{"id":6615,"date":"2010-08-21T13:20:00","date_gmt":"2010-08-21T13:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2010\/08\/saturday-afternoon-book-review-27.html"},"modified":"2010-08-21T13:20:00","modified_gmt":"2010-08-21T13:20:00","slug":"saturday-afternoon-book-review-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/08\/saturday-afternoon-book-review-27.html","title":{"rendered":"Saturday Afternoon Book Review: Allan Bevere"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Library.jpg\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Book Review by Allan Bevere, a Methodist pastor and professor — who blogs<\/a><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Francis J. Beckwith, Politics for Christians: Statecraft As Soulcraft (Christian Worldview Integration)<\/a>\"\"
\n<\/strong><\/em>, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Francis Beckwith’s Politics for Christians is one book in the Christian Worldview Integration Series and is written as a substantive and very readable introduction to politics and the Christian’s place in the realm of statecraft. Several major questions occupy Beckwith’s attention in the book. <\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

First and foremost Beckwith argues that Christians have a responsibility to participate in the political realm and that they can and should do so as Christians. In giving substance to this concern, Beckwith gives a competent and readable account of liberal democracy and the Christian citizen’s place in it. He explores the notion of separation of church and state, the idea of that secular liberalism creates a neutral posture toward religion, and finally he works gives an account of the necessity of God in any understanding of natural rights and natural moral law.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n


<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In chapter one “The Study of Politics” Beckwith gives a helpful
\nintroduction to politics and its subfields. He also devotes space to the
\ndiscipline of political philosophy and then specifically how that works itself
\nout in American politics and its relationship to international law, economics,
\nand public law.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The second chapter, “Liberal Democracy and the Christian Citizen”
\nprovides a basic account of liberal democracy particularly as it is
\ndemonstrated by the separation of powers. Beckwith defines “liberal” in this
\ncontext as that which “refers to the liberties or freedoms the government is
\nsupposed to guarantee. These include freedom of religion, speech, assembly and
\npress, as well as the right to own property” (59-60). Democracy “refers to at
\nleast two principles: self-governance and equality of citizens before the law”
\n(60). In this chapter Beckwith offers his account of the responsibilities of
\nChristians as citizens of the state justifying his understanding by appealing
\nto two classic New Testament texts in this area–Jesus’ comments about paying
\ntaxes to Caesar (Mt. 22:17-22) and Paul’s admonitions to obey(?) the governing
\nauthorities in Romans 13. However, Beckwith is also clear that there may indeed
\nbe instances where Christians are obligated to disobedience when conscience
\ndictates. His approach to the state is essentially conservative “…the Christian
\nshould not be too quick to accept government solutions that may have unintended
\nconsequences of impeding the church’s opportunity to bear witness to Christ’s
\ngrace in their works of charity and mercy” (66).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In chapter three, “The separation of Church and State,” Beckwith
\nanalyzes the religion clauses in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
\narguing that they are significantly vague, and give no direction on what is
\nmeant by the free exercise of religion or the prohibition of its establishment.
\nOne of the more enlightening parts of this chapter is where Beckwith discusses
\nJefferson’s famous letter to the Danbury Baptists in which he uses the now oft’
\nemployed phraseology, “the separation of church and state.” Beckwith points out
\nthat there was no agreed upon understanding of what it meant for the church to
\nbe separate from the state. Jefferson was according to Beckwith “a strict
\nseparationist,” while the recipients of the letter, the Danbury Baptists were
\n“moderate separationists.” And politicians of a more federalist bent excoriated
\nJefferson for what they believed were his “anti-religious” views.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In chapter four, “Secular Liberalism and the Neutral State,” Beckwith
\ndefines secular liberalism in a two-fold way: “It is liberal<\/i> insofar as its proponents claim that… all citizens should
\nbe treated with equal regard…” [which] “means that the state has an obligation
\nto ensure that adult citizens should be free to pursue whatever they believe is
\ngood for them without the constraints of family, church, or other citizens’
\nobjections, etc…. This perspective is also
\nsecular<\/i>, for it requires that the only permissible external restraints that
\nmay be placed on citizens are those that are both not dependent on a religious
\nworldview…. This means that if the state is going to limit the citizen’s
\nliberty it must be for a nonreligious reason that enhances everyone’s liberty”
\n(120-121).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Beckwith rightly argues that secular liberalism is not neutral toward
\nreligious expression, but is indeed discriminatory as it insists that the only
\nmotivations that are valid in the public square are non-religious. It does not
\nallow for the full participation of citizens who are religious. Moreover,
\nBeckwith questions whether secularism can sustain the kind of liberalism that
\nguarantees liberty and equality for all.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is Beckwith’s discussion of secular liberalism that paves the way for
\nhis last chapter, “God, Natural Rights and the Natural Moral Law.” It is here
\nthat Beckwith rehearses the argument that natural rights are based on natural
\nlaw that is given by the Creator. Beckwith quotes Alexander Hamilton, “… the
\nSacred Rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or
\nmusty records. They are written, as with a sun beam, in the whole volume of
\nhuman nature, by the Hand of Divinity itself, and can never be erased or
\nobscured by mortal power” (146). Beckwith confronts the atheistic philosophy of
\nRichard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, who reject the existence of God but
\nstill want to argue for the reality of some kind of natural rights. Beckwith
\nsuggests to the contrary that the natural moral law is not a product of chance,
\nbut clearly points toward the existence of God. Beckwith ends the chapter with
\nthe biblical witnesses’ affirmation of the existence of natural law.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Beckwith ends his book with the following: “To be sure, the world of
\npolitics is often messy and teeming with conflict. But that’s true of so much
\nof life that is worth engaging, whether it’s family, church, school or
\nworkplace. Thus, it is my hope that the readers of this book will take
\nseriously the wisdom of Ecclesiastes and discern the proper times for their
\nengagement in the world of politics” (165).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What I like about this book:<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

