Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: How Faith Can Shape Politics Without Making Us Jerks - w/ Eugene Cho

Discover how perfect love, humble conviction, and courageous listening can help Christians engage politics without being divisive. Mike, Tim, and Bonnie welcome author, pastor, and activist Eugene Cho to talk about his new book, Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian's Guide to Engaging Politics. They dig into what it looks like to bring thoughtful, compassionate discipleship into political engagement in an era of fear, outrage, and division. The group explores what it means to love our neighbors on both sides of the political aisle, how fear-based ideologies distort faith, and why being faithful to the gospel is inherently political—but never partisan. Eugene shares his own story as a Korean immigrant and pastor navigating the often fraught intersections of justice, theology, and civic responsibility. Whether you're tired of political shouting matches or seeking to live a more grounded Christian witness in divisive times, this conversation provides wisdom, challenge, and hope for reclaiming a better way. Key Takeaways: • Faith Before Politics – Why theology must inform political values—not the other way around—and how political idolatries distort the witness of the church. • Rejecting Fear & Embracing Love – Examining how fear hinders faithful action and how perfect love casts it out, especially in divisive election seasons. • Whole-Life Ethic – Understanding what it means to be pro-life from "womb to tomb" and how voting with the marginalized in mind shapes Christ-like action beyond the ballot box. • The Creativity of Table Fellowship – Exploring how shared meals, listening, and humanizing conversations (like Make America Dinner Again) invite transformation in a polarized culture. • A Call to Humble Conviction – Why being grounded in Scripture, vulnerable to community, and open to being wrong are necessary postures for engaging political complexity as followers of Jesus. Guest Highlight: Eugene Cho – Speaker, pastor, and author of Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk, Eugene is the founder of Quest Church in Seattle and One Day's Wages, a humanitarian org fighting global poverty. He offers a prophetic yet pastoral voice on Christian engagement in politics, identity, neighborliness, and gospel-based justice. Resources Mentioned: • Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk by Eugene Cho – Find it here • One Day's Wages – onedayswages.org • Make America Dinner Again – makeamericadinneragain.com • 1 John 4:18 – "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…" Let's commit to resisting fear, building bridges, and loving well in the public square. Subscribe to Voxology, leave a review, and share your thoughts on social—your input helps us shape a better conversation. As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! ETSY Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! ETSY Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy