Bill Moyers: God and Politics

Central America has long been an area of focus for U.S. missionaries. Some have gone to the region to promote social justice for the poor, others simply to save souls. Both approaches can reflect different political agendas, too. How can the same Gospel manifest itself in such divergent ways?

The struggles among Baptists and other American fundamentalists have focused around one pivotal issue: the believer's view of the inerrancy of Scripture. Once persecuted, Baptists now form the largest Protestant denomination in the United States--but one often wracked by controversy over who can call themselves a Baptist.

For some evangelical Christians, it is not sufficient to have the right to freely practice their faith as they see fit. In the view of Reconstructionists, all areas of public life must be brought under Christian influence and rule. What would this attempt to set up the kingdom of God "on earth as it is in heaven" mean for religious liberty?