Scripture and the Public Square: The Use and Misuse of the Bible in American History

The language of the Bible has often been invoked in American political discourse through the centuries. Scripture has been quoted by suffragists and secessionists, invoked in arguments for (and against) American independence, the Civil War, and each succeeding conflict, and cited by virtually every President across parties. So how should we discern a faithful application of scripture in public life from instrumentalizing the Bible for political purposes? What can we learn from America’s history of using the Bible in politics?
Kaitlyn Schiess, theologian, speaker, and author of the new book, The Ballot and The Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused In American Politics and Where We Go From Here, joined us on Friday, September 15 to help us examine America’s history of using (and misusing) biblical language in politics, and explore what we can learn from the times Scripture has been wisely applied as well as egregiously misused. With a wide-ranging discussion covering history, hermeneutics, and political theology, she helped us consider the proper use of the Bible in political discourse.
Thank you to our event co-host Brazos Press!