Book review: Christ and the Kingdoms of Men, by David C. Innes

 Book review: Christ and the Kingdoms of Men, by David C. Innes

Subtitle - Foundations of Political Life

What is wrong with our nation? That is the implicit question that the author addresses in describing politics from a Christian perspective. Not to address specific issues, parties, or candidates, but the fundamentals of what is a citizen, what is the purpose of government, and what are the problems of governance. Our politics simply reflect the environment of the people of our nation.

Modern citizenship is deemed the legal right to live in a nation, vote, and receive entitlements. A traditional view is that a citizen lives in a moral realm  and is devoted to the people he lives with, and the good he shares with them. There is tension between being a citizen of the Kingdom of God and a citizen of that earthly realm we dwell in. Short of going to heaven, we are limited in how much we can bring God’s morals to our body politic, but citizens are committed to bringing about what is right. That nations need citizens not subjects is analogous to God wanting sons not slaves.

The Biblical admonition in Romans 13:1-8 is not unlimited. Christians are not told to submit to governments that inflict or promote evil. But recall that Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute despot, yet God compared his kingdom to a head of gold, and a fruitful tree. (Daniel 2:38, 4:20-22)  Rulers and governments that protect the morals of society are to be obeyed. But a good Christian would not have been a good citizen of Nazi Germany. Government is God’s servant for good.

The political problem is government’s built-in tension between power and restraint. It must have power to perform its divinely mandated purposes. It must exercise that power in restraint to enable the free moral actions of its citizens. Jesus said to render unto Caesar.... (Luke 12:25) This illuminates the depth of submission to unjust government, because Jesus  submitted to death on a cross at the hands of Roman rulers. The line is drawn in Acts 5:29 when the rulers ordered the disciples to disobey a direct command of Christ, and their response was that there are things that must be done, out of obedience to God, regardless of the consequences. Civil disobedience.

The modern solution is limited democracy, a government with separation of power, checks and balances.  But other forms of government can also potentially manage this tension. And even democracy goes awry if the body politic embraces immorality.

The root problem is that our political institutions are built deep-down on Christ’s command to love our enemies and pray for those who despitefully use us. (Matthew 5:44) We can discuss our differences and work them out only when we believe that people we disagree with have value and dignity in God’s eyes; that He loves them as much as He loves us. Millennia of human history have amply demonstrated that without this cornerstone, civil discourse quickly disappears, for there is no other possible foundation.