Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
As American society transitions to being a post-Christian culture, it is inevitable that Christians will experience increasing levels of persecution. America has never been a Christian nation. However, as American values drift even further away from Christian values, and as explicit rejection of Christian faith increases, the fact that America is not a Christian nation … Read more
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is opposed to the coercive authority of governments and nation states. Anarchists believe that replacing the coercive power of governments with free, voluntary associations will lead to greater human flourishing. There is much diversity among anarchists, and many different types of anarchism. But they are all united … Read more
The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which had established the legal freedom to have an abortion as a Constitutional right. This has moved the question of the legality of abortion back into the democratic legislative process (where it belongs), and a number of states have quickly moved to make … Read more
The End of Christendom For many centuries, from the late Roman Empire, through the Middle Ages, and into the Modern period, the political, social, and ecclesial status quo in Western civilization was that of Christendom. All of society was (supposedly) Christian. “Christian” governments used coercion and violence to force everyone to be part of the … Read more
A Great Apostasy? There is a popular belief among many Christians that in the early fourth century, with the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine to Christianity, the church suddenly committed a “Great Apostasy” by turning away from the Way of Jesus, making a grab for worldly political power, and embracing “Constantinianism.” Usually this is … Read more
The Importance of Church History There are two reasons it is important to know about Church history. The first reason is so that the Church today can look to the authority of Church tradition to guide us. Even if we are Protestants who believe in “sola scriptura,” we must recognize that the Bible itself is … Read more
One of the most significant political and social developments of the last century in America has been the enormous expansion of government aid provided to the poor and needy. Early on in American history, the federal government for the most part restricted its role to what the Constitution explicitly said it could do. However, beginning … Read more
Many modern Western Christians are highly resistant to the idea that there could be such a thing as collective or communal moral responsibility or guilt. How can I, many ask, be morally responsible for something that someone else has done? Such an attitude stems from the individualism of modern Western culture, which deeply affects us … Read more
One of the most controversial political issues in American society in recent years has been the issue of immigration: what kind of immigration laws the United States should have and how we should deal with illegal immigrants. Many Christians have publically weighed in on this issue, offering a variety of perspectives and positions about what … Read more
Previously on this blog, I have made the case for Christian pacifism, critiqued Christian just war theory, and responded to the most common objections to Christian pacifism. One might assume that adopting an antiwar, pacifist stance necessarily entails being opposed to the death penalty. However, this is not necessarily the case, since there are some … Read more