To avoid the sin of ideology in political life requires one to maintain the perspective that Kirk and Voegelin expressed in their work. As much as conservatism is about specific objectives such as keeping private associations vibrant, avoiding excessive government interference in . . . Continue reading →
Politics
Female Predators In Public Schools
The institutions entrusted with the formation of young men are failing in their most basic duty of protection. This week, a 28-year-old female health teacher in Colorado was arrested, accused of a year-long sexual relationship with a 14-year-old male student. The allegations . . . Continue reading →
NJ AG Subpoena Of Pregnancy Resource Center Goes To SCOTUS
First Choice Women’s Resource Centers has been providing services to pregnant women since 1985. The organization exists to give women the information and resources they need to make life-affirming decisions for themselves and their unborn children. First Choice also provides counsel for . . . Continue reading →
It’s Nihilism
MAGA social-media personality Benny Johnson blamed transgenderism; Westman started identifying as female in 2020, when he was 17. (Robin Westman used to be Robert Westman.) “The trans movement is radicalizing the mentally ill into becoming violent terrorists who target children for murder,” Johnson posted . . . Continue reading →
The Vertical Dimensions Of The Cross
The Scriptures give us a robust revelation about all that Jesus accomplished on the cross. As we go about seeking to categorize all of the various dimensions of the cross, we discover that there are both vertical and horizontal dimensions to Jesus’ work. The verticaldimensions are foundational; . . . Continue reading →
Pot Is Not What You Think It Is
Rescheduling marijuana would open the door for Big Weed to go mainstream. Businesses now operating in a legal grey area could licitly deduct business expenses, access capital, and advertise openly. National brands could arise, running spots during football games, offering intro deals via . . . Continue reading →
Shut It Down
Since its creation in 1979, the Department of Education has sent well more than $1 trillion to schools with the express purpose of closing the gaps between the highest and lowest performers. Today, those gaps are as wide as they have ever been, . . . Continue reading →
Does Hegseth’s Religion Disqualify Him From A Cabinet Position?
No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States (Constitution of the United States, Art. VI). In recent weeks at least three people have contacted me to notify me that Secretary . . . Continue reading →
POPLL: An Alternative To Christian Nationalism (And Theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Theocracy, And Christendom) (Pt 9)
So far in this series we have considered four ways that Christians can engage secular politics in our time, between the ascension and return of Christ: Prayer, Organize, Persuade, Legislate, and Litigate. Certainly the first point, prayer, cannot be controversial, since Scripture . . . Continue reading →
POPLL: An Alternative To Christian Nationalism (And Theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Theocracy, And Christendom) (Pt 8)
The fourth of our five points of Christian citizenship is Legislate. Last time we considered briefly what it means to legislate, i.e., to draft and pass a law, but how does it happen? How does one become a legislator and how does . . . Continue reading →
POPLL: An Alternative To Christian Nationalism (And Theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Theocracy, And Christendom) (Pt 7)
One of the great errors of the American Christian Nationalists is that they have given up on the American project before they have actually attempted the act of citizenship. They complain endlessly about the so-called “post-World War II consensus,” which they never . . . Continue reading →
POPLL: An Alternative To Christian Nationalism (And Theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Theocracy, And Christendom) (Pt 6)
I have been laboring over the middle rubric of the POPLL agenda, namely persuasion, because it is much neglected and yet central to Christian social engagement in a democratic republic like the USA. I am also laboring over it because it is . . . Continue reading →
POPLL: An Alternative To Christian Nationalism (And Theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Theocracy, And Christendom) (Pt 5)
In this part of the series, we are considering the art of persuasion—that is, convincing our neighbors of views and policies that are for the improvement of the body politic. In order to persuade our neighbors, Christians need to make three distinctions: . . . Continue reading →
POPLL: An Alternative To Christian Nationalism (And Theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Theocracy, And Christendom) (Pt 4)
There are five points to the citizenship program for which I have been arguing. The third point is persuasion. Last time we looked at some of the challenges we face in persuading our neighbors to support policies and politics that, “under the . . . Continue reading →
POPLL: An Alternative To Christian Nationalism (And Theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Theocracy, And Christendom) (Pt 3)
The third and central act of active citizenship is persuasion, i.e., leading (inducing) our neighbors to agree with us about temporal life. Just as we organize for the well being of society, so also we seek, through convincing evidence, clear logic, and . . . Continue reading →
POPLL: An Alternative To Christian Nationalism (And Theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Theocracy, And Christendom) (Pt 2)
The second stage of active citizenship is organizing. Just as we pray for the well being of society, so also we work for it. This is a more important step than one might think because Christians too often simply assume that the . . . Continue reading →
Political Therapeutic Deism
In my new book, The Spirit of Our Politics, I introduce a new term, Political Therapeutic Deism, inspired by the term Moral Therapeutic Deism which was coined by sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton. Political Therapeutic Deism is a system of beliefs . . . Continue reading →
The Rise Of The New Fourth Reich And The Fall Of The New Perspective?
I was raised in an era that is evidently receding. Not that very long ago, it was quite politically incorrect to mistreat Jewish holocaust descendants. Now, a Jewish student is practically persecuted on many elite campuses. Indeed, that general disavowal of anti-Semitism, . . . Continue reading →
Five Christian Ideas That Promote Political Moderation: Part 2
We live in a time of political tensions and increasing polarization. In these days, when some around us through impatience or fear flirt with radical politics, Christians must keep their wits. In part 1 of this two-part series, I introduced the case . . . Continue reading →
Five Christian Ideas That Promote Political Moderation: Part 1
Many American Christians show an increasing affinity for radical politics. Many of these, dissatisfied with lawless excess and social decay, are more inclined to a politics of the far right, though not exclusively.1 Continue reading →