Feature interview: Is Christianity the tonic the world needs right now?

From Afternoons, 3:10 pm on 30 September 2025

  Christianity is the load bearing wall that holds up democracy, and it is crumbling says author, journalist, and senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, Jonathan Rauch. A committed atheist, Rauch says citizens need to take a page from the Christian bible and offer compassion to others, forgive and share power otherwise democracy will not survive. He warns that fear and grievance have replaced biblical values and both religion and society are suffering because of it.  Rauch writes about returning faith to focusing on healing instead of dividing in his book, Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy.

Jonathan Rauch

Photo: Photo courtesy of Brookings Institute