Jesus Politics: How to Win Back the Soul of America

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

Jesus Politics: How to Win Back the Soul of America

Author:

Phil Robertson

Publisher:

Thomas Nelson

Publication Date:

August 4, 2020

Format:

Hardcover

Length:

224 pages

OVERVIEW

In his early years of faith, Phil Robertson wasn’t interested in politics. As he became more interested in living out his faith, he found himself considering what values he should be voting for. Reading the Bible, he found an emphasis on recognizing Jesus’ role as king that required him to consider how his voting fit with Biblical ideas. Here, he gives readers a Kingdom Manifesto, outlining how recognizing God’s values should impact Christian voters’ views of family, money, the environment and other political areas. He backs these ideas up further by discussing how Judeo-Christian values have influenced American politics and regulations in the past.

Robertson cites a variety of sources (including Founding Father documents and recent statements by various politicians) to back up his ideas, which mostly fit into the American conservative tradition. He occasionally makes points that don’t fit a conventional “Christian Right” perspective (such as describing a modified but earnest environmentalism), and several times describes his goal as helping Christians on either side of the political spectrum think about how to serve God with their voting choices.

Despite these attempts to make a complex case for faith and government, the fact that Robertson isn’t a practiced historian keeps him from adding enough nuance. He goes back and forth between making solid arguments and just ranting about particular leaders or movements he dislikes. This subjectivity makes it hard to take all his arguments seriously. When Robertson uses personal stories to explain these ideas (such as the time he helped a neighbor start a business by providing initial funding), the book really shines. In telling those stories, Robertson is providing something that only he can do: give personal stories from his life that contextualize his ideas. The other sections unfortunately read more like a series of social media rants with some padding than anything else.

Granted, one doesn’t expect in-depth political analysis from a Christian celebrity known for appearing on a reality TV show. Fans of Duck Dynasty will likely already know (and for the most part agree) with Robertson’s views. Still, it’s hard to avoid the sense that this book would have worked much better as a memoir focusing on Robertson’s personal experiences.

An earnest but rather gimmicky book.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

2 stars

Suggested Audience

American Christians seeking to get back to America’s Judeo-Christian roots and consider how those roots and their beliefs should effect their values.

Christian Impact

The author repeatedly calls readers to consider how their spiritual beliefs fit with their politics, to recognize that politics and faith are not totally separate areas.