Christianity and Culture: Are We Seeing Clearly?

In a podcast many years ago, historian Tom Woods made an interesting observation. He said something like this: “We often talk about how Christianity has shaped America, but we should also consider how America has shaped Christianity.”

That idea has stuck with me. It raises a challenging question: Could it be that we often fail to hear Jesus clearly because we filter His words through the lens of our own culture?

We are all shaped by the time and place we live in. Culture shapes what feels natural, what seems right, and what we consider normal. This is not always bad—culture gives us traditions, community, and stability. But culture can also blind us. It can lead us to accept certain practices and attitudes without ever questioning if they truly align with God’s will.

A Biblical Example of Cultural Compromise

Genesis 16 gives us a powerful example of this reality. In that passage, Sarah convinces Abraham to father a child by using her servant Hagar. In their culture, this was a perfectly acceptable practice to secure an heir. It was a solution that fit the customs of their world.

While it was an acceptable practice, it was not the way of faith. God had promised Abraham and Sarah a child, but instead of waiting for God to fulfill His word, they settled for a culturally approved shortcut.

From our perspective in 21st century United States, it is easy to look back and see their error. But in their moment, Abraham and Sarah were doing something that made sense to them. They weren’t trying to rebel against God; they were trying to solve a problem within the framework their culture gave them.

How often do we do the same?

The Subtle Power of Culture

The danger of cultural compromise is that it rarely feels like compromise. It feels natural. It feels responsible. It feels like common sense. That’s why it is so easy for us to use cultural assumptions in our interpretations of biblical truth.

For Christians living in the United States, this challenge is especially subtle. American values—like individualism, consumerism, and the pursuit of success—are so deeply ingrained in us that we may not realize when they conflict with the way of Jesus.

For example:

• Do we measure a church’s faithfulness by its size and influence (an American metric), or by its obedience to Jesus’ commands (a kingdom metric)?
• Do we prioritize personal freedom over self-giving love, even though Jesus taught that true freedom is found in serving others?
• Do we accept violence, power, and dominance as necessary evils, forgetting that Jesus called us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us?

None of these cultural values are neutral. They shape the way we hear Scripture, the way we structure our churches, and the way we live our faith.

Following Jesus, Not an Americanized Christianity

The task before us, then, is to make sure we are truly following Jesus—not just an Americanized version of Christianity that baptizes our cultural assumptions with our cherry picked Bible passages. That requires humility. It requires discernment. And it requires a willingness to question the things we have been taught as “biblical” but may not actually come from Scripture.

Abraham and Sarah remind us how easy it is to be led by what feels normal instead of what God has promised. The same danger confronts us today. Will we trust Jesus enough to follow His way, even when it goes against the flow of our culture?

A Call to Self-Examination

Perhaps one of the most important spiritual disciplines we can practice is self-examination in light of Scripture. We need to ask:

• Am I believing this because it is biblical, or because it is cultural? 
• Does my discipleship reflect the values of the kingdom of God or the values of America? 
• Where might I be settling for what feels natural rather than waiting on the promises of God?

These are not easy questions. But they are necessary if we want to live faithfully as disciples of King Jesus.

The good news is that God is patient with us, just as He was patient with Abraham and Sarah. He invites us to step out of cultural conformity and into the radical life of faith, trusting that His way is better than anything our world has to offer.

Reflection

Take a moment to sit with this question: How has my faith been shaped more by culture than by Christ?

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal blind spots where cultural assumptions have crowded out biblical truth. Then pray for the courage to follow Jesus even when it feels strange, unpopular, or countercultural.

“Lord Jesus, help me to see where I have settled for a comfortable, cultural version of faith instead of the radical way of Your kingdom. Give me eyes to see clearly, ears to hear Your voice, and a heart willing to obey—even when it goes against what feels normal. Teach me to live as Your disciple first and foremost. Amen.”

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

The Kingdom Over All

Living as a Christian Anarchist in a World of Power

“My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus told Pilate (John 18:36).

When I first started following politics and having my identity formed I would have never guessed that these words of Jesus would have influenced me as much as they have.

By wrestling with Scripture, learning from thinkers like N.T. Wright, Scot McKnight, and Matthew Bates, and even grappling with libertarian ideas from Ron Paul and Tom Woods, I’ve started to wear the label of Christian Anarchist. It certainly wasn’t a label I sought, but it captures the conviction I have that the Kingdom of God stands above every human political system. A Christian Anarchist trusts love and discipleship—not coercion—to change the world. 

