and politics. Sen. Hart begins this worthy treatise with an account of his faith - a telling that many on the religious right might find unnerving. As Sen. Hart points out, it astonishes many that one can have Christian faith without coming to the same conclusions as the religious right (so called) wing of the republican party. The modern religious right owes itself to hear Sen. Hart out and consider if what he says is true. Flirting with Caeser's power is a two-edged sword that inevitably leads to either state-sponsored religion or, more probably, state-controlled religion. It also leads to inconsistencies in stated morals which makes the world question the truth in our stated convictions - for instance, it is difficult to claim to be pro-life while being silent on the subject of unjust war. It is, what the great fundamentalist preacher Leonard Ravenhill called, "the mush God," the God who desires a pro-life agenda on American abortion but supports a pro-death agenda for other children through war - the god who is molded into the image of his presumptuous people. Sen. Hart ends his essay with a wonderful exposition of Micah 6:8 followed by a summary of his points and a very upbeat end. It is a wonderful addition to the marketplace of political ideas especially suited for Christian discussions. There will be points on which we all agree and others we disagree but the demonization of one group over political idealogy is surely shameful to a people claiming the name of Christ. Those of us on the right would do well to consider Sen. Hart's words as applied to our own lives. Perhaps we should remove the plank from our right-wing eyes before attempting to remove the splinter from our left-wing brother's eye. To do so would be proof that we seek justice, mercy, and walk humbly before our God.

Church and State on a Rocky Road

My wife attended Nazarene college in England for two years. It was quite extraordinary to see the parallels between my wife's experience and perceptions and those of Gary Hart. To understand how the Christian fundamentalist operates either conciously or subconciously you really have to get hold of a copy of this essay. It is short and concise but develops arguments that are fundamental to our understanding of why the US is split so dangerously down the middle. We all play a part in this scenario and Gary Hart succinctly highlights the inherent dangers when the line that splits Church and State is blurred. I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone of any persuasion.

Gary Hart's wisdom knows no bounds...

I grew up in a somewhat fundamentalist midwestern family about the same time as Sen. Hart. Whereas he seems to have been able to incorporate his religious underpinnings into his life's work, I acted as if I rejected them. Not until reading this book have I understood the roots of my own political and social beliefs, which are very similar to his. This is a powerful and insightful book, despite it's pocket size. Please do yourself a favor and read it soon.