"Our politics is sick," writes Michael Wear in his new book, The Spirit of Our Politics, in an observation that seems difficult to refute.
If polls are any indication, Americans, facing the upcoming presidential election with a deep sense of foreboding, are sick of our politics. There's even a name for this affliction: election stress disorder. Is there anything we can do about our exhaustion with the toxic elements in our political culture, which seems to intrude into all aspects of our lives?
That's the question Wear, a Christian who worked in the Obama administration in the office of faith-based outreach and now runs the Center for Christianity and Public Life, tries to answer in his timely book. Wear is especially concerned about the way in which venomous elements in our politics have infected the lives of religious believers, particularly Christians. Even more troubling is the way believers — and Wear adduces examples on both the right and the left — exacerbate the toxicity and do so with the justification that they have a Gospel mandate.
Wear does not recommend completely detaching from politics, even deeply partisan politics. He wants to restore a proper sense of the limits of politics, especially concerning the space politics occupies in our souls. He counsels seeing political parties as vehicles or instruments of political action, not as a primary source of identity.
For those in search of strategies to detox from politics, here is a set of practical suggestions, largely derived from Wear's book.
Practice healthy news consumption
We know that online algorithms are not designed to help us encounter diverse voices. Instead, algorithms feed us more of the same and lead us in the direction of more hardened ideological views. As a counter, Wear suggests we should read or watch broadly and selectively. Alongside the outlets that feed you conclusions with which you already agree, regularly visit some where you will encounter arguments against positions you hold. Amid the short, quick takes on issues, mix in some longer form journalism.
Criticize ideological teammates and commend foes
In your interaction on social media or with friends, be willing to affirm those you oppose and criticize those you support. One way to maintain the independence of one's convictions is to publicly state disagreements with those on your side and to commend opponents when they get something right. For partisans, crediting the other side or criticizing one's own is seen as capitulation and weakness; but in fact it takes resilience and courage to do this. Moreover, doing so can open up space for others to be more comfortable doing the same.
Pursue silence and solitude
Caught up in the political battle of the moment, we respond mechanically to social cues. To counter that tendency, Wear suggests that we develop habits of silence and solitude, of spending time in stillness. For believers, this will also involve quiet prayer and worship. This can help us recover a sense of self, independent of the pressures of the political battles of the moment.
Cultivate apolitical friendships
Solitude is different from loneliness; the former is chosen, while the latter is not. Moreover, loneliness is experienced as a deprivation and is often a source of sorrow or depression. A recent Atlantic article "Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out," details the adverse effects of the decline in social interaction, one of which is that loneliness leads us to catastrophize the problems we see in the world.
Virtual connections are no substitute for embodied real-world time with other people. So, alongside silence and solitude, we need to cultivate rich in-person relationships with others. More than ever, we need apolitical friendships. These need not avoid politics entirely, but they should be grounded in something deeper than politics.
Focus on the way Scripture confounds politics
One piece of advice that Wear offers to pastors seems to me relevant to all believers. Rather than seeking to use the Scripture to prop up particular political policies, give attention to the features of the Scriptures that transcend and confound political frameworks. Again, the point is not to opt out of politics, but if we politicize everything, we will lose the resources we need to elevate our politics and we may lose the resources to heal our souls from the toxicity that threatens to engulf us.
Thomas S. Hibbs is a philosophy professor at Baylor University.