Christian Nation and the Church

In the midst of multi-taking, I listened to this discussion between Jim Wallis and Greg Boyd. In the spirit of honest dialogue that seems to be the hope of the Gospel now and in the coming days, these two evangelical Christians spoke about the role of the church in the American political system.

Ever since reading Christ and Culture, I have been struggling for words to define the relationship between the church and the world. Both Wallis and Boyd spoke about the Church's responsibility to transform the world. I agree--to a point. When there are people pursuing the way of Christ and living as Kingdom people in the world, the world will most definitely be changed. I would say that our responsibility though, rest in that--to pursue the Kingdom. Being in the world, we constantly encounter the world. As such, we seek justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, community for the isolated. But is our goal to change the world, or the usher in the Kingdom of God? Does one make the church subject to the world?