Politics Playlist - Q Ideas /Q Ideas

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.

We don’t want to throw away our 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

Truth Beyond Emotions (Tim Keller) - We’re all aware of the daily headlines that fill our newsfeeds—but how can we go deeper to actually understand the larger trends shaping our current cultural moment? In this conversation, pastor and New York Times bestselling author responds to the coronavirus pandemic and the contentious season we find ourselves in by offering thoughtful context, reflections and hope for the way forward, pointing us to a post-pandemic future for the church and the world.

Christianity & Politics (Q Panel) - Between a contentious presidential election, daily political controversies and the far-reaching effects of the pandemic, 2020 is a pivotal year for American politics. However, many Christians are left feeling more discouraged, exhausted and confused than ever before. Suggesting that Christians ought to hold to both biblical values and social justice, the AND Campaign’s Justin Giboney, Michael Wear and Kori Porter will help us imagine a future marked by better representation, more just and compassionate policies, and a healthier political culture.

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)

Leading In Chaos

Join us for Q&A, an online gathering to designed to help you connect and engage the hard questions facing us in the season ahead.

Learn More About Q&A

Join us online or in person for Q&A this November 11-12.

Over two days, you’ll learn from 20+ experts on the most critical topics for Christian leaders to engage in the season ahead. With eight 45-minute in-depth conversations + 30 minutes to ask your own questions on each topic, you will leave refreshed and encouraged with clarity and confidence to lead.

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.