Compassion (&) Conviction

For some time I have followed the And Campaign via Twitter, so I jumped at the opportunity to review the book Compassion (&) Conviction.

Throughout Compassion (&) Conviction, a key theme is that Christians have a responsibility to be engaged in politics and that political engagement is one way in which we can show love to our neighbors and live out Micah 6:8. While emphasizing that Christians should be politically engaged, the authors also emphasize that winning political points must not detract from our Christian witness which is our higher priority. The authors also remind Christians that working with others who might not share the same religious views is a good thing and an opportunity to be "salt and light."

One of the items readers will notice right away is that with their emphasis on and, the authors do an amazing job of treating multiple sides of issues equally. Instead of upholding one political party or side and demonizing the other, careful attention is given to treating each equally. After discussing the positives of a progressive viewpoint, the same attention is given to the positives of a conservative viewpoint before looking at negatives associated with each. Readers are also encouraged that it is important to critique your own political party and reminded that political party must never be placed higher than our allegiance to Christ.

While particularly timely given the current election season, Compassion (&) Conviction is highly recommended for Christians who want to know more about how to be politically engaged in a Christ-honoring way. I particularly enjoy the discussion questions at the end of each chapter and the calls to not just read about politics but to actively engage in the topic with others. These resources make Compassion (&) Conviction an excellent resource for a small group study or as a supplemental text in a college level U.S. Government class.

I received a complementary copy from InterVarsity Press via NetGalley. I was not required to provide a positive review.