Book excerpt: God intended the Bible to give guidance to every area of life—including how governments should function. Derived from Wayne Grudem's Politics According to the Bible, this book highlights those economic and foreign-policy issues that have dominated political debate recently and is a must-read for any Christian concerned about current debates over: Economic issues and taxation. The size and role of government. The best way forward out of a recession. Relationships to other nations. Throughout, Wayne Grudem—author of the bestselling Systematic Theology—supports political positions that would be called more "conservative" than "liberal." However, "it is important to understand that I see these positions as flowing out of the Bible's teachings rather than positions I hold prior to, or independently of, those biblical teachings," he writes. "My primary purpose in the book is not to be liberal or conservative, or Democrat or Republican, but to explain a biblical worldview and a biblical perspective on issues of politics, law, and government." Not every reader will agree with the book's conclusions. But by grounding his analysis deeply on Scripture, Grudem has equipped Christians to better understand and respond to some of today's key political debates wisely and in a manner consistent with their primary citizenship as members and ambassadors of the kingdom of God.