TILL KINGDOM COME

Political Engagement in Light of the Lordship of Christ

Virtual Book Table

Christ Institute has created a virtual table with resources related to our conference theme, focusing on political engagement in light of the Lordship of Christ. We also encourage you to explore other notable works by the speakers, even those not directly tied to the conference’s political theme. Below are links to their profiles and some of their key works:

Stephen Wellum: sbts.edu

Ardel Caneday: unwsp.edu

Brad Green: uu.edu

Levi Secord: christbible.net

Andy Naselli: andynaselli.com

Featured Resources on Christian Political Engagement

Christ Over All (COA) exists to help the church apply biblical truth to every square inch of creation. The leadership of COA shares the biblical, theological, and apologetic convictions of men like Machen and Schaeffer. Every month, they introduce a new theme and consistently publish outstanding articles and interviews. In light of this conference, we highly recommend checking out the resources from the August 2024 theme, "Voting to the Glory of God," the October 2023 theme, “‘Just One More Thing’: Getting the Facts on Christian Nationalism(s),” and the October 2022 theme, "A Christian Manifesto for the 21st Century."

P. Andrew Sandlin, ed. Virtuous Liberty: A Christian Defense of Classical Liberalism and the Free Society Against Cultural Leftism and the New Right. Coulterville: Center for Cultural Leadership, 2023.

The free society founded by the U.S. Founders is under attack from both the Left and Right. Globalist Marxism on the Left views the Founding as oppressive, aiming to dismantle values like family and church. On the Right, tribalist nationalism rejects economic liberty and embraces identity politics. Both sides share a disregard for America's heritage and seek to impose their agendas through state power. This book opposes both extremes and reaffirms the founding principles that made America great.

P. Andrew Sandlin, ed. Failed Church: Restoring a Vision of Ecclesial Victory. Coulterville: Center for Cultural Leadership, 2022.

In recent years, events like Covid lockdowns, the George Floyd riots, BLM, CRT, cancel culture, #MeToo, and rising gender dysphoria have deeply affected society and the church. These movements have become so influential that assessing culture without them is difficult. Even conservative Christianity has been shaped by these forces. This essay collection unites theologians, pastors, scholars, and laypeople to evaluate the church, all grounded in biblical authority and historic Christian orthodoxy.

Jonathan Leeman and Andrew David Naselli. How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics? Wheaton: Crossway, 2020.

Election seasons often lead to division over various issues. But what should you do when disagreements arise within your local church community? In their short booklet, authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli encourage Christians to navigate these differences with gracious understanding, emphasizing the importance of our shared foundation—the gospel of Jesus Christ. In light of this conference, we recommend this insightful resource to help foster unity amid disagreements. See Naselli's updated view in his essay here.

Levi Secord, King of Kings: The Christian View of the Government. Christ Bible Church Sermon Series (Collection as a Christ Institute Seminar), 2022.

What is the role of the state in the world, and how should we, as Christians, relate to it? When is civil disobedience appropriate, and when is it not? Pastor Levi Secord explains, using Scripture and history, the Christian view of government and its relationship to the individual, the church, and God. Listen to this sermon series to gain a vision of a sanctified state.

Francis A. Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto. Westchester: Crossway Books, 1981.

Francis Schaeffer highlights the gradual decline of morality and justice in the Western world and urges Christians to reshape history by returning to biblical truth and recognizing Christ's Lordship in every aspect of life. We highly recommend this classic work by Schaeffer.

About

Schedule

Friday, September 20

  • 6:30 PM – Welcome, Introduction, and Prayer

  • 6:45 - 7:45 PM – Dr. Stephen Wellum: “How the West Lost Its Mind: A Brief History of Western Thought”

  • 7:45 - 8:00 PM – Break

  • 8:00 - 9:00 PM – Dr. Brad Green: “Living in the Twilight of an Empire: Lessons from the Life of Augustine”

Saturday, September 21

  • 8:30 - 9:30 AM – Pastor Levi Secord: “The Failures of Secularism and the Biblical Alternative”

  • 9:30 - 9:45 AM – Break

  • 9:45 - 10:45 AM – Dr. Brad Green: “A Tale of Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Critique of Two Kingdoms Theology”

  • 10:45 - 11:00 AM – Break

  • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM – Dr. Ardel Caneday: “By What Standard? Biblical Law and Modern Civil Law”

  • 12:00 - 1:00 PM – Lunch (Provided)

  • 1:00 - 2:00 PM – Dr. Stephen Wellum: “What Evangelicals Must Learn from the Last Decade of American Politics”

  • 2:00 - 2:15 PM – Break

  • 2:15 - 3:15 PM – Panel Discussion: “How Then Should We Vote: The Political Dilemma of 2024 & Beyond” (Moderated by Alex Tibbott, featuring Stephen Wellum, Brad Green, Ardel Caneday, Levi Secord, and Andy Naselli)

  • 3:30 PM – Dismissal

Location

At Christ Bible Church

211 N Mccarons Blvd, Roseville, MN 55113 (Hand in Hand Christian Montessori Building)

Cost

$15 per person

Partners

Christ Bible Church with Riverview Baptist Church

Meet Our Speakers

  • Stephen Wellum, PhD

    Stephen Wellum is professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his MDiv and PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of numerous essays, articles, and books. He is also the co-author with Peter Gentry of Kingdom through Covenant, God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of the Person of Christ, and Systematic Theology: From Canon to Concept.

  • Bradley Green, PhD

    Bradley G. Green is Professor of Theological Studies at Union University (Jackson, TN), and is Professor of Philosophy and Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY). He is the author of several articles and books, including The Gospel and the Mind: Recovering and Shaping the Intellectual Life (Crossway); Covenant and Commandment: Works, Obedience, and Faithfulness in the Christian Life (New Studies in Biblical Theology, IVP); Augustine: His Life and Impact (Christian Focus). Brad is a member of First Baptist Church (Jackson, TN), where he works with college students.

  • Ardel Caneday, PhD

    Ardel Caneday continues as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Northwestern after recently retiring from his role as Professor of New Testament & Greek. Ardel completed the MDiv and ThM at Grace Theological Seminary and the PhD in New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a founding teaching elder of Christ Bible Church (Roseville, MN). He co-edited with Matthew Barrett Four Views on the Historical Adam, co-authored with Thomas R. Schreiner The Race Set Before Us, and has published many articles in Christian magazines, journals, books, and online.

  • Levi Secord, DEdMin

    Levi is the founding pastor of Christ Bible Church. He graduated with both an MDiv (2013) and a Doctorate of Educational Ministry (2022) from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Levi has numerous publications with the Front Porch Republic, the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, Christ Over All, and WORLD Opinions. He contributed the chapter “Bits and Pieces of Our Wasteland” in Failed Church and the chapter “Calvinism as the Foundation for Liberty” in Virtuous Liberty. He also hosts a podcast, The Worldview Minute, which aims at building a complete Christian worldview.