Robin W. Lovin
Dean and Professor of Ethics
Perkins School of Theology
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas
Like most faithful United Methodists, George W. Bush knows his church less for its doctrine and Social Principles than for its points of connection with his own life and experience. United Methodism, along with evangelical Protestantism, generally believes in the power of faith to transform lives. United Methodism's distinctive emphasis has been that this transformation is seen less in instantaneous conversion than in a lifetime of disciplined practice and personal growth, lived out within a community. We will see President Bush's United Methodist experience expressed in a confidence -- which will sometimes seem naïve to others -- that these personal transformations are possible. We will see it in his commitment to civic organizations, community groups, and faith-based programs that nurture these transformations effectively. That leaves a lot of room for disagreement about specific policy questions. (United Methodists are familiar with those disagreements in their local congregations.) But it does suggest basic interests in education, opportunities for children, and the renewal of communities at the grass-roots level. The United Methodist experience of pluralism, diversity, and openness to change may also lie behind the new President's confidence that partisanship can be transformed into a practical consensus on the common good. That, too, may seem naïve to some, but both Mr. Bush's presidency and Mr. Bush's denomination need a good deal of confidence that it is possible.
Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
President
Saint Paul School of Theology
Kansas City, Missouri
Our new president is a United Methodist and, apparently, a devoted and committed member. How much will United Methodist principles influence the president's approach to public policy issues? If history is a guide, the answer is "not much." Americans are of two minds about the place of a president's religion in the conduct of public policy. We want a president with religious faith, but we do not want the president's particular religious faith to determine public policy. Many Americans were relieved that John F. Kennedy was not "too Catholic" in his decisions as president. People understood Richard M. Nixon's Quaker faith, though few expected "Quaker" peace policies from him. Though a president is shaped by a religious tradition, that tradition may not shape public policy directions the president takes. In the tradition of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, such an approach might not be all bad. Wesley had strong moral positions, but when he moved into the public arena, he was clear that these positions were appropriate for public policy only to the extent that they served the common good. When Wesley encouraged public action, the basis was his belief that the common good is the responsibility of all public servants.
Kevin R. Armstrong
Minister of Faith and Public Life
North United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
The United Methodist Social Principles, which address human issues from a biblical and theological foundation, are generally unknown and largely without influence among most of our members, including President Bush. Using these principles as the primary standard for evaluating the church's influence on the president's public policy, however, ignores another level of influence President Bush cedes to the church. It is true that Governor Bush rebuffed his bishop's call for a moratorium on state executions. As chief executive of Texas, he promoted public policies that most observers would find inconsistent with the church's official positions on education, healthcare, abortion, and the environment. But there are other ways George W. Bush reflects his Methodist heritage. Methodism began as a reform movement after Anglican priest John Wesley had an experience that "strangely warmed" his heart. Wesley's aim was "to reform the nation and spread Scriptural holiness." When the President-elect talks of faith, he recounts the conversion experience that "changed my heart" and makes clear that he is intent on reforming himself and his people. The United Methodist Social Principles are written by a governing body that sees religion and government as agents of social transformation. For George W. Bush, and many of his fellow United Methodists, religion and government are agents of personal transformation. Faith-based partnerships are not first about social change and institutional capacity but about emphasizing the personal ramifications of faith. John Wesley said, "If your heart is as mine, give me your hand." When it comes to public policy, count on the president to emphasize the heart, not the Social Principles.
