In search of political and ecclesial sanity
The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics by Curtis Chang and Nancy French. Zondervan, 2024. 224 pp., $19.99
In March 2023, Curtis Chang, Russell Moore, and David French spoke at a packed Trinity Forum event to launch The After Party project. Their goal, as they stated at the outset: to equip Christians in this divided age to engage politics without forsaking their ultimate calling as disciples of Christ. Why? Because extreme partisanship is not only a threat to democracy but also to the church—not to mention individual’s souls.
The After Party initially launched as a video course for churches and other groups who wanted to learn a better way to “do politics” as a community. I led one of these pilot groups in Ohio in November 2023, and the primary focus of the video series as well as the book is shifting from the what of politics to the how. This distinction matters a great deal. The what of politics consists of ideology, party, and policy, whereas the how focuses on spiritual values, relationships, and practices.
The subsequent book, written by Curtis Chang and Nancy French, follows the same outline as the video course and leads readers through the same basic process. This book is meant to be a companion resource to the video course, and the authors are clear that this content is not something to navigate alone. They expect conversation and transformation to happen through community. They recommend that readers identify loved ones from whom they have grown apart because of politics, then seek to reengage these relationships with newfound strategies informed by the how of politics.
With an emphasis on hope and humility as the spiritual values of Jesus, participants are encouraged to fill out the Hope/Humility Conversation Starter Tool to understand which category they generally fall into: Combatant, Exhausted, Cynic, or Disciple. These profiles provide the structure for the rest of the material in the book.
Picture the profiles making up a quadrant, where hope frames the y-axis and humility the x-axis. The Disciple is high in both hope and humility. The Combatant is high in hope and low in humility, occupying the top left of the quadrant. Opposite the Combatant is the Exhausted, who is low in hope but high in humility. Finally, the Cynic sits in the bottom left of the quadrant, low in both hope and humility.
Each one of the instructors occupies a quadrant. David French identifies as a Combatant. Russell Moore is the Exhausted, and Curtis Chang is the Cynic. Jesus himself is the model for the Disciple profile—and the goal in every aspect of the Christian’s journey, including in politics. As the project website summarizes, “Christians have lost their way when it comes to the intersection of faith & politics. It’s time to reframe our political identity as we take the lead in healing what’s broken. Jesus’ call is clear: We are to be salt and light in this world. Come be equipped and encouraged as we prepare for the true party to come.”
The authors draw the reader into each chapter through personal stories and an invitation into scripture. Stories include David French’s regret over saying once that “The two greatest threats to America are far-Left radicals at home and jihadists abroad,” and Russell Moore’s radically altered relationship with Twitter and social media in general.
Two of the most memorable stories in the book are from Nancy French and Curtis Chang. French shares about her unlikely, accidental friendship during the pandemic with a woman who deeply hated her husband, David French. Chang writes about a profound experience during Apartheid in South Africa and how it has continued to shape his hope for the future coming of Christ.
Included in each chapter are reflection exercises that, in my opinion, vary in their usefulness. The more reflective, personal questions are absolutely essential to engage the material in a deeper way. For example, one of the reflection exercises asks you to recall a time in your life where you were wrong about something important. Remembering the process—from my strong conviction that I was right to the humbling moment where I realized I was wrong—was powerful. The exercise concludes by asking how you can take wisdom from that experience and apply it to how you relate to others vis-à -vis politics.
However, some of the actionable suggestions come off as wishful thinking instead of a strategy I would actually employ in real life. The final practical exercise suggests contacting a friend or loved one from whom one has been estranged because of politics and asking to get together. The steps after that feel forced: Tell the person you read this book and are doing the final exercise; describe your experience and ask them to read chapter one; encourage them to take the Hope/Humility assessment; then work through a series of questions after establishing ground rules. I can’t imagine having such interactions with anyone. Not because they would say no, but because it doesn’t sound like a way that I would ever communicate. So it’s important to remember that this book is not a one-size-fits-all solution to political fractures. Rather, this is a tool to use in whatever way is most useful to the reader or a particular community.
The book culminates with the grand vision of the wedding supper of the lamb, as described in the book of Revelation—the true after party. The journey through this curriculum invites participants to lift their eyes to God’s promised future for his people. There is an emphasis on the power of the cross of Christ to break down divisions between enemies: “We tend to miss the political implications of the cross . . . the blood overcomes the division between you and God and the division between us and them.”
Overall, I find The After Party material useful for Christian communities trying to see past the politics that so easily divide them. My only critique concerns the language of the quadrants. Instead of people who squarely fit into the categories of Combatants, Exhausted, and Cynics journeying toward becoming Disciples, I wonder if churches are instead full of combatant disciples, exhausted disciples, and cynical disciples all trying their best to follow Jesus in the thick of real life.
Most of us see ourselves somewhere on the path toward Jesus even though our locations on that road may vary. Learning his way is the journey, not the destination.
Sadie Vanderzyden holds a Master of Arts in Historical and Theological Studies from Ashland Theological Seminary. She and her husband have made Ashland, Ohio home with their Goldendoodle, Milo, and daughter on the way.