Beyond the Division

How We Faithfully Engage Politics in 2020

We’re living in a moment of unprecedented political division.

It’s a moment in which we’re increasingly feeling forced to make a choice between two sides, but if we’re honest with ourselves, many of us aren’t fully comfortable with either. When it comes to our national politics, we’re unsure whether to focus on policy or character, results or convictions. Either way, we’ve come to a moment where we realize we can’t confidently get behind the politics of the left or the right.

We don’t want to throw away or vote or our voice, but instead, we find ourselves longing for a third option. We want a better way to approach the political arena, to engage the issues that are most important to us, to lead our families and our communities well in a complicated and confusing time.

At the same time, 85 percent of Americans say that U.S. political debate has become more negative and disrespectful in recent years, according to the Pew Research Center. There seems to be no hopeful way forward.

In such polarizing times, this Q Media Politics Playlist is designed to help you thoughtfully engage these kinds of issues and questions, so that we can confidently find the way forward together.

Comprised of six Q Talks delivered by experts in the political arena, these talks won’t tell you how to vote or how to think, but they will educate, equip and inspire you to think well in about the future of politics in America and how Christians can live out a faithful witness in this confusing moment.

Through this playlist (available for free this week) you will:

• Learn how thoughtful Christian leaders from across the political spectrum are thinking about our political moment.
• Better understand why political engagement matters for Christians.
• Be prepared to have well-rounded, constructive conversations with friends and neighbors about politics.
• Navigate an uncertain and unprecedented political moment.
• Lead your church, family, community and more through a heated election year.
• Explore the possibility of a new third way to meaningfully engage American politics, beyond the partisan divides.

Current Issue Playlist: Politics

Rising Above Partisanship (Michael Wear) - If “Did Not Vote” would’ve been a candidate in the last presidential election, it would have won by a landslide. Our polarized political scene has left many feeling politically homeless and disillusioned with America’s two-party system. Michael Wear, a former Obama administration staffer and chief strategist of the AND Campaign, shares his experience of political loneliness and helps us imagine how Christians can stand up for what’s true, just and good in this divisive season. (Click To View Video)

Democratic Socialism, Communism & Capitalism (Q Panel) - As the 2020 election ramps up, we increasingly find our national conversation and social discourse debating the merits of capitalism versus democratic socialism. In this unique panel discussion, three experts—Elizabeth Bruenig, Andrzej Turkainik and Anne Rathbone Bradley—discuss the merits and failings of these competing economic systems, preparing us to engage these conversations well in the year to come. (Click To View Video)

Confronting Identity Politics (Justin Giboney) - Americans on either side of the aisle have long been divided by party lines, but in recent years, this has filtered into our public square of relationships. The labels and the divisions continue to grow, causing more and more voters to feel entrenched or disenfranchised. Does it have to be this way? Justin Giboney, attorney and co-founder of the AND Campaign, examines the reality—and the limits—of identity politics. (Click To View Video)

Politics Outside the Lines (Scott Sauls) - In our polarizing political moment, more and more Americans are finding themselves tired of taking sides and longing to move beyond the “culture of outrage” that seems to have taken over our public discourse. But many of us are left unsure how to actually do so. Amid this tension, how should faithful Christ-followers best approach the political arena and engage the most divisive issues of our day? In this talk, author and pastor Scott Sauls shares how Jesus offers us a hopeful way forward. (Click To View Video)

Responding to the Trump Election (Q Panel) - The last several years have ushered in a completely new political atmosphere. Amid debates, arguments and upheaval, how do Christians have a prophetic witness on a local and national scale? Instead of being relegated to a voting bloc, how can Christians fight against the tribalization happening in our country—even in our churches—while staying true to our call to do the most good? Following the historic election of Donald Trump, Q President Gabe Lyons leads a thoughtful conversation between Rod Dreher, Justin Giboney, Mollie Hemingway and Russell Moore to help us answer these important questions. (Click To View Video)

Governing the Divide (Bill Haslam & Scott Sauls) - In a society more divided than ever, how does leadership remain a call to work for the best of an entire group—even and especially when members of the group have differing opinions? This is a question former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam provides perspective on in this conversation with pastor and author Scott Sauls. As Haslam shares how he’s worked beyond political divides in his career as a public servant, he inspires us to do the same, wherever we’ve been called. (Click To View Video)

Join Us In Nashville This April

Over three days , gather together to discuss the top issues Christian leaders need to engage in the year ahead.

Learn More About Q 2020

Want to learn more?

Consider joining us for Q 2020, coming to Nashville, TN this April 22-24.

Over three transformative days:

• You’ll learn from a curated selection of 30 crucial talks on the most important ideas for Christian leaders to engage in the year ahead—including topics such as censorship, the Trump dilemma, gender, suicide, the next generation and more.
• You’ll further your thinking through expert interaction and constructive debate.
• You’ll connect with like-minded leaders from every channel of culture and feel less isolated in your own role.
• You’ll enjoy experiences designed to introduce you to new friends and spark your creativity.
• Together, we will build for a future to meet the demand for leadership in our churches, industries and communities.

About Q Ideas:
Q is a nonprofit media and events company based in Franklin, TN that serves leaders through education and mobilization to live informed, thoughtful lives that advance the Christian faith in tangible ways to benefit their communities and future generations. Our long-term goal is to see the Christian faith become increasingly attractive, credible and influential in the church, our communities and the next generation so that our neighbors may know God and flourish as humans.

About Gabe Lyons:
Gabe Lyons founded Q in 2007, a media and events platform that educates and mobilizes Christians to advance the common good in society. Gabe is the co-author of Good Faith: Being a Christian When Society Thinks You’re Irrelevant and Extreme (2016) and unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity… And Why It Matters (2007). Gabe has also authored The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America (2010). Prior to launching Q, Gabe served on the team that co-founded Catalyst while serving as Vice President for leadership expert John Maxwell’s corporation. Described as “sophisticated and orthodox” by The New York Times, Gabe’s work represents the perspectives of a new generation of Christians and has been featured by CNN, The New York Times, Fox News and USA Today. He and his wife have four children and live in Franklin, TN.