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Welcome to \"Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics, and the Art of Bearing Witness.\" In this course, we confront fundamental questions shaping the intersection of faith and politics. Why is it vital to maintain a clear distinction between church and state? Can the United States truly be labeled as \"Christian\"? How do Christians navigate political decisions, and what distinguishes using the Bible for political reinforcement from reading it for transformation? \"Serpents and Doves\" challenges us to reconsider our political approach without advocating disengagement. Instead, it encourages Christians to contextualize the politics of the day within the broader perspective of worship, discipleship, and the proclamation of Jesus as Lord. Join us as we navigate this thought-provoking terrain, inviting you to ponder, reflect, and deepen your understanding of the nuanced relationship between Christianity and the political landscape.

","short_description":"\"Serpents and Doves\" urges Christians to rethink political engagement, emphasizing worship, discipleship, and proclaiming Jesus as Lord. Explore with us as we delve into this intriguing topic, inviting reflection on the intricate link between Christianity and politics.","categories":[{"id":7359,"name":"Being Disciples","slug":"being-disciples","description":"course associated with personal formation and imitation of Christ","order":0,"resources_count":null}],"image":null,"cover_image":"https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/jVeqgchVTvSW3YA6fg18","thumb":"https://pathwright.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.filestackcontent.com%2Fapi%2Ffile%2FjVeqgchVTvSW3YA6fg18%3Fsignature%3D888b9ea3eb997a4d59215bfbe2983c636df3c7da0ff8c6f85811ff74c8982e34%26policy%3DeyJjYWxsIjogWyJyZWFkIiwgInN0YXQiLCAiY29udmVydCJdLCAiZXhwaXJ5IjogNDYyMDM3NzAzMX0%253D?dpr=1&fit=crop&h=232&ixlib=python-1.1.0&w=310&s=56f3f35a7fdb5a8bf60718d9ae495a6c","thumb_2x":"https://pathwright.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.filestackcontent.com%2Fapi%2Ffile%2FjVeqgchVTvSW3YA6fg18%3Fsignature%3D888b9ea3eb997a4d59215bfbe2983c636df3c7da0ff8c6f85811ff74c8982e34%26policy%3DeyJjYWxsIjogWyJyZWFkIiwgInN0YXQiLCAiY29udmVydCJdLCAiZXhwaXJ5IjogNDYyMDM3NzAzMX0%253D?dpr=2&fit=crop&h=232&ixlib=python-1.1.0&w=310&s=dfabd0963cecf765cc43769bc1e14f30","icon":"https://pathwright.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.filestackcontent.com%2Fapi%2Ffile%2FjVeqgchVTvSW3YA6fg18%3Fsignature%3D888b9ea3eb997a4d59215bfbe2983c636df3c7da0ff8c6f85811ff74c8982e34%26policy%3DeyJjYWxsIjogWyJyZWFkIiwgInN0YXQiLCAiY29udmVydCJdLCAiZXhwaXJ5IjogNDYyMDM3NzAzMX0%253D?fit=crop&h=35&ixlib=python-1.1.0&w=35&s=cebf5493a34d12865f99a8ee0aca8290","background_image":"https://pathwright.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.filestackcontent.com%2Fapi%2Ffile%2FIiPBpQpBSWaZlGSjxTh4%3Fsignature%3D888b9ea3eb997a4d59215bfbe2983c636df3c7da0ff8c6f85811ff74c8982e34%26policy%3DeyJjYWxsIjogWyJyZWFkIiwgInN0YXQiLCAiY29udmVydCJdLCAiZXhwaXJ5IjogNDYyMDM3NzAzMX0%253D?balph=40&blend=666666&blur=500&bm=screen&fit=max&fm=jpg&high=-80&ixlib=python-1.1.0&q=100&w=1400&s=ed8b05784c165aedc8ce717677ec7b64","background_overlay":null,"background_image_blurred_cdn":"https://pathwright.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.filestackcontent.com%2Fapi%2Ffile%2FIiPBpQpBSWaZlGSjxTh4%3Fsignature%3D888b9ea3eb997a4d59215bfbe2983c636df3c7da0ff8c6f85811ff74c8982e34%26policy%3DeyJjYWxsIjogWyJyZWFkIiwgInN0YXQiLCAiY29udmVydCJdLCAiZXhwaXJ5IjogNDYyMDM3NzAzMX0%253D?balph=40&blend=666666&blur=500&bm=screen&fit=max&fm=jpg&h=250&high=-80&ixlib=python-1.1.0&q=100&w=250&s=c84346e3e64ce6d1cd3441a12f899d58","background_type":5,"authors":[{"id":6345,"display_name":"Dr. James Spencer","first_name":"James","last_name":"Spencer","bio":"

James earned his Ph.D. in theological studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He served as an administrator and leader in Christian higher education, overseeing education marketing and finance, instructional design, part- and full-time faculty, call center operations, and program design and development. He continues to consult with Christian colleges and seminaries, as well as non-profit organizations to help them build stronger organizational capacity, design strategic products and programs, and improve marketing, recruitment, and enrollment efforts.

He currently serves as President of Useful to God Ministries and as President of D. L. Moody Center, an independent non-profit organization inspired by the life and ministry of Dwight Moody and dedicated to proclaiming the gospel and challenging God’s follow Jesus.

James recently released Christian Resistance: Learning to Deny the World and Follow Jesus. He also authored Useful to God: Nine Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody in 2022 and Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Mind in 2020. In addition, he co-authored Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology and “Isaiah” in The Moody Bible Commentary. James has also contributed to The Moody Encyclopedia of Messianic Prophecy, The Encyclopedia of Online Education and has published in Theological Educator and Cultural Encounters Journal. His various opinion pieces have been published by The Western Journal, The Christian Post, TownHall, American Thinker, Real Clear Religion, The Stream, and CNS News. In addition, he has been a guest on CBN’s Faith v. Culture program, The Counter-Culture Mom Podcast, Newsmax, and Hope Today with Perry Atkinson.
James also serves as adjunct faculty for Wheaton College in Wheaton’s Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership and Master of Arts in Global Leadership programs, as well as acting as faculty chair with Right On Mission (rightonmission.org) for which he teaches a variety of courses including Developing a Christian Mind, Prophets and Whistleblowers, Cultural Maturity, Secular Ideologies, and Research Discernment Lab.
James and his wife Kim have been married since 1999 and have three children. He enjoys weight training, running obstacle course races, and reading in his spare time. You can learn more about James at his website jamesgspencer.com.

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Take the Serpents and Doves course and get access to:
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Open Enrollment, Begin a course on your time
20-30 minute sessions
13 sessions
Session reflections for comprehension
Self-paced class
Recommended reading provided

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Final Reflection Encouraged

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Get this course for $49, $29 for a limited time.

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