A House Divided: Engaging the Issues Through the Politics of Compassion

by Mark Feldmeir

Overview

In our current culture of conflict, Americans need a better way of relating to one another and responding to controversial issues; a way that transcends political partisanship and emphasizes universal care, mutual concern, and the flourishing of the common good. In A House Divided, Feldmeir suggests that the solution to our political entrenchment is a shared commitment to practicing a politics of compassion; the motivating, unifying ideals of the gospel that insist that we work together for the benefit of the common good. Feldmeir explores eight of the most divisive issues our day; climate change, immigration, medical aid in dying, Islamic extremism, racism, health care, homosexuality, and preventing suicide; through the lens of a Christian ethic of love, seeking to identify those shared values that affirm our commonality and inspire a more creative and collaborative approach to finding practical solutions and healing our divisions. Each chapter includes a study guide for small group conversations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780827200968
Publisher:	APG Sales & Distribution
Publication date:	09/08/2020
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Rev. Mark Feldmeir has served as Senior Pastor at Saint Andrew United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, CO since 2014. He previously led United Methodist congregations in San Diego and Orange County, CA. Mark has served on the Adjunct Faculty at Claremont School of Theology, lectured at various conferences throughout the country on topics ranging from preaching, leadership, and pop culture, and is the author of three previous books.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Climate Change 7

2 Racism 20

3 Immigration 33

4 Healthcare 45

5 Medical Aid in Dying 57

6 Islamic Extremism 69

7 Homosexuality 80

8 Social Isolation and Suicide 90

Epilogue 103

Editorial Reviews

07/27/2020

Feldmeir (You Need to Get Out More), senior pastor of Saint Andrew United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo., examines political issues that commonly American Christians in this unconvincing take. Feldmeir organizes his work into chapters that each address a topic, among them immigration, euthanasia, LGBTQ rights, climate change, and racism. Though he advocates “leaving behind all the talking points and soundbytes that dominate our newsfeeds,” he often uses scripture out of context to buttress his (usually liberal) position. For instance, he excises an inconvenient part of Matthew 23:23, which asks believers to follow commandments both large and small in his discussion of Christian acceptance of the LGBTQ community, and in his chapter on climate change claims that, in creating the earth, “God decided to materialize” so “what we do to the earth, we do to God and to ourselves” in order to make environmental degradation a sinful act. Feldmeir uses entertaining anecdotes and helpful statistics, such as on systemic racism and worrying rates of loneliness in America, to explain his perspective, but these don’t go very far in bolstering his case. While progressive Christians will be convinced by Feldmeir’s arguments, those who don’t agree will remain unswayed by these cherry-picked scriptural lessons. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly