Faith Steps: Should Christians engage in the public arena, and if so, how?

Part II in a series of excerpts from my new book, Faith Steps, which encourages and equips people of faith to engage with friends and in the public arena on vital issues.
From Chapter One:

The leadership of Christian believers during the Bush presidency, our efforts to combat human trafficking through faith-based organizations, and Christian volunteers and ministries responding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina serve to illustrate Christians' engagement in the public square. The examples also help frame important questions about the biblical and prudential role of believers and the Church in politics and society:

What role, if any, should Christians play in influencing our government and our culture?

Does God call Christians to separate from the world for the sake of spiritual purity, or does He call us to engage the world for the sake of others?

Does shunning engagement in the public square preserve the Church's resources for the Great Commission, or is cultural isolationism a Great Omission?

Is America too far gone in the direction of secularism for Christian influence to turn her toward godly principles?

Since God is in control of history and we know how it all ends, does public policy really even matter?

To begin to answer these questions, we first must understand how our worldview drives our moral values, our laws and our lives–and how to take faith steps toward God and His kingdom....

Read more:

Amazon paperback: http://tinyurl.com/nhanq29

Kindle e-book: http://tinyurl.com/p2q8ywg