Jesse Covington, Bryan T. McGraw, and Micah Watson | Hopeful Realism: Natural Law, Politics & Christian Public Engagement

March 13, 2025

00:00 01:00:01

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Can Christians faithfully engage in politics without compromising their convictions? In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Jesse Covington, Dr. Brian T. McGraw, and Dr. Micah Watson, co-authors of Hopeful Realism: Evangelical Natural Law and Democratic Politics. Together, they explore how natural law provides a foundation for engaging in the public square while maintaining theological integrity.

📖 Topics Covered:

What is natural law, and why should evangelicals care?
How does natural law shape Christian engagement in politics?
The dangers of both political withdrawal and theocratic overreach
How to share governance in a pluralistic society while upholding biblical truth
The role of prudence in navigating difficult political issues, such as abortion policy

🎙 Listen now to learn how natural law can help Christians be faithful participants in politics without losing sight of the gospel.

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Meet Your Host

James Spencer earned his Ph.D. in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He believes discipleship will open up opportunities beyond anything God’s people could accomplish through their own wit and wisdom. As such, James seeks to help believers think Christianly about social, cultural, and political assumptions. His desire is to see Christians test God by trusting God so that they conform ever more closely to the image of Christ.

In addition to being a regular contributor to Christianity.com and Washingtontimes.com, James has published multiple works, including Christian Resistance: Learnign to Defy the World and Follow Christ, Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D.L. Moody, Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Mind, and Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology.

James currently serves as president of the D. L. Moody Center, an adjunct instructor at Wheaton College Graduate School, and faculty member at Right On Mission.

You can find out more about James at his personal website www.jamesspencer.com.