Power Made Perfect?

How would politics be different if Christians acknowledged Jesus Christ as the archetype of all rulers, democratic and nondemocratic? How would our practice of politics change if we recognized the suffering love of Christ as the truest exercise of power? Power Made Perfect? offers a distinctive approach to government and politics. It is important, the author argues, to ask how creation provides guidance for political conduct; for politics to be an exercise in piety; and to approach politics in a fallen world with prudence and not in pursuit of ultimate solutions. But it is even more important to begin with Jesus Christ. Christ is the rightful ruler of the world who exercises power by suffering and dying for guilty humans. All political activity is held to the standard of Christ's sacrifice. In this book, Timothy Sherratt surveys major Christian political initiatives and schools of Christian political thought, with a particular emphasis on American politics, before outlining ways in which Christians in churches can practice faithful political engagement.

""Tim Sherratt has given us a feast! Citizens of all stripes, and especially Christians, should dig in. Moving from the lordship of Christ to details of contemporary issues and ideologies, he presents a perspective little known and even less discussed in Christian circles. In the midst of so much mindless chatter and interest-group battling, Christians should pause to consider the insights and wisdom of this clearly written, powerful challenge.""
--James Skillen, retired president of the Center for Public Justice (1982-2009)


""How do we follow Jesus in our political lives so that we are really following Jesus, rather than merely using Jesus' name as cover for pursuing our own agenda and advantage? Read Power Made Perfect? with a study group in your church for an accessible, thoughtful introduction to political discipleship in the twenty-first-century United States.""
--Gideon Strauss, Associate Professor of Worldview Studies, Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto; Senior Fellow, Center for Public Justice, Washington, DC

""Here we have the resource many citizens have longed for. Power Made Perfect? begins with a conversation, one that invites readers to ask and consider a wide range of serious questions about Christian political engagement. Sherratt outlines important Christian political philosophy, making it clear and giving real-world examples of its application. Christians who are tempted to give up on political engagement will be refreshed by the wise and practical counsel contained within.""
--Stephanie Summers, CEO, Center for Public Justice


Timothy R. A. Sherratt is Professor of Political Science at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. He is the author, with Ronald P. Mahurin, of Saints as Citizens: A Guide to Public Responsibilities for Christians (1995), and writes regularly for the Center for Public Justice's Capital Commentary series. He was educated at Oxford University and received a PhD from the University of Kentucky.