The Church of Christ and World-Powers
This article begins a new series of weekly posts authored by David Lipscomb, an important figure in the Churches of …
Category: Theology
Does God Take Part in Wars?
The article below was written in January 1866 by David Lipscomb, an important figure in the Churches of Christ in …
God’s justice is better than man’s justice: A response to Tim Keller
Tim Keller recently published an article entitled, “A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory.” His article is a sort of apologia for his conception of “biblical justice” and its relationship to the social justice conversation. While we could likely agree with some of his sentiments, other things he says are just plain wrong. His characterizations of libertarianism as being in conflict with biblical justice warrant a response.
The Glaring Inconsistency
The following article was published by David Lipscomb in The Gospel Advocate on roughly January 30, 1866 — not even a …
Jesus Was Not a Socialist
Our dear friend Larry Reed, an advisor to LCI and former President of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), recently …
N.T. Wright on Caesar and Christ
Doctor Wright points to how the early church revolutionized the way we think about our fellow human beings by caring for the poor and downtrodden and how those actions must be emulated in our current age as well. But what about some of the questions that split the churches right down the middle? Questions like: Should we employ coercion in our attempt to care for the poor and educate people? Can we implement the Sermon on the Mount in the world of politics?
Avoid Spiritual Treason
We celebrate Independence Day in the United States on July 4th to commemorate American colonies rejecting the British monarchy. That is the day when the Continental Congress announced a plan for American self-government. As Christians thinking about this historical event in America and its meaning, it is instructive to look at the time when Ancient Israel adopted its monarchy.
Should Christians Just Shut Up When the Government Speaks?
I am not on Twitter for the same reason I am not on Facebook: I have too little free time …
Avoiding Idolatry In Difficult Times
“There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship … …
The Virtue of Humility
The irony of Golden Globe-winning Michelle Williams openly advocating for the religious ritual of human-sacrifice seems to fly over most people’s heads.
Church Support for War Created Social Justice Rage
Rene Girard: “’Saul, why do you persecute me?’ (Acts 22.7). This is the fundamental question. Christian conversion is our discovery that we are persecutors without knowing it. All participation in the scapegoat phenomenon is the same sin of the persecution of Christ. And all human beings commit this sin.”
Mailbag: Should we separate from the church?
The Church Universal is the body of