Here’s what that looks like for me, and why it matters.

The Kingdom Beyond Politics

As Wright, McKnight, and Bates remind us, Jesus’ Kingdom isn’t about seizing power or reforming governments. It’s about proclaiming a new way of being human, rooted in allegiance to King Jesus. In Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Bates calls us to pledge loyalty to Jesus as King—not to nations, parties, or ideologies. This thought resonates deeply with the way I was raised, where free will and personal devotion to Jesus were foundational ideas of living a life of faith.

It is crucial to remember that the Kingdom is not an earthly political program; it is a spiritual reality breaking into the world through the transformed lives of those who have given their allegiance to Jesus.

We need to be aware that the world tempts us to use God’s Kingdom to energize these human systems. This is where I believe movements like Christian Reconstructionism miss the point. Imposing biblical law on society simply replaces one form of coercion with another. Earthly political systems are unable to do two very important things. First, they are unable to show mercy, because they are built and rules and regulations.  Second, they are unable to change the human heart, that is one of the critiques the New Testament offers of the Old Testament Law. God’s Law is able to teach us what is right and wrong, but it is unable to transform people for the Kingdom, only the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit can do that. Therefore, the Kingdom of God stands apart, inviting us to live differently, not to rule over others (Matthew 20:25–26).

Discipleship and Love as the Way Forward

So how do we influence the world? Jesus’ answer is simple but radical: make disciples and love others (Matthew 28:19–20; John 13:34–35).

This isn’t about passing laws or winning culture wars. It’s about living the Sermon on the Mount—loving enemies, serving the least, and embodying a countercultural community like the early church. Rodney Stark’s The Rise of Christianity paints a compelling picture of a movement that changed the world through care, generosity, and forgiveness.

That doesn’t mean I embrace communalism. Versions of Christian communalism often downplay individual agency, which I believe is God-given blessing. Influenced by thinkers like Tom Woods, I think free markets—when guided by Christian ethics—as one way to honor freedom and stewardship. Voluntary exchange, personal responsibility, and private charity can reflect Kingdom values without coercion.

In this world I still live pragmatically—paying taxes, sometimes voting—but my true allegiance is to King Jesus. One of the ways this allegiance shows up in my life is trusting the Biblical call to love, make disciples, and pray as the way for the Kingdom to expand in the world.

Freedom Without Coercion

For me, Christian Anarchism means rejecting coercion in all its forms. All Governments use coercion, and that is true for theocratic versions of government as well. These are seen in the type of government  that the likes of Joel Webbon or Doug Wilson advocate. These guys imagine a society shaped by biblical laws and punishments and top-down reform. That feels more like the kingdoms of this world dressed in Scripture, and far removed from Jesus washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:1–17).

On the other side, I appreciate Shane Claiborne’s call to radical community, but I’m wary of the suspicion toward property and markets. Along with that, I sympathize with his call to non-viol and pacifism, I believe following the Non-Aggression Principle offers us the best way to love both our enemies and friends. 

In my mind both extremes—statist control or enforced communalism—undervalue the freedom God entrusts to individuals.

Instead, I envision disciples as representatives of King Jesus, living in freedom: running businesses with integrity, serving neighbors without bureaucracy, and proclaiming the Gospel through love. We don’t need to dismantle systems overnight—we need to build communities that show there’s a better way. As McKnight reminds us, the Gospel is about King Jesus reigning now. Our task is to invite others into that reign, not to force it.

A Call to Live the Kingdom Now

Right now, with political division and cultural noise louder than ever, the temptation to grab power—through laws, votes, or ideology—is strong. But Jesus calls us to a different way: to make disciples, to love even our enemies,  to pray for everyone, and to live freely under His lordship.

For me, Christian Anarchism means saying no to every system that demands my allegiance (we can’t serve two masters), and saying yes to a Kingdom that transforms through grace, forgiveness, and love. Let’s build communities where love is our law, freedom is our gift, and Jesus is our King.

