'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #25 - "TURN NEITHER TO THE RIGHT NOR TO THE LEFT" BY ERIC SCHANSBERG

Happy Independence Day. I originally was going to delay the finale of this series tomorrow (July 5th) so I could have a blog focused on the holiday. However, when I started on what was originally intended to be the July 2nd entry - "Turn Neither to the Righ Nor to the Left: A Thinking Christian's Guide to Politics and Public Policy" by D. Eric Schansberg - I realized this would be appropriate today.

Schansberg starts by introducing Government's role in the Bible and pursuing Godly goals with Godly methods. He follows up with why Christians shouldn't legislate righteousness, but rather legislate justice. One issue with legislating justice is when it is redistributing to the non-poor.

But what about abortion? Schansberg closes with that issue, pointing out it's a legislating justice issue that sounds like a legislating righteousness issue. My favorite story was when he mentioned a woman who set up a tent near an abortion clinic giving information on adoption, including lists of those who are wanting to adopt.
 

BOOK REVIEW - RELIGHTING THE TORCH BY ANDREW HORNING

 

Is this country the Constitutional Republic the Founding Fathers gave us? If not, is that an improvement, or is it endangering the freedoms the Constitution was meant to preserve?

In "Relighting The Torch," Andrew Horning deals with these issues. He points out how, almost while the ink on the Constitution was still wet, we moved toward a centralized government. He then includes an annotated Declaration of Independence and Constitution with all the Amendments, concluding with ways to get our country back on track.

I found this book informative, which did not surprise me the least. Horning has run for office as both a Libertarian and a Republican. During one debate, one blogger commented that he would make an excellent teacher on the Constitution and government. I fully agree.

There are few books I can objectively say that I think everyone should read. This is a good example. I wish our leaders would read this and try to get this country back in shape. 

Thank you, Andrew Horning, for writing this book.

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.

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE ANOTHER MAN'S SERVANT? - A STUDY ON ROMANS 14 PART 6 OF 11

White Rhinoceros, Louisville Zoo.

David Bergland's Libertarianism in One Lesson is "You own yourself." Is he right?

My first response was to disagree with that unbiblical idea. Do believers own themselves? No, God owns us - we're bought with a price by God (1 Corinthians 6:20); we're His sheep (John 10;27). Are unbelievers free from being owned by God? No - "The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1); this includes all who are alive.

But then, Bergland's book is not about theology and God but public policy and man. His point is that we are not owned by anybody else but that we have individual liberty. Not limitless liberty: we're not free to harm or defraud others. But others lack the right to run our lives.

Do we own ourselves, or does God own us? Either way, we don't own others. And yes, I could say they don't own me, but that's not the point I want to make. We. Don't. Own. Other. People. Clear enough?

That is the point Paul's trying to make in Romans 14:4 - "But who are you to judge another man's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." 

Yes, the most quoted and the most misquoted Bible verse in Matthew 7:1 about judging not; too many try to use this to bully believers into tolerating and even accepting sinful behavior. But another often misquoted Bible verse is John 7:24, and that's misquoted by believers. That verse says "Judge with righteous judgment." Those who use (or more accurately misuse it) forget (accidentally or not) that John 7:24 is not a command to Jesus' disciples as Matthew 7:1 is, but a rebuke to the Pharisees who were judging Jesus. 

Romans 14:4 (and also James 4:11-12) are ignored too often. We need to remember that fellow Christians are God's servants. Yes, we're to warn those plainly committing sin (Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20; 1 John 5:16), but we're not to judge.

By the way, if you look at the previous verse, you'll notice two things.

1. Paul states those who exercise liberty fall into the trap of hating or showing contempt of those who are abstaining (Romans 14:1-2 calls those who don't eat meat "weak in the faith"), and those who don't practice liberty judge those who do. Put the two together, and those prone to judge appear to be those weak in the faith.
2. Paul closes Romans 14:3 by stating God accepts him. Who does God accept? Anyone who comes to Him. So when we're judging a fellow believer, we're judging someone God has accepted. Uh, should we be doing that? Really?
   

I'll once again ask a question that I asked yesterday: Does this extend to sin and doctrinal issues? Remember - both examples Paul gives are considered by some to be sin or bad doctrine. 

One guideline I heard - ask yourself if you want to judge/correct/warn a fellow believer. If you don't really want to, maybe God has called you to not be afraid and lovingly confront them. If you are ready to straighten out your brother or sister, though, it's probably best to let someone else do it who can do it with gentleness and humility and who knows that they're dealing with God's servant.

Are you aware that you're not your own, but that you're God's servant, that you belong to Him? Are you also aware that your brothers and sisters in Christ are also God's servant and they answer to Him, not us?

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).