First, I appreciate Francis’ full disclosure of his own personal
\npolitical posture. He states that his views are more politically conservative,
\nso one knows what one is getting from him at the outset. Now those Christians
\nwhose politics tend toward the progressive end may be tempted not to read Beckwith
\nbecause of this, but his political posture should deter no one. His treatment
\nof the issues is fair and even-handed, though no doubt problematic to those on
\nthe political left. To avoid reading someone because his contrary views are
\nknown at the outset is to resist the possibility of growing in wisdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Second, Beckwith rightly points out the double-standard that is put in
\nplace in reference to the religious right as opposed to the religious left. He
\nargues quite cogently that Christians on the right are always challenged in
\nreference to mixing their religion with politics, but such challenges are
\nvirtually absent to Christians on the political left. No Christian on the
\npolitical left would have to write a book that is essentially a defense of the
\nChristian’s place in politics.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Third, I truly appreciate the substantive depth Beckwith brings to his
\ndiscussion of moral issues and his clear and informative explication of case
\nlaw. His discussion of the context of Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury
\nBaptists is almost worth the price of the book alone. He ably demonstrates how
\na phrase divorced from its context becomes nothing more than a slogan.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Fourth, Beckwith’s presentation is measured. Though he comes to politics
\nas a Christian with a certain perspective, Beckwith is clear to point out that
\npolitics this side of perfection is always finite and frail and that
\nChristianity should never be identified with either the Democratic or Republican
\nParty.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Fifth, his critique of the false idea that secularism takes a neutral
\nposture toward religion is singularly convincing.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Where I struggle:<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

As much as I enjoyed this book, and recommend it, I have two significant
\npoints of disagreement. I will refrain from the minor points of contention:<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

First, Beckwith clearly buys into what I believe is the faulty account
\nof church\/sect as explicated by Ernst Troeltsch and later expanded upon by
\nReinhold Niebuhr. (When someone refers to a group as “sectarian” I always
\nrespond, “Isn’t it somewhat arrogant to assume that you stand in a place where
\nyou get to label someone else as “sectarian?”) The assumption operative here is
\nthat the only way for Christians to be involved politically is to be active in
\nthe political operations of the nation state. Those of us who strongly embrace
\nAnabaptist ecclesiology in reference to politics are falsely labeled as
\n“quietists,” and “sectarians,” who withdraw from the world. In reality, we
\nbelieve that the church and not the state is primarily where the political
\naction is because it is God and not the nations who rules the world. It is not
\na matter of whether or not Christians should be politically involved; it is a
\nquestion of how they will be so involved. We Christians are so programmed into
\nthe binary politics of left and right, liberal and conservative, church and
\nstate, that it is extremely difficult to make sense of an ecclesiology that
\nsees the church as a nation unto itself. In other words, what I am suggesting is
\nthat the typical account of the Christian and politics that Beckwith embraces
\nis inadequate and does not exhaust the ways Christians can be politically
\nengaged.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Second, Unlike Beckwith, I am not overly enamored with the notions natural
\nlaw and natural rights. I will not go so far as to say that natural law does
\nnot exist, but after being involved in many discussions over the years where
\npeople have attempted to make a moral case for something based on natural law,
\nI have concluded that if natural law does exist, it is so vague that it is
\ncompletely unhelpful in moral discernment.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But Beckwith’s book, Politics for
\nChristians<\/i> is most definitely helpful for those who want a solid
\nintroduction to politics and who are ready to ponder the believer’s place in
\nthe rough and tumble world of statecraft.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Book Review by Allan Bevere, a Methodist pastor and professor — who blogs.   Francis J. Beckwith, Politics for Christians: Statecraft As Soulcraft (Christian Worldview Integration) , Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2010.   Francis Beckwith’s Politics for Christians is one book in the Christian Worldview Integration Series and is written as a substantive and very…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gospel"],"yoast_head":"\nSaturday Afternoon Book Review: Allan Bevere - Jesus Creed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/08\/saturday-afternoon-book-review-27.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Saturday Afternoon Book Review: Allan Bevere - Jesus Creed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Book Review by Allan Bevere, a Methodist pastor and professor — who blogs.   Francis J. 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