That’s the revolution worth living for.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Pledge Your Allegiance to King Jesus: A Conversation on the American Church, Patriotism, and Politics

The following is an experiment I ran with ChatGPT. I asked it: “Could you help me do an interview style blog post? You can ask me questions and I write my response. When it is all done you can put it into a single document. I would like to have a conversation about the American Church, patriotism, and politics.” 

This is the result.

Paul’s Ponderings Interview | July 2025

In this special edition of Paul’s Ponderings, we sat down with pastor and blogger Paul Steele to discuss a topic that’s as timely as it is complicated: how the American Church navigates patriotism, politics, and allegiance to Jesus. What follows is a candid and thoughtful conversation about discipleship, division, and what it really means to belong to God’s Kingdom.

Q: When you look at the American Church today, what gives you hope? And what concerns you the most?

Paul:

What gives me hope is a renewed emphasis on discipleship and a clearer call to allegiance to King Jesus. After decades of “church growth” focused primarily on Sunday morning worship services, more and more people are talking about the importance of actual disciples as the true metric of church health.

Along with that shift are scholars like N.T. Wright, Scot McKnight, and Matthew Bates, who help reframe the Gospel as the story of Jesus and how He became King. Therefore, the only appropriate response to that reality is allegiance to the King.

My concern, when it comes to the American Church, is politics—and this is both a right and a left issue. Conservative Christians and Progressive Christians alike want to use politics and the U.S. government to do the work of the Kingdom. This has caused deep divisions. Especially on the conservative side, there’s been an unhealthy merging of Republican politics with the Church itself.

Q: You mentioned allegiance to King Jesus. How does that allegiance shape the way Christians should relate to their nation—especially when patriotic values seem to conflict with Kingdom values?

Paul:

This has been something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. In the United States, it’s been possible for a long time to hold dual allegiance—to the country and to Jesus. This is rooted in the belief that the U.S. is a Christian nation. While there’s no doubt that Christian values influenced the founders, that influence is often overstated.

Because of that, patriotism can feel like an extension of our faith. That’s why it’s so important to emphasize that our first allegiance is to King Jesus and His Kingdom. With that as our foundation, we can live out Jeremiah’s call to the exiles—to seek the good of the community. As citizens of Heaven, we work for the good of our communities, and since we have a voice through voting and activism, we should use it.

But we also need to remain humble. We might have strong preferences for how government should work, but we don’t always know the unintended consequences of policies. So we should be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy and seek to influence society—remembering that God’s Kingdom is ultimately about His people demonstrating His character, not about enforcing human laws.

Q: In your experience as a pastor, how have you seen politics impact the life and unity of the church—both positively and negatively?

Paul:

To be honest, I don’t have a lot to say about politics having a positive impact on church unity. From my experience, it’s mostly been negative. And I have to admit—I’ve contributed to that. Between 2014 and 2017, I went through what I call my “obnoxious libertarian” phase. I used Facebook (and even the pulpit) to challenge conservative political assumptions. In 2017, a church member called me out on it, and that really made me reflect on how my own political ideology was shaping how I interpreted the Bible—just like I had criticized others for doing.

We’ve had people leave the church from both sides—left-leaning folks who felt out of place among outspoken conservatives, and others who left during COVID because they felt we didn’t open fast enough. Politics can unify, but only temporarily—and usually only if everyone thinks the same way. The downside is that it creates an environment where anyone who doesn’t share those values doesn’t feel like they belong.

It’s also become harder to preach on biblical themes like justice, the role of women, or loving enemies without being accused of “going woke.” Too many Christians let politics shape how they read the Bible, instead of letting the Bible shape their politics.

Q: How do you personally navigate the tension between being politically aware and engaged, while resisting the pull to place your hope in politics?

Paul:

It starts by remembering that I’m first and foremost a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. One of the disciplines that helps me is to daily pledge my allegiance to King Jesus and declare that I am a loyal citizen of His Kingdom. Without that intentional reminder, it’s easy to get pulled into the political drama of the day.

Once I’ve grounded myself in that identity, I can think about my responsibility as a Kingdom representative. That includes prayer—1 Timothy 2:1–4 teaches us to pray for leaders so we can live peaceful, quiet lives. It also includes being a good steward of our freedom through voting and activism.

But I always try to hold my preferences with humility. I’m not wise enough to see all the consequences of the policies I support. And above all, I want to love my neighbor well. The Kingdom isn’t going to come through elections and laws—it’s going to come through love and living out God’s character in the world.

