Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
A Christian Nation? As American Christians consider the relationship of Christianity to American politics, one popular approach has been to identify the United States of America as a “Christian nation.” According to this idea, America is founded on Christian principles, has a Christian heritage, and should continue to have Christianity be dominant in shaping its … Read more
Most American Christians find their political and national identity in the nation of the United States of America. They then find their religious identity in being a Christian. From this perspective, the Christian Church is a religious institution or community. It is there to help facilitate people’s religious or spiritual experiences and to provide for … Read more
The New Testament and Politics When discussing a Biblical view of the state, it is very common for people to turn immediately to Romans 13:1-7 (“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. . .”), as if this provides the basic and central summary of a New Testament view of politics. However, this is a mistake. … Read more
During this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have enforced orders of “social distancing,” requiring people to stay home and only to interact with others if absolutely necessary, in order to help prevent the spread of the virus. As a result, many businesses and organizations have been required to close, or at least to stop … Read more
Should Christians Protest? Many Christians simply assume that it is obvious that Christians should engage in political protests or even civil disobedience if they disagree with the government’s actions. However, this is by no means self-evident. After all, we cannot judge those outside the church (I Cor 5:12), nor can we reasonably expect people who … Read more
In the first part of this series, I described and assessed four different models for how the church should relate to the political powers of this world: Christendom, Pietism, Dual Citizenship, and Natural Law. In this second part, I advocate an alternative model that bears some similarities to the Pietism and Natural Law models, while … Read more
For nearly 2,000 years, the church has wrestled with the question of how it should relate to the political powers of this world. This is an enormously complex and difficult issue, and Christians have given a wide variety of answers to this question through the centuries. At the risk of oversimplification, I propose that Christian … Read more
Natural Law Christians know what the will of God is. They know what is morally right and wrong. They know this because God has revealed this to His covenant people in His word, the Scriptures, and ultimately in His Word, Jesus Christ. But what about those who do not know God in this way? Is … Read more
Plagues. Hurricanes. Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Volcanic Eruptions. These events can kill thousands, bring suffering to many times more, and seriously disrupt the normal course of life and society. They cause us to pause and to ask the question: why do these things happen? Natural Disasters and Evil For the atheist, the answer is obvious: these events … Read more
Most modern Christians read the New Testament with a filter that says, “New Testament ethics is only about personal morality, so of course the New Testament ethic of love says nothing against state-sponsored violence; of course the New Testament ethic of love does not forbid us to hate and kill the enemies of our nation.” … Read more