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Jesse Covington, whose research explores the interrelation of religion and government, takes a step away from the current electoral matchup to look at enduring challenges Christians face in a context like the United States. He discusses “Hopeful Realism: Faith-Based Principles for Pluralist Democracy” at a Westmont Downtown Lecture.

“Christian citizens can experience tension in their political activity, particularly when their moral commitments seem at odds with the tenets of a pluralist democracy — at times to such an extent that they feel they have to choose between the two,” says Covington, professor of political science and director of Westmont’s Augustinian Scholars Program. “But this need not be the case,” he contends.

The talk will draw on a forthcoming book by Covington, Bryan McGraw and Micah Watson that explores how the Christian intellectual tradition can help with this tension. “Hopeful Realism: Evangelical Natural Law and Democratic Politics,” which will be available for purchase in January, shows how the insights of St. Augustine of Hippo, in concert with the Christian natural law tradition, can provide vital guidance for Christians in politics today.

Covington earned a master’s and doctorate in political science from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in religion from Westminster Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University.

He contributed to the book “Concepts of Nature: Ancient and Modern” and co-edited “Natural Law and Evangelical Political Thought.”

Westmont Downtown: Conversations About Things That Matter is a free lecture series sponsored by the Westmont Foundation, which also sponsors the annual Westmont President’s Breakfast in late February.