Q: What does it look like for you, as a pastor, to disciple people who are deeply shaped by political ideologies? How do you lead them toward deeper allegiance to Jesus without alienating them?

Paul:

That’s the million-dollar question. A lot of pastors are trying to navigate these dangerous waters of politics and faith. And as I’ve said, this is not something I’ve always handled well.

More than anything, I think we need to create an atmosphere where we let the Bible speak. I often remind people: “The Bible is written for us, but not to us.” We need to read Scripture through the lens of the original audience, not through modern political categories. Once we understand the original message, we can apply it to our context today.

The goal is to avoid unnecessary labels like “woke” or “bigot” and instead ask: “What would the original hearers have understood this to mean?”

I also want people to see that from a Kingdom perspective, our greatest tools for political impact are prayer and disciple-making. Changing hearts will change communities. So my job is to teach the Bible clearly and trust the Holy Spirit to convict people where needed. Whenever we challenge someone’s political views, we risk defensiveness. So we lead with Scripture, with love, and with trust in God’s timing.

Q: If you could offer one message to the American Church in this cultural and political moment, what would it be?

Paul:

It would simply be: “Pledge your allegiance to King Jesus.”

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus teaches that we cannot serve two masters. It’s hard to help people see that politics and patriotism can compete with allegiance to Jesus—but that’s often what’s happening. So I want to encourage the Church to obey the truth of Scripture and place our faith, trust, and loyalty in Jesus above all else.

Final Thoughts:

This conversation reminds us that while politics has a place, it should never take the throne. True transformation doesn’t come through elections or policies—it comes through prayer, discipleship, humility, and radical allegiance to King Jesus.

Clarity: What Is My Political Obligation?

This is the fourth installment of the Clarity blog series, where I am helping us build a Christian worldview to navigate a few of life’s toughest topics. So far, we’ve explored spiritual warfare (relying on God to stand firm), the Bible’s trustworthiness (our foundation for truth), and how science and faith complement each other (tools for understanding God’s world). Now, we turn to a realm that often stirs tension: politics. The question I am seeking to answer is: What is my political obligation? 

The answer to this question is rooted in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (NLT) 

We engage the political process not as citizens of this world but as citizens of God’s Kingdom, in a way that honors King Jesus.

The Lens of Our Worldview

Imagine wearing glasses with blue-tinted lenses. Everything you see—trees, sky, people—takes on a blue hue. You can’t perceive reality as it truly is unless you swap the lenses. Our worldview works the same way. It’s the lens through which we interpret life—meaning, morality, decisions. A Christian worldview, shaped by faith in Jesus, colors how we see purpose, relationships, and even politics. Others might view the world through naturalism, Buddhism, or another lens, leading to vastly different conclusions. The key question is: What lenses are we wearing? Are they aligned with God’s wisdom, or molded by the culture around us?

In this series, we’ve emphasized that Christians use the Bible to construct a worldview that makes sense of the world. With competing voices vying for our attention, Scripture offers a firm foundation—including for something as messy as politics. 

Why do I think it is important to address politics in this series? 

First, it’s a discipleship issue. As Kaitlyn Schiess argues in The Liturgy of Politics, we must ask: Are we being shaped by the Holy Spirit and Scripture, or by a political ideology? 

Second, politics is unavoidable—we live in this world, and we have been given a voice. This means we need wisdom in the best way to use that voice. Our task when it comes to politics is to discern how to bless our communities while representing Jesus well. I won’t tell you how to vote—that’s between you and God, approached prayerfully. But I do want to emphasize the reality that how engage in politics isn’t trivial; it’s a reflection of our faith.

Defining Politics Broadly

Politics isn’t just elections or government. It’s the activities, actions, and policies that govern a community—how power, resources, and decisions about laws and justice are handled. This means that politics isn’t only about voting or debating, it also includes how we shape our families, neighborhoods, and society. For Christians, it also about living out Kingdom values right now. So, how do we do that? 

I believe it starts by remembering who we are.

Christians as Exiles

In 1 Peter 2:11-17, Peter calls believers “exiles” and “foreigners.” What this truth points to is that we are citizens of the Kingdom of heaven called to live as representatives in the world. Our primary allegiance isn’t to any nation but to King Jesus and his We can’t have a divided allegiance! 

