St Louis Native, Pastor and Author Dr. Raymond R. Roberts to present Unifying Message of Hope this Saturday, August 8
Pastor and Author Dr. Raymond R. Roberts will speak on Sat, Aug. 8, 2026, at 10AM about his new book “A Democratic and Republican Faith” at Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery Assembly’s Education Hour hosted by Cote Brillante Presbyterian Church in Ferguson, MO.
To bring our country together and reduce affective polarization, Pastor and Author Dr. Raymond R. Roberts believes we can reach higher ground by finding common ground in our shared values.
Dr. Raymond R. Roberts has been presenting the concepts in “A Democratic and Republican Faith” at churches and conferences around the country, and received an overwhelmingly positive response.
To help others find higher ground, Roberts will discuss the 9 principles featured in his public theology, on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 10:00AM at Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery Assembly’s Education Hour in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Presbyterian Outlook chose “A Democratic and Republican Faith” book by Dr. Raymond R. Roberts as a Book of the Month.
Pastor Dr. Raymond R. Roberts will speak on Aug. 8 at Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery Assembly in St. Louis about his new book “A Democratic and Republican Faith.”
Dr. Roberts says, “Though it may sound counterintuitive, we frequently find common ground by getting to higher ground. That is by identifying principles that people share and then talking about how they apply. Our nation is increasingly divided by affective polarization, the fear that our political opponents want to destroy the country. We diminish this fear when we discover that we share values and principles.”
Roberts adds, “While we will likely continue to disagree about what the principles mean or how they apply to a given situation, focusing on what we have in common shifts the discussion away from the people to the principles and related policies. Extremists will always exist, but when we center our attention on the principles, we expand the middle, common ground.”
Based on extensive research and a PhD in History and Theology, Roberts expands, “One feature of our tattered democratic culture is that many doubt that their political opponents share their values. The rise of extremism on both the left and right is partially to blame; however, the mainstream church contributed to this decline by failing to pass on its principles to its members.”
To understand why this is so, Roberts emphasizes that it’s important to remember that the institutions and practices of democracy rest on a number of ideas. The author believes these concepts include notions such as people possess inherent dignity that governments must respect, or the chronic human tendency to corruption requires us to uphold the separation of powers between branches of government, or that our lives are bound together in ways that call us to mutual responsibility. In addition, Roberts’ book explains that the church’s teachings about imago Dei, sin, and covenant relate directly to these things.
Expanding on these ideas, Roberts adds, “If the church recovered its theological language, it would contribute to a public ethos that defends democracy and its freedoms. They would also be better able to consider how others broadly share these or similar principles. Moving to higher ground invites us to transcend our political divisions and seek shared values of freedom, fairness, respect, and compassion.”
“I think most people want to fix America's broken system of immigration and they want to treat immigrants like human beings. We got past the Jim Crow segregation by going to a higher ground and reaffirming our shared human dignity. We can do it again,” Roberts reflects.
To help find a path forward, Roberts will discuss the 9 principles featured in his public theology, which include: theocentrism, creation, image of God, natural law, sin, hope, vocation, covenant, and ecclesiology.
Dr. Roberts has been presenting the concepts in “A Democratic and Republican Faith” at churches and conferences around the country. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.
The Presbyterian Outlook chose this book as a Book of the Month. Outlook book editor, Amy Pagliarella, writes, “More than just a clever play on words, the title, ‘A Democratic and Republican Faith’ demonstrates that the thread of Protestant faith in the American story goes beyond partisanship. Roberts, a pastor and professor of ethics, is convinced that ‘Christianity’s view that all people are equal in God’s sight encourages the republican ideal that all citizens are equal before the law.’ In their desire to establish a country without a national religion, Roberts argues that American forefathers were guided by their faith — even if they often lived their Christian ideals haphazardly.”
BOOK TALK EVENT – All are welcome
Dr. Raymond R. Roberts Book Talk
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 10:00AM CST (Doors open at 9:00AM)
Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy
Hosted by Cote Brillante Presbyterian Church
401 Darst Rd.
Ferguson, MO 63135
WHERE TO GET THE BOOK
A Democratic and Republican Faith: A Public Theology for a Church and Nation in Crisis (April 27, 2026)
Amazon
https://a.co/d/04sHXZzY
Barnes and Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-democratic-and-republican-faith-raymond-r-roberts/1150020480
Wipf and Stock Publishers
https://wipfandstock.com/9798385251421/a-democratic-and-republican-faith/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Raymond R. Roberts (Richmond, Virginia/ Short Pump) is a Pastor with 40+ years of experience, Professor of Health Ethics at University of Richmond, Author of "A Democratic and Republican Faith: A Public Theology for a Church and Nation in Crisis (Wipf and Stock, April 2026) and a Musician, Singer, and Songwriter. Roberts is also the Author of "Whose Kids Are They Anyway: Religion and Morality in America’s Public Schools" (2002) and a Substack blogger (@raymondrroberts). In addition, Roberts previously served as Head of Staff at River Road Presbyterian Church (Richmond, VA), The Presbyterian Church (Westfield, NJ), Grace Presbyterian Church (Jenkintown, PA), and Amherst Presbyterian Church (Amherst, VA). Roberts received a Ph.D. in History and Theology from Union Presbyterian Seminary and is a 30+ year member of the Society of Christian Ethics. In addition, Roberts is songwriter, guitarist, and singer in the band Reckless and Wild, and co-wrote the song “Let Freedom Ring.” Roberts' work has been featured on WRVA 1140AM, The Presbyterian Outlook, The National Law Review, Midwest Book Review, The Thought Atlas Podcast, Zooming In at The UnPopulist, and more. https://raymondrroberts.org
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Why Dr. Raymond R. Roberts Wrote New Book: "A Democratic and Republican Faith" to Save Democracy
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