Evangelicals need to guard against a parallel politicization of churches. Pastors as they exegete Scripture can and should make practical applications to key moral issues such as abortion, but they should be wary of going further. The Bible tells us what we need to know about past and future—how we're created and where we're going. It does not tell us precisely what to do about the Keystone pipeline or Iran's drive for nuclear weapons.

What is remarkable is that with Ross Douthat being who he is and having the prominence that he does, there are a great many people who will take the time to take this in when they otherwise would not come near these ideas with a ten foot pole. Douthat is an accepted member of the American elite, and they will listen to him more so than they would from others hailing from ‘flyover country.’