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Category Archives: Politics
FDR’s Holocaust Legacy – A Lesson in the Failure of Moral Courage
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was, and still is, one of most admired and esteemed presidents in American history. I grew up hearing a lot of good things about FDR. I also heard some bad things from those who felt the … Continue reading
Posted in America and Americanism, Culture, Ethics, History, Immigration, Israel, Politics
8 Comments
Understanding our Exilic Missional Context: Evangelicalism and Liberalism in Twentieth Century America
Most historians and religion scholars now agree that by the twentieth century liberal Protestantism had led to a mainstream Protestantism that was vague, theistic and excessively nationalistic. In a profound sense, concludes British Christian Studies scholar Linda Woodhead, “liberal Protestantism’s … Continue reading
The Church As God’s Social Strategy (3)
The second form of the church – political/social – is called the conversionist church. This form argues that no amount of tinkering with the structures of society or state will adequately counter the effects of human sin. What is needed … Continue reading
The Church as God’s Social Strategy (1)
The much reviewed and debated book, Resident Aliens (Abingdon, 1989), which I wrote a great deal about last week, prompted deep emotional reaction in me when I first read it back in 1990. Now, twenty-two years later, I have re-read … Continue reading
Is There a Bias From the Bottom?
The words of Fr. Richard Rohr have very often been used by the Holy Spirit to work deep grace and peace into my soul. Rohr is clearly not everyone’s cup of tea, that much I can tell you with real … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Hermeneutics, Jesus, Politics, Poverty, The Church
9 Comments
Why Politics Matters and How We Got the Wrong End of the Stick (4)
Readers of James Davison Hunter’s magnificent critique of how Christians have sought to transform culture in America will know that he critiques Stanley Hauerwas and Jim Wallis unfavorably, just as he does conservative icons Charles Colson and Richard John Neuhaus. … Continue reading
Why Politics Matters and How We Got the Wrong End of the Stick (3)
The liberal church’s response, against the backdrop of the social presumptions that I discussed in yesterday’s blog, has very often been a weak-kneed call for “peace with justice.” Hauerwas and Willimon (photo at left) put it this way: “Most of … Continue reading
Why Politics Matters and How We Got the Wrong End of the Stick (1)
Two weeks ago I sought to show how the church in America has become subject to a condition of moral, cultural and spiritual exile. Like Israel of old, we are now living away from our true home, separated from our … Continue reading
Living as Aliens in Post-Christendom Culture (5)
Christian sociologist James Davison Hunter has written one of the most important studies of what it means to be faithfully present in the modern, increasingly post-Christendom world that I have been describing over the last two weeks. His magisterial book, … Continue reading
Living as Aliens in Post-Christendom Culture (4)
Since the time of Constantine (4th century) the church has been enabled, in various forms and expressions, to “share” power with the state. This was not all bad. As a result of Constantine the church was allowed the protection of … Continue reading