BOOK: The Liturgy of Politics

By Kaitlyn Schiess | Amazon.com | 216 pages
Published in September of 2020

SUMMARY: Reflect on your average day and consider the routines, rituals, and practices you follow. These daily habits—what you spend your time on, the media you consume, and the people and places you engage with—compose a personal liturgy of life. This liturgy shapes you both politically and spiritually, often without being critically examined. In The Liturgy of Politics, Kaitlyn Schiess challenges readers to reflect on what influences their political and spiritual lives and to understand what true Christian political responsibility entails.

Schiess asserts that “we are spiritually formed (for good or ill) by any number of things, but particularly by those things that are repetitive, embodied, and impart a larger meaning.” She highlights a common Christian error: the compartmentalization of political and spiritual thinking. This separation allows for the dangerous influence of false gospels—such as prosperity, patriotism, and security—that can lead to idolatry by prioritizing political over spiritual concerns.

According to Schiess, these competing gospels often manipulate stories, rhythms, and liturgies, making political participation prone to idolatry, as it becomes intertwined with power, privilege, and wealth. “Our idols of power, privilege, and wealth will ask us to gain power we can’t get without taking it from other people, privilege we can’t gain without exploiting other people, and wealth we can’t gain without stealing from others,” Schiess notes.

To counteract this, Schiess advocates for regular self-examination, especially when engaging with scripture. She emphasizes that the Bible often critiques us rather than our political opponents. In addition to self-critique, she proposes adopting various spiritual practices to remain grounded. These include observing the church calendar, participating in communion, using liturgies in reading and prayer, recognizing everyone as made in the image of God, and practicing hospitality.

Schiess argues that these spiritual practices should begin within the church community, which should be a place of unity in devotion to Jesus despite differing views. The Bible should be read in community to gain diverse perspectives and accountability.

Finally, Schiess discusses how our eschatological views shape our political perspectives. While earthly politics are significant, Christians must recognize that no political party or candidate can fully represent the kingdom of God. The church, described as an “eschatological embassy,” should stand out in its worldly engagement, reflecting the spiritual practices she advocates.

“As a witness to the coming kingdom of God, there is no government system, leader, economic program, or justice system that the church can support without reservation,” Schiess states.

In essence, The Liturgy of Politics argues for a holistic view of political engagement that integrates theological, spiritual, and communal aspects, urging Christians to critically examine how their faith shapes and is shaped by their political practices.

KEY QUOTE: “We tend to compartmentalize, splitting our theological and political convictions. Instead, both have a moral and spiritual element, and neither are content to stay in their own corners. The ideas we gain in one area have underlying values with their own gravitational pull, breaking out of the boxes we put them in.”

---

BONUS: Visit IVPpress.com for a discussion guide (PDF) and the excellent practices (PDF) and prayers (PDF) for the election season

BONUS II: Listen to Schiess discuss her book on the Stetzer Church Leaders Podcast.

DID YOU KNOW? We have distilled the media we have curated into five guided learning paths to help you learn about politics — from a Christian perspective — in your preferred learning style.

---

---