Presidential Lecture Series: Faith in the Halls of Power Opens with Guest Speaker Tim Goeglein
| Photo courtesy of The King’s College
Tim Goeglein kicked off the Presidential Series, Faith in the Halls of Power, on Sept. 15. Goeglein, a senior fellow at The King’s College, previously served as top aide to President George W. Bush as his special assistant from 2001 to 2008. He shifted his career to focus on outreach and is currently the Vice President of external relations at Focus on the Family.
The lecture began with Goeglein reminding the audience of America’s important Christian roots.
“I am honored to be the first of other speakers of this series and I hope I do honor to all the people who are to come afterward,” said Goeglein.
Serving in the political realm for much of his adult life, Goeglein understands that Christianity and politics go hand in hand. Many know that Christian principles were the basis of the American founding. However, it is not common knowledge that the founders intended for America to continually function under such principles.
“I believe, as Christians, that we have a duty to speak the truth about politics, about our biblical views of morality and God,” Goeglein said. “It is important that, as I made the assertions today, I am doing so in a way that confirms our need to stand for religious, moral and civic renewal in light of the biblical code.”
Goeglein spoke of familiar names regarding America’s founding. Icons such as the first four presidents spoke about the importance of religion in American politics.
Quoting America’s second President, John Adams, Goeglein said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is only inadequate to the government of any other.”
Our founders understood that moral excellence is the basis for our republic and ensures our privilege of liberty and virtue. Goeglein expresses that Christianity is constant with the nourishment and preservation of liberty and freedom.
In modern days, Goeglein notices that young people are increasingly inserting their faith into every aspect of media.
“We are living in a time now that is rich and supple,” Goeglein said, “for imaginative and innovative young Christians to step into any level of culture and make it new.”
Goeglein emphasizes that he is in no way against institutions; however, he believes that the arts and entertainment are excellent avenues for Christian morals to shape the culture. Young men and women of faith are using their power and energy to influence society through the arts. More people from every spectrum have access to express their faith through poetry, film or paint.
“I am very interested in what it means to live a life of conscience in a political society,” Rebecca Au-Mullaney, the Director of Strategic Communications at The King’s College, said.
Au-Mullaney expresses that while Goeglein focuses his career on right, evangelical perspectives. Both left, and right perspectives have similar motives and ethical goals for moral excellence and religious freedom.
“In the way that Christians go about political engagement, I would hope that we would move to a model where we are concerned about protecting the rights and liberties of people not like us,” Au-Mullaney said.