Jesus warned in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters.” This means my U. S. Citizenship  (or yours, wherever you are) is secondary to my citizenship in God’s Kingdom. Our mission isn’t to “take back” a country for God but to make disciples. This mission is a slow, transformative process that shapes people’s worldviews. I think this is a crucial point to remember: Politics can’t forge a “Christian” nation; only disciple-making can.

Peter offers practical guidance for exiles:

• Live Honorably (v. 12): We represent Jesus, seeking to bless our communities—voting, working, befriending—living in ways that honor him, even if that leads to us being misunderstood or maligned.
• Submit to Authorities (v. 13): We respect human institutions, not because we always agree, but because Jesus teaches us to. We trust God’s ultimate rule, avoiding needless rebellion and violence. One of the reasons we submit to authorities is because Followers of Jesus will sooner or later clash the laws of the State, so we shouldn’t provide additional excuses for the State to use the sword against us (This is basically what Paul is arguing in Romans 13).
• Use Freedom Wisely (v. 16): Christian freedom isn’t license to defy the laws of the land but empowerment to serve God and respect the State.

In the oppressive Roman Empire, Peter urged submission and respect, not defiance. Christians built pockets of heaven amid darkness of Rome. How can we do the same today?

Prayer: Our Greatest Political Act

Paul teaches about Christians political responsibility in 1 Timothy 2:1-3. In this passage Paul teaches us that prayer is our primary form of political engagement. In a Roman world where Christians had little power, Paul told Timothy to teach the church to pray—for leaders, for peace, for godliness. Why? So we can live “peaceful and quiet lives” (v. 2) and so people “can be saved” (v. 4). Our prayers aren’t about crafting a nation to our liking but about opening doors for God’s Kingdom to grow. 

I think it is also important to remember that prayer isn’t passive—it’s active work. I think too often we fall into the trap of thinking prayer of prayer as a way to give God our thoughts and worries, but we have to get to work to make things happen. That is not the case! Prayer is the work that all of us are called to do, and through it God works in this world. Prayer is also how we wear God’s armor in spiritual warfare, how Paul sought support for evangelism, and how we engage politics. Alongside making disciples, prayer is our most potent political tool.

Representing King Jesus

Colossians 3:17 ties it together: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” We are called to represent King Jesus in a world that is mostly ignorant about him, so we need wisdom on how to do it. 

Yes, Jesus flipped tables in the Temple, but we are not called to flip tables . For Jesus, flipping tables was a prophetic act, not a tantrum—God’s judgment on a corrupt system. John the Baptist’s fiery calls to repentance targeted covenant people who knew better, not a secular culture. 

As we seek to represent Jesus, we can’t assume our society knows the Bible, the nature of sin, or the love of God. Our political engagement—conversations, votes, actions—must reflect Jesus’ love, grace, and mercy, rather than just engaging in a culture war to uphold “biblical values.”

The Big Idea: Citizens of Heaven

Here’s the heart of it: We engage the political process not as citizens of this world but as citizens of God’s Kingdom, in a way that honors King Jesus. Like the exiles in Babylon (Jeremiah 29), we seek our community’s welfare—blessing, not cursing—while praying for leaders and opportunities to share the Gospel. Winning elections matters less than living faithfully.

Your Challenge

Ask yourself: How can I engage in politics in ways that glorify God and reflect Jesus’ character? I believe it is more vital to embody love, compassion, and integrity than to win a debate or an election. Reflect on the importance of representing King Jesus in everything you say and do daily—let it shape your words, votes, and actions.

Tying It to Our Worldview

Our Clarity series seeks to build a lens for life. Spiritual warfare taught reliance on God; the Bible gave us truth; science and faith showed us complementary tools. Now, politics reveals our identity as Kingdom citizens. We don’t disengage or conform—we participate as exiles, praying and living for Jesus’ glory.

Closing Prayer

• Thank God for the hope we have in Jesus.
• Ask for wisdom to follow Him in all things, including politics.
• Commit to being a citizen of God’s Kingdom, blessing the world around you.

We’re here to worship, hear God, and respond. If you’ve got questions or feel the Spirit nudging you to follow Jesus, let’s talk. For all of us, prayer is our starting point—let’s honor King Jesus together.