As an American Baptist I definitely get your concern with hyper-separation. I’ll be thinking through this. I tend to be very much on the separation side, though definitely not to the Monastic level. I agree that we should be trying to influence things. A government that operates by godly wisdom is of course the goal. But when I see a worship of political power by many Christians, as I’ve seen many do with Trump and other politicians, it sometimes causes me to want the church to retreat to the margins again. But I have to beware of extremes here.
As a church of england member/ worship leader/ student it can be troubling. But the overlap of state and church gives our bishops a seat at Parliament. A chance to act as prophets calling politicians to account in a Christian way. The voice may not get listened to, but the bishops can act as a Christian balance to power, and help them remember the poor. Could this be done without the overlap in power? Probably. But for me it's what I have to work within. So I accept the good bits and pray for the rest
As an American Baptist I definitely get your concern with hyper-separation. I’ll be thinking through this. I tend to be very much on the separation side, though definitely not to the Monastic level. I agree that we should be trying to influence things. A government that operates by godly wisdom is of course the goal. But when I see a worship of political power by many Christians, as I’ve seen many do with Trump and other politicians, it sometimes causes me to want the church to retreat to the margins again. But I have to beware of extremes here.
As a church of england member/ worship leader/ student it can be troubling. But the overlap of state and church gives our bishops a seat at Parliament. A chance to act as prophets calling politicians to account in a Christian way. The voice may not get listened to, but the bishops can act as a Christian balance to power, and help them remember the poor. Could this be done without the overlap in power? Probably. But for me it's what I have to work within. So I accept the good bits and pray for the rest