Podcast Summary – With The Perrys: “How to Be a Christian During Election Season with Justin Giboney”
Date: October 28, 2024
Hosts: Preston Perry & Jackie Hill Perry
Guest: Justin Giboney (AND Campaign)
Episode Overview
This episode tackles the complex challenge of being a faithful Christian during an intense, polarized election season. Hosts Preston & Jackie Hill Perry are joined by Justin Giboney, co-founder of the AND Campaign, to discuss biblical engagement with politics, avoiding tribalism, maintaining human dignity, and resisting the urge to find identity in partisan battles. The conversation is candid, nuanced, and full of practical advice for Christians seeking to navigate the noise and pressures of American electoral politics in a Christ-honoring way.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Election Landscape and Christian Witness
- Political Climate: Justin and the Perrys note the outrageous tone of recent and current election seasons—more vitriolic, personal, and confusing than ever.
- “Election seasons in general, to me, can kind of become like, you know, Acts 19, the riot in Ephesus… there was all this confusion and most people did not even know why they were there.”
—Justin Giboney [02:09]
- “Election seasons in general, to me, can kind of become like, you know, Acts 19, the riot in Ephesus… there was all this confusion and most people did not even know why they were there.”
- Herd Mentality: Many people get caught up in the fervor of the moment, not fully understanding why they're so invested.
- “That’s so like this society now. Like, people just be out just wanting to be a part of something.”
—Preston Perry [03:50]
- “That’s so like this society now. Like, people just be out just wanting to be a part of something.”
- Reluctance to Engage: Many Christians are turned off by the fakeness and negativity but Justin warns against withdrawal.
- “It might be dirty, it might be ugly. It might be fake, but you still have an opportunity to have an impact on it… How can you be the salt and the light if you're not in contact with something that’s dirty?”
—Justin Giboney [05:39]
- “It might be dirty, it might be ugly. It might be fake, but you still have an opportunity to have an impact on it… How can you be the salt and the light if you're not in contact with something that’s dirty?”
2. A New Kind of Christian Political Engagement
- Focus on Essentials: The AND Campaign helps “filter out what is real and what’s not,” equipping Christians with tools and disciplines to engage politics constructively.
- “You can’t just wake up in the morning and say, I’m gonna do different… You have to have habits and practices that put you in the spiritual disposition along with prayer, obviously, to respond in a better way.”
—Justin Giboney [08:54]
- “You can’t just wake up in the morning and say, I’m gonna do different… You have to have habits and practices that put you in the spiritual disposition along with prayer, obviously, to respond in a better way.”
- Restoring Human Dignity: First discipline: “seeing people and not political abstraction.”
- “We tend to think that we know somebody by how they voted… When the truth of the matter is based on how somebody voted, you don’t know all that much about them.”
—Justin Giboney [10:14]
- “We tend to think that we know somebody by how they voted… When the truth of the matter is based on how somebody voted, you don’t know all that much about them.”
3. Tribalism vs. Taking the Right Position
- Dangers of Binary Thinking: Both sides caricature each other, assuming one must fully endorse all of one party’s platform or be labeled and dismissed.
- “There’s this myth that there are only two ways to engage politics… if you don’t fit in one of those, you’re either unserious, indecisive, or deceptive.”
—Justin Giboney [11:28]
- “There’s this myth that there are only two ways to engage politics… if you don’t fit in one of those, you’re either unserious, indecisive, or deceptive.”
- Biblical Basis for Human Dignity: Referencing Genesis and Luke, Justin urges listeners not to exalt themselves over political opponents.
- “The praying Pharisee in Luke... he was probably right…but what he didn’t get was he was bad too.”
—Justin Giboney [12:49]
- “The praying Pharisee in Luke... he was probably right…but what he didn’t get was he was bad too.”
- Critiquing Both Sides: The AND Campaign chooses “the right position” on issues, not sides, which attracts criticism.
- "It’s not about taking a side... it’s really about taking the right position."
—Justin Giboney [14:28] - “When you just take a side, you’re basically outsourcing your public witness.”
—Justin Giboney [16:03]
- "It’s not about taking a side... it’s really about taking the right position."
4. Christian Identity and Political Parties
- Partisan Identity is Problematic: Christianity should never be reduced to or confused with party affiliation.
- “A party should not be your identity anyway… The party’s a tool for me. The party is not part of my identity today.”
—Justin Giboney [18:34]
- “A party should not be your identity anyway… The party’s a tool for me. The party is not part of my identity today.”
Notable Segment on Abortion:
- Nuance in the Abortion Debate: Justin affirms the importance of life and critiques both left and right Christians for uncritical adoption of party lines.
- “The unborn life is not the only life that’s important. And I think that’s what we can miss when we just focus on one issue.”
—Justin Giboney [20:35] - "The issue isn’t what party you choose. The issue is if you don’t stand up against that party when they get something wrong, that’s good.”
—Justin Giboney [22:53]
- “The unborn life is not the only life that’s important. And I think that’s what we can miss when we just focus on one issue.”
5. Admitting Good in the Other Side & Living in Tension
- Affirming Virtue Across Lines: Christians should recognize and admit when the “other” side gets something right.
- “As a Christian, on that one thing that they get right. We gotta admit it, even during election season, we have to be impartial.”
—Justin Giboney [27:30]
- “As a Christian, on that one thing that they get right. We gotta admit it, even during election season, we have to be impartial.”
- Feeling Tension is Healthy: The discomfort or frustration with both parties is a sign of critically engaged faith.
- “I don’t worry about Christians that feel the tension… Cause neither of them is a pure application of the gospel.”
