INTERVIEW WITH KERRY BALDWIN OF MERE LIBERTY, CO-AUTHOR OF FAITH SEEKING FREEDOM.

 

JR: First, welcome, Kerry. How did you come to Christ, and what influenced you to be, as your pod-cast promo on Facebook is described, "Theologically Reformed, and Philosophically Libertarian?"

KB: I was raised in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS); baptized as an infant and confirmed in the faith when I was 15. I have an inquisitive nature and continued to ask questions to understand the deeper truth of doctrine, but met resistance in one form or another. I spent a few years attending Baptist and non-denominational churches in my 20s. In roughly 2006, I decided to really examine the doctrine of baptism so I could decide whether or not to baptize my own kids as infants. This examination took me to R.C. Sproul and Ligonier who seemed to be answering the questions I had been asking for many years. And the study of baptism conveniently (providentially) found me exploring related doctrines on soteriology, eschatology, covenant theology, and more. In 2014, I officially became Reformed by joining an Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC).

My exploration of reformed theology and libertarian philosophy began exclusively from one another, and only by happenstance. In 2008, I learned about Ron Paul and libertarian philosophy thanks to his ’08 presidential run. Much of what he was saying lined up with things I had been learning through Sproul and Ligonier and so found some compatibility. As time went on, I found there was so much compatibility that my research into the two fields really began to converge. I eventually found Reformational Philosophy, originated from the Dutch Reformed tradition of Abraham Kuyper and Herman Dooyeweerd. This non-reductive view of the world, grounded in Calvinism, became the glue that now holds my libertarian philosophy and reformed theology together.

JR: I'd like to hear about your ministry, Mere Liberty. Could you tell me about the Liberty Seminar and the coming link Reformed Eikon?

KB: Just a correction: I don’t consider Mere Liberty a ministry. A ministry is something directly connected to the institutional church and ecclesiastical office. Though I do write about matters relevant to theology, I adhere to the view that the office of ministry is reserved to qualified men in the institutional church.

So, my website is simply a place where I can publish and share my thoughts on philosophical matters from a Reformed perspective. My mission with Mere Liberty is to challenge prevailing paradigms in politics, religion, and culture. This may be challenging non-libertarian Christians to consider more seriously the principles of a free society. It may also be challenging non-reformed Christians to consider more seriously the importance of true doctrine. And it may also include challenging reformed Christians on whether their views are truly reformed.

The Liberty Seminar is an online, semester-long, course I developed in 2020 when the lockdowns happened. I am a single, work-from-home, mother of three – and I homeschool them. One of the ways I managed to do this was by teaching my kids how to think well. My philosophy background and inquisitive nature meant incorporating the Socratic method (inquiry-based learning) into my homeschool model. By teaching my kids how to think (not merely what to think), they have the tools necessary to teach themselves anything. As families across the nation were thrown into “remote schooling” I wanted to offer a resource to parents that teaches them and their kids these valuable skills. But to learn how to think, we need ideas to think about. The ideas I present for discussion are the principles of living in a free and prosperous society. I offer these courses for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults.

I have made no formal announcements about Reformed Eikon yet. I have been compiling Reformed resources which are non-egalitarian but challenge the (arguably) non-Reformed (Baptistic) views of Complementarianism viz the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). This is a controversial topic. Many conservative Christians assume complementarianism is merely a general belief about the natural complementarity between men and women, and a proper view of qualified male-only ordination. This is not the case. I have found that though CBMW affirms these basic facts, they have developed and promote some highly questionable doctrine that, at the very least, is not Reformed. Reformed Eikon will provide a host of resources to demonstrate the case that we can hold to historic reformed orthodoxy, gender complementarity, and qualified male-only ordination while rejecting the numerous errors of complementarianism (and by extension, so-called “biblical patriarchy.”) Just to be clear, as this is easily misconstrued, I do not support the ordination of women, nor “lay teaching” during public worship, on the Lord’s Day. I am not the least bit interested in softening this view. Nor do I support feminism. For my position on feminism, you can listen to my episode, What is Feminism in Simple Terms? https://mereliberty.com/podcasts/what-is-feminism-in-simple-terms/ And my view of women’s ordination, here: https://mereliberty.com/podcasts/can-reformed-women-be-ordained-deacons/

JR: One of the best books I read last year is a book you're a co-author of, Faith Seeking Freedom: Libertarian Christian Answers to Tough Questions. What feedback have you received to this book? Anything you'd like to say about the Libertarian Christian Institute? Also, what was it like working with not one, but three other co-writers?

