Ideologies are beliefs that shape how we see, interpret, and engage the world. Ideologies are interpretive lenses that often explain how and why we understand the world in the ways we do, including the assumptions we make, the meaning we assign to things, and the stereotypes we hold about individuals, groups, cultures, and regions of the country and world. Ideologies are more powerful than we think, and they inform—at times dictate—how we read and interpret Scripture, love our neighbors, and engage civically and politically.