BOOK REVIEW: FAITH SEEKING FREEDOM BY DR. NORMAN HORN, DOUG STUART, KERRY BALDWIN, AND DICK CLARK

 

 

I remember a few years ago a debate on Julie Roys' Up For Debate program about whether Christianity and Libertarianism were compatible between Dr. Al Mohler, president of The Southern Theological Seminary and Dr. Norman Horn of the Libertarian Christian Institute. Any guesses which of the two took the pro-Libertarian side? Normally, I tend to agree with Mohler, but not on that subject.

Faith Seeking Freedom: Libertarian Christian Answers to Tough Questions, published by the Libertarian Christian Institute, is a well-researched and well-reasoned book showing the compatibility between a Libertarian political philosophy and the Christian faith.

This book is written by Dr. Norman Horn, Doug Stuart, Kerry Baldwin, and Dick Clark (though I doubt the author was the host for American Bandstand). The writing appears to be a team effort - there is no section where it designates which of the four wrote any section nor any first-person singular comments by one of the authors. (There are two places where one or two of the authors are mentioned by name, but it is worded in the third person.)

What does this book talk about? Or better yet, what does it NOT talk about? The authors answer questions on abortion (the longest chapter in this short book), patriotism, military service, capitalism, socialism, the war on drugs, prohibition, immigration, and misconceptions of libertarianism. There are areas where I disagree with the authors, but it gives something to think about.

Allow me to add some nit-picking. The first is the cover comment from the Honorable Andrew P. Napolitano, that this book is "Utterly faithful to Christian doctrine." My opinion? That quote is overkill. First, I think Judge Napolitano would be considered an expert on law and politics, but I would not put him in that category on theology. I would listen more if that quote was from someone like John MacArthur or Charles Stanley or Michael Youseff or Kay Arthur. Second, I would not consider this book to deal with doctrine or Orthodoxy, but rather Orthopraxy (right living). Most branches of theology, including Christology and Soterology and Ecclesiology, are absent from this book. However, to take the blurb to say this book is faithful to Christian living, I would have no argument.

The other gripe is there are times where the authors are solid on issues that I would give more leeway to. One is whether a Christian should be in the military. The authors make a good argument to seek other options of service, as well as that being a historical perspective, but is it an accident the Holy Spirit inspired Paul and others to use being a soldier as an example of Christian life? The other is immigration. I do believe that Christians should be in favor of legal immigration, but this book seems to advocate open borders. As I said, though, these are minor quibbles.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about Libertarianism, and especially a Christian who isn't familiar with that philosophy. I'd also recommend it to a Libertarian minded individual who needs help dealing with questions that are asked. In other words, it is an aid for Libertarians to be able to give a defense for the hope that is withing them (1 Peter 3:15).