Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics

Tony Campolo's Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics presents a distinctive approach to Christian political engagement that centers on the direct teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. The title derives from the practice in many Bibles of printing Jesus's words in red letters, which Campolo argues should form the primary basis for Christian social and political action rather than broader ideological commitments or partisan affiliations.

The work emerges from Campolo's frustration with the polarization of American Christianity along political lines, particularly the assumption that evangelical faith necessarily aligns with conservative politics. He contends that focusing on Jesus's actual teachings reveals a more complex political theology that transcends conventional left-right divisions. This methodology represents a form of biblical hermeneutics that privileges the Gospel accounts over other scriptural sources when addressing contemporary social issues.

Campolo's theological argument rests on the claim that God's character and priorities are most fully revealed in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. He examines how Jesus's emphasis on care for the poor, opposition to violence, radical inclusivity, and critique of religious hypocrisy should shape Christian political witness. This christocentric approach to divine revelation stands in tension with systematic theologies that draw more broadly from the entire biblical canon or natural theology.

The book engages critically with both the religious right and secular left, arguing that neither adequately represents the radical nature of Jesus's kingdom ethics. Campolo challenges prosperity theology and nationalistic Christianity while also rejecting purely materialist solutions to social problems. His vision of God emerges as one who sides with the marginalized and calls followers to sacrificial love rather than political power.

The significance of this work lies in its attempt to articulate a theologically grounded political philosophy that resists co-optation by existing ideological frameworks. Campolo's emphasis on divine revelation through Jesus's teachings offers a specific answer to questions about how knowledge of God should influence public life. His argument that authentic faith requires concrete social action reflects a particular understanding of divine-human relationship that emphasizes orthopraxy alongside orthodoxy. The work contributes to ongoing debates about the relationship between religious conviction and political engagement in pluralistic societies.