KB: Of those who’ve read the book and commented, I’ve heard nothing but excellent reviews. To be fair, the respondents have been mostly already convinced of libertarianism. But many newer libertarians get asked tough questions they sometimes don’t have an answer for. So, this book provides concise answers with resources for further study. I’d love to hear feedback on the book from a non-libertarian, however.

The Libertarian Christian Institute (LCI) was born out of the question, what is the best expression of Christian political thought? Conventionally the answer to this question has been, republicanism, in large part due to the conservative coalition in the 1980s. If one takes the time to study further though, political party lines used to be divided on very different issues, and many Christians were Democrats before Jerry Fallwell’s “moral majority” took root as Republicans. Christians today, including the Reformed, tend to take for granted political philosophy and the need for a robust public discourse. Many Reformed are unaware of the libertarian roots of notable Presbyterians such as J. Gresham Machen, who might have been the first Christian to be labeled a ‘libertarian.’ So LCI, reevaluates the question and (essentially) concludes that libertarianism is the best expression of Christian political thought. Obviously, that’s somewhat of a loaded answer and requires an explanation. That’s why our book, Faith Seeking Freedom is valuable to the uninitiated Christian. LCI is not itself Reformed – it’s ecumenical but limited to the Trinitarian Christian tradition that ascribes to the ancient creeds. I represent the Reformed voice on staff.

What was it like working with three other authors for the book? It went pretty smooth, actually. There’s 102 questions and we each took a quarter of the questions based on our knowledge set. Then we reviewed each other’s work to refine it. If anything, I’d say our ability to work cohesively, from different theological backgrounds, evidences our claim that libertarianism is indeed the best expression of Christian political thought.

JR: This world has always been a mess, but I think we're in an era where it's messier than normal. What would be a "Theologically Reformed, Philosophically Libertarian" solution? Are the problems more political, spiritual, or none of the above?

KB: I wouldn’t necessarily say that things are “messier than normal.” I’d say, we’re now more keenly aware of the messiness that has always been. The Internet has really allowed us to shine a light on pervasive and perennial problems. But if, for example, you’ve read Machen on politics, you’d see that much of this is not new. Here’s an article I wrote about that. https://libertarianchristians.com/2018/10/22/taking-up-machens-torch-an-archetype-for-christian-libertarians/

I do believe that the Reformed view offers a unique perspective as to the “solution” viz the Kuyperian concept of Sphere Sovereignty. I have heard some guys like Doug Wilson appeal to Kuyper, but I’d say Wilson’s understanding and application of sphere sovereignty is deeply flawed. If your readers would like a more thorough treatment of Reformed Libertarianism I commend them to read the statements that I and my colleague, Gregory Baus, formulated on the matter:

• Reformed Libertarianism (a minarchist view) https://sites.google.com/view/reformed-libertarianism
• Reformed Anarchism (a view of stateless civil governance) https://sites.google.com/view/reformed-anarchism/

Gregory Baus and I have also begun discussions of the Reformed Anarchism statement on my podcast, Dare to Think, beginning with episode 26 on culture.

Other important points of interest from the Reformed perspective is the historically reformed position of resistance to tyrants. You can read more about our view of Romans 13 here: https://mereliberty.com/romans13/

Also, many Christians tend to resist libertarianism because the Libertarian Party comes off as very socially liberal on issues like abortion, drug use, prostitution, etc. I have offered a libertarian theory relevant to abortion that indicates libertarianism is foundationally prolife. In the book, Faith Seeking Freedom, I wrote the chapter on abortion (as well as most of the chapter on Christian ethics) to address these important matters. You can see all my work relevant to abortion, including my Soho Forum debate against PhD Economist, Walter Block, at https://mereliberty.com/abortion

JR: Thank you for your time. If someone wants to learn more about Mere Liberty, how can they accomplish this? And I didn't take time to ask about your alma mater? (Though I'll confess, I always found it easier to root for Wildcats than Sun Devils.)

KB: I must confess that I attended Arizona State University online – so never participated in the on campus culture. None the less, I graduated from ASU, summa cum laude, in 2015 with a BA in Philosophy.

Please feel free to visit mereliberty.com to learn more about me and my work. You can find information on my online courses there as well. You can find my podcast, Dare to Think, on any podcatcher. I appreciate reviews on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and YouTube. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter. If you friend me on Facebook, please send a message introducing yourself. I screen friend requests and I’m more likely to accept yours if you’ve messaged me.