—Justin Giboney [24:57]
- “I don’t worry about Christians that feel the tension… Cause neither of them is a pure application of the gospel.”
6. Resisting Social Pressure & Practicing “Media Hygiene”
- Courage in Public Honesty: Many are afraid to express nuanced or independent positions due to fear of social backlash.
- “We have to ask ourselves, when we don’t say something we know needs to be said, what are we protecting and who are we protecting? We ain’t protecting the gospel. Right. We’re saving ourselves.”
—Justin Giboney [28:35]
- “We have to ask ourselves, when we don’t say something we know needs to be said, what are we protecting and who are we protecting? We ain’t protecting the gospel. Right. We’re saving ourselves.”
- Media Hygiene: Justin challenges listeners to diversify their news consumption, seek honesty and avoid cable news echo chambers.
- “If I’m getting my information out of the trash, then my opinion is going to end up trash.”
—Justin Giboney [32:20] - Recommendations: The Pour Over, Breaking Points, Unherd, The Free Press, and the AND Campaign’s Church Politics Podcast [34:49-35:47]
- “If I’m getting my information out of the trash, then my opinion is going to end up trash.”
7. Church Life & Community During Election Seasons
- Fostering Unity Amid Division: Churches shouldn’t dictate votes, but should focus on Christian principles, foster informed discussions, and emphasize persuasion over contempt.
- “The best way to advocate for an issue is not to tell the other side how stupid and evil they are. In a democracy, you have to persuade people.”
—Justin Giboney [37:54]
- “The best way to advocate for an issue is not to tell the other side how stupid and evil they are. In a democracy, you have to persuade people.”
- Seeing People, Not Labels: Preston eloquently warns about the risk of reducing people to positions and missing their stories.
- “When you don’t see people and you only see politics, when someone shares their story, you won’t hear a testimony, but you’ll see a position.”
—Preston Perry [39:41]
- “When you don’t see people and you only see politics, when someone shares their story, you won’t hear a testimony, but you’ll see a position.”
8. Praying for Leaders and Opponents
- Spiritual Discipline: Praying for authority, including political opponents, works against contempt and helps us see their humanity.
- “It’s very hard to hold somebody in contempt and hate somebody who you’re earnestly praying for.”
—Justin Giboney [42:42]
- “It’s very hard to hold somebody in contempt and hate somebody who you’re earnestly praying for.”
9. Mission of the AND Campaign
-
Raising Civic Literacy & Centering Biblical Values: The AND Campaign seeks to equip Christians to be less partisan, focus more on biblical principles, and participate constructively in public life.
- “Our public witness does not belong to the Republican Party. It doesn’t belong to the Democratic Party… It belongs to God.”
—Justin Giboney [45:03]
- “Our public witness does not belong to the Republican Party. It doesn’t belong to the Democratic Party… It belongs to God.”
-
Whole Life Ethic: The “Whole Life Project” is highlighted, celebrating and protecting life from “womb to tomb.”
- “...really celebrating like, the whole of human life and protecting the whole of human life...”
—Preston Perry [45:45]
- “...really celebrating like, the whole of human life and protecting the whole of human life...”
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On the temptation to tribalism:
“If one side is right about 99 things, that 1 thing they're wrong on, as a Christian, I gotta call it out. I can’t just let it go just because they’re more right than the other side.”
—Justin Giboney [16:03] -
On the illusion of choosing just the “lesser evil”:
“People in toxic evangelicalism... run into the arms of secular progressivism. They think themselves free thinkers, but they’re actually just going to another system of beliefs.”
—Justin Giboney [31:07] -
On handling stories vs. positions:
“They didn’t care about a story. They just cared about where he landed… We often see people as the tribe that they’re a part of…”
—Preston Perry [41:05] -
On cultivating unity:
“It doesn’t mean that your opponent isn’t wrong... It just means there’s something bigger than that and that you possibly might be wrong on something, too.”
—Justin Giboney [42:06]
Resources Mentioned
- The Pour Over – unbiased, Christian news summary
- Breaking Points (Podcast) – balanced, in-depth political commentary
- Unherd – alternative perspectives outside mainstream coverage
- The Free Press – investigative and diverse viewpoints
- The AND Campaign – Church Politics Podcast, Whole Life Project
Timestamps
- Election chaos & Christian frustration: [01:53–06:24]
- Why Christians shouldn’t disengage: [05:29–06:29]
- Disciplines for healthy Christian civics: [07:36–09:45]
- Seeing people, not abstractions: [10:14–12:22]
- The myth of binary options & tribalism: [12:10–14:24]
- Critiques from “fence-sitting” & taking the right position: [14:28–17:09]
- Faith & political identity: [17:21–18:48]
- Abortion, priorities, and party allegiance: [19:55–23:00]
- Finding virtue in the “other side”: [23:31–28:01]
- Media hygiene & news ecosystems: [32:09–35:47]
- Impact of race, gender, faith in the election: [36:34–39:24]
- Church unity & fostering understanding: [39:24–42:28]
- Prayer & spiritual disciplines: [42:31–43:21]
- The AND Campaign’s mission: [44:03–45:37]
Tone & Style
The conversation is candid, relatable, and honest—marked by Justin’s even-handed analysis, Preston’s raw vulnerability, and Jackie’s pastoral gentleness. They balance tough critique with encouragement, and bring humor and warmth to a tense subject.
Final Takeaway
Amid the noise and conflict of election season, Christians are called to resist the temptation of binary politics and instead pursue faithful, nuanced, and biblically grounded public witness. Engage issues, not just parties; see people, not profiles; pursue truth over tribal loyalty; and remain prayerful and humble. The greatest allegiance is not to a party but to Christ and neighbor.