Out of the Catholic and Orthodox traditions emerged newly-formed streams of Christianity. Those traditions both drew upon, and reacted against, the other traditions. In this installment, we will explore briefly some of the main distinctives of these traditions as they sought to formulate the proper approach to the political sphere. We will begin with the [ Read More ]
In the wake of Augustine’s magisterial City of God, and the ensuing weakening of the Roman Empire, the church continued to reflect upon, and develop its approach toward politics. After the schism that resulted in the formation of an Eastern Orthodox church distinct from the Roman Catholicism, some differences of approach emerged. In this installment, [ Read More ]
The early church forged its thinking about politics from Scripture and in the context of a decadent pagan Roman Empire. It grappled with how best to further the Christian mission in such a context. Should it withdraw from the political sphere, given its persecuted minority status within the empire? Conversely, should it expend the majority of [ Read More ]
What Hath Christianity To Do with Politics?: (Pt:1: The Bible and Politics) In a nation divided socially, culturally, and politically, there is a necessity to reflect upon the proper relationship between Christianity and politics. As Richard John Neuhaus often remarked, politics is a function of culture at large, and culture is always underlain by religion [ Read More ]
America has always been more religiously devout than other Western democracies. But now, like them, it has begun to secularize rapidly. And, as religion has declined, political ideology has intensified, society has fragmented, and cultural common ground has disintegrated. As a result, politics is increasingly divisive and existentially fraught. For over three decades, debates about [ Read More ]
The only organ to which secular progressive political activists make little appeal these days—one could consider it America’s only understimulated organ—is the cerebrum. The brain. But when progressives do appeal to voters’ rationality, they wisely do so more primarily through story than through argument. Yet, unfortunately, the progressive story is a “story” not only in [ Read More ]
In this episode of the Tyrannus Hall videocast, Bill Dejong interviews me about the life and relevance of Dutch theologian and politician Abraham Kuyper. As with all revered leaders, Kuyper was a flawed man, but a great leader nonetheless, a Christian statesman from whom we American Christians can learn. To watch the video, click here.
In the last century, our social order has been radically desacralized. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer described this as a “world come of age,” in which Westerners attempt to manage life without God. Sociologist Philip Rieff deemed this a third era in world history, an age in which social order has been severed from sacred order and in which the West’s [ Read More ]
In this interview for “The Dual Citizen” podcast, Anna Claire Noblitt and I discuss the responsibilities and privileges of living in a twenty-first century democratic republic. The conversation is wide-ranging, covering a number of issues at the intersection of Christianity, politics, and public life. Listen to the 27-minute interview by clicking here.
What a happy, life-altering, exhausting, and intimidating thing it is to be a parent of small children. I am the father of three children under the age of 12. There have been moments of undeniable joy, such as watching my oldest daughter take her first steps. There have been many opportunities for laughter, such as [ Read More ]