life at the crossroads: perspectives on some areas of public life politics living at the crossroads...

Life at the Crossroads: Perspectives on Some

Areas of Public Life

Politics

Living at the CrossroadsChapter 9

Institution of Government

o Part of God’s creational intention?

o God’s response to fallen situation?

Government: Rooted in creation or fall?

o Government as God’s creational intention: Ordering society justly

o Government as God’s response to sin: Arbitrating conflict

Old Testament Israel and Today

o God shaped Israel’s political authority to facilitate God’s rule over his people

o Yet enormous difference between Israel and churcho Israel was theocracyo Church scattered among nationso Nations among whom church lives

are not theocracies

Romans 13:1-7

o God’s agent to punish and reward

o God ordained institution for maintaining justice

o Church is to have positive approach toward state

o Church to be good tax-paying citizens

Honoring Unjust Government?

o Does Romans 13 legitimate unjust political authority?

o Often used in this wayo Text speaks of government as

“God’s servant”o Serve God’s justice

Civil Disobedience?

o Exodus 1:17-22: Midwives honored for resisting Pharaoh’s unjust commands

o Acts 4: We must obey God rather than man

We obey God first.We respect the authorities that rule, for they are established by God. We pray for our rulers, and we work to influence governments— resisting them only when Christ and conscience demand.

(Our World Belongs to God, 52)

We call on all governments to do public justiceand to protect the rights and freedomsof individuals, groups, and institutionsso that each may do their tasks.We urge governments and pledge ourselvesto safeguard children and the elderlyfrom abuse and exploitation,to bring justice to the poor and oppressed,and to promote the freedomto speak, work, worship, and associate.

(Contemporary Testimony, 53)

Biblical directiveso Government has been instituted by God for

our good and must conform to God’s design

o Its role is to maintain public justice in society, and it is entitled to use force to do so

o Yet governments can be corrupted by various idolatries and ideologies

o Christians should be model citizens and should honor and respect government

o They can never give uncritical allegiance to any human government, since their first loyalty is to Jesus, the Son of Man.

Two horizons: Biblical and contemporary

o Indwell the biblical storyo And relate that story to our

very different situation todayo Very difficult and complex

Key elements to faithful approach

o Take biblical clues seriouslyo Become familiar with long

Christian tradition of political reflection

o Know the story of how our political institutions developed

o Understand ideologies/idolatries that shape political authority

Political Ideologies: Reductionist and totalitarian

Ideologies attempt to offer a total explanation for the world and its history and thus “all ideologies contain totalitarian elements.” They read the whole of reality through a single idea . . . It is a short step from ideology to totalitarianism, which not only interprets the world through a single idea but also attempts to mold it in accordance with its inexorable logic (Koyzis, Political Visions and Illusions, 20).

Political Ideologies: Insights and idolatries (Koyzis)

o Liberalism: Sovereignty of the individualo Conservatism: History as source of

normso Nationalism: Nation deifiedo Democracy: Voice of the people is the

voice of Godo Socialism: Common ownership as

salvific

Key elements to faithful approach

o Take biblical clues seriouslyo Become familiar with long Christian

tradition of political reflectiono Know the story of how our political

institutions developedo Understand ideologies/idolatries

that shape political authorityo Need Christians in politics,

scholarship, and civic leaders