The Spirit of Our Politics

The kind of people we are, has much to do with the kind of public life we have. Spiritual formation is central to civic renewal.

Michael Wear, Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, joined us to share ideas outlined in his new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life.

He encouraged us to consider reframing how we view our political involvement as Christians, why who we are in our political life is not quarantined from who we are in “real life,” and how we can seek a gentler, healthier politics, all while living and working on Capitol Hill.

Michael Wear is the Founder, President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution based in the nation’s capital with the mission to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. For well over a decade, he has served as a trusted resource and advisor for a range of civic leaders on matters of faith and public life, including as a White House and presidential campaign staffer. Michael is a leading voice on building a healthy civic pluralism in twenty-first century America. He has argued that the spiritual health and civic character of individuals is deeply tied to the state of our politics and public affairs.

Michael’s new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, will be released on January 23, 2024. Michael’s first book, Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America, offers reflections, analysis and ideas about the role of faith in the Obama years and what it means for today. He has co-authored, or contributed to, several other books, including Compassion and Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement, with Justin Giboney and Chris Butler. He also writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult Magazine, Christianity Today and other publications on faith, politics and culture.