Former Clinton Administration staff and current Democratic strategist and Fox News consultant, Kirsten Powers, has become a Christian. Or as she puts it, “The Hound of Heaven has pursued me and caught me–whether I liked it or not.” You can read Kirsten’s personal testimony, The God I Can’t Write Off, in the November 2013 edition of Christianity Today.
Even though she has generally represented the opposing political viewpoint from mine, I’ve always appreciated Powers’ respectful and sincere tone when I saw and heard her on Fox News. I knew nothing about her beyond that until I read her story.
How did this alternating Atheist/Agnostic, having left her father’s borrowed Episcopal faith, come to faith in Jesus? The issue came to a head as her boyfriend asked her if she believed in Jesus, making it clear that it would be a deal breaker for possible marriage if she didn’t. She assured him that believing in Jesus was not going to happen. But when challenged to have “an open mind” about it, she couldn’t admit as a liberal that she was closed minded, though having to acknowledge that she was. Closed minds come from all religious and political persuasions.
Then she agreed to attend a service at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, where she heard Pastor Tim Keller. She was turned off by the contemporary worship, so odd in contrast to the high church liturgy of her childhood, but was surprised by Keller’s knowledgeable and articulate preaching. She continued to attend, enjoying Keller’s talks, but turned off by Jesus. “Why did he have to ruin a perfectly good talk with this Jesus nonsense?” But as Keller continued to press the case for Jesus, Kirsten became intellectually convinced of Christianity’s credibility.
But it still wasn’t personal. She felt nothing until… Her description of what happened reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” No matter how hard she tried, Kirsten couldn’t shake the “Hound of Heaven” who had turned on the light switch of spiritual regeneration and claimed Kirsten as His child.
What’s next? Now that she is a Christian, is the next step to switch political parties? She acknowledges “that one of my most pressing concerns was that Christians would try to turn me into a Republican.” But, no, that is not where her story has gone. As she wrestled with what all this means. Bonhoffer biographer, Eric Metaxas, urged her to get into a Bible study. She nervously found a place in Kathy Keller’s group and after several months testifies, “Slowly there was less fear and more joy. The Hound of Heaven had pursued me and caught me…”
Whether you are politically liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, please don’t focus on that. Just rejoice that another name is “written in heaven.” Luke 10:20
Tom Macy 
I have always found it curious that there is an expectation that “conservative” (or evangelical) theological views should somehow be oriented in parallel with conservative political or economic views. Particularly regarding economics, because what passes for some conservative policy prescriptions now would have been rejected by conservative economists in the 1980s when I was in the University. And even some of that philosophy of economic and political conservatives seems to draw the worst conclusions from atheistic sources like John Stuart Mill and Ann Rand.
So I am not surprised that Kristen didn’t abandon all of her political views wholesale. In my opinion one should start from Biblical principles and work toward an evaluation of various political and economic views. In the end, one might become quite eclectic. Jumping on a conservative bandwagon without evaluation might be easier, but some pretty strong contradictions will emerge, not to mention some misconstrued facts.
One course this is also the case if one jumps on the “liberal” bandwagon without careful reflection. I really don’t think there is a good substitute for this kind of evaluation, otherwise there are many ways one will be used for bad purposes.
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Thanks David. And that is just the point that I make to my fellow conservatives, whether the implications be biblical, moral, political or economic. I want to evaluate my views in regard to all disciplines in light of Scripture and make adjustments accordingly, but I don’t believe it is right or wise to equate the various conservative positions as automatically aligning with Scripture. You and other fellow believers have helped many to see the folly of that. I’m sure Kristen’s views will evolve based on her new found faith, but so are mine as I learn to question long held assumptions on various issues and seek to align them with Scripture, not force my theology to align with political conservatism.
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