Published April 25, 2025
For much of the modern era, evangelical political engagement in America has been perceived—sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly—as a quest for power. The rise of the Religious Right in the late 20th century was framed by many as a strategic movement to “take back” the culture, to assert Christian values through political dominance. That framing—whether entirely accurate or not—has left a lasting impression on public consciousness. But that is not the story of evangelical politics today.
There is a maturing underway.
Something deeper and sturdier is shaping the posture and consciousness of a new generation of Christian political activism. While past movements may have sought cultural or political ascendancy under the banner of Christianity and to make sure that everyone knew America was a “Christian Nation,” today’s evangelical engagement is increasingly uninterested in power for its own self-interest. Rather than seeking to rule, the focus is on preserving the moral architecture that makes a just and ordered society possible.
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Andrew T. Walker, Ph.D., is a Fellow in the Evangelicals and Civic Life Program at The Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is also the Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and the founding Managing Editor of WORLD Opinions. He co-hosts The Bully Pulpit, a weekly podcast exploring faith, culture, and politics from a conservative Christian perspective.
