Political nuance is often absent in dinner table conversations and debate-stage theatrics. Herd mentality and desperation for sound bites over sound arguments have decimated relationships, marred American politics, and reduced our identities to right or left. Nuance is essential to the reconciliation of a divided culture.
But so is absolute truth. And that is why James Talarico and the movement behind him are so dangerous for Christians and non-Christians alike.
In the early 2010s, pastor and theologian Timothy Keller popularized the idea that Christianity offers a “third way” beyond the political categories of the modern left and right. Keller’s argument was not that political differences are irrelevant, nor that moral convictions should be softened in the name of unity. Rather, he argued that Christians must resist making idols out of their political tribes.
The essence of his argument was this: neither the right nor the left holds the satisfaction and truth we are seeking. Christ does. He is the “third way.”
Keller’s teaching was never an attempt to suggest moral equivalence between competing political ideologies, nor was it a call for passivity or compromise on biblical teaching. It was an effort to remind believers that our ultimate identity is rooted in Christ Jesus—that the ground beneath the cross is level, as “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).”
Yet in recent years, this idea has been repurposed in ways Keller never intended. Some political voices now invoke Christian language in order to justify theological misinterpretations of love that align with modern cultural narratives. The result is not the “third way” Keller described, but a politicized reinterpretation of Scripture.
This was on full display at Talarico’s victory speech after he won his Texas district’s Senate primary election last week. Behind him stood an ensemble of supporters wearing shirts that read, “Love Thy Neighbor.”
As all who claim Christ are commanded, Talarico too has been called to uphold biblical teachings in both his public and private life (while understanding no one can do so perfectly). And as Christ commands, “if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1).”
Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to hold Talarico accountable, as we should all political leaders who profess faith in Christ (something conservatives should practice more regularly within their own party).
We must be clear. The love of God, true love, is not unwavering affirmation. It is far richer and far more demanding than cultural sentimentality.
Scripture repeatedly portrays divine love as inseparable from truth and holiness. He is covenantally committed to our sanctification, utterly devoted to our redemption through the gift of His Son. He refuses to abandon us to our indulgences that, no matter how the world attempts to rebrand them, are poison to our souls.
The parable of the prodigal son illustrates this beautifully. The father embraces the returning son with compassion, yet the entire story hinges on the son recognizing the reality of his sin. This tension is central to the Christian worldview. Christ is “full of grace and truth (John 1:14),” not grace without truth, and not truth without grace.
Ultimate nuance. Ultimate mystery. Ultimate truth that does not waver in the wake of mere human emotion.
Loving thy neighbor does not compromise truth. Talarico isn’t practicing a “third way” when he redefines biblical texts to fit his cultural narrative. There is nothing loving about his message or his attempt at a movement. It is an attempt to change our unchanging God.
It is alarming to me that there is limited outrage over Talarico’s claims that “God is non-binary” or that Mary’s Magnificat is justification for abortion. In what some may view as a radical stance, someone who touts a divinity degree and attempts to equate the teachings of Christ to the teachings of Muhammad has grossly misinterpreted the Gospel.
Vox recently published an article titled “The Texas Democrat Trying to Reclaim Christianity from the Right.” While there are numerous problems with the headline itself, one being that Christianity exists outside of political camps, as Keller taught, and therefore never “belonged” to any group in the first place, the word “reclaiming” is far too forgiving here.
Talarico isn’t “reclaiming Christianity,” as this term assumes he is simply practicing his faith while running for a political office that has often rejected it. No, Talarico is rewriting Christianity to a taste that is more tolerable for the world’s palate. At best, he’s been deceived. At worst, he knows he’s being deceitful by perverting the Gospel.
Talarico isn’t alone. Many of us, myself included, have compromised on biblical teachings in order to receive the fleeting approval of our peers. But now more than ever we must hold fast to Paul’s warning in Romans 12 that we must not be “conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
In no way is it loving for any Christian to affirm Talarico, a self- identified brother in Christ, when his politics does not allow for absolute truth to exist. Nuance without truth is meaningless.
We can love our neighbor and simultaneously recognize that abortion is both biblically and scientifically wrong. In fact, it’s not something we can do if we please – it’s something all Christians are commanded to do.
Despite the temptation to practice utter complacency and pander to far-left extremists, the Bible is unwavering when it comes to gender and the sanctity of marriage. These truths were enshrined in the foundations of the world before they were ever buzzwords on social media feeds.
To indulge a movement like Talarico’s is to do the opposite of “loving thy neighbor.” It is to lead sheep to slaughter for the sake of our perceived moral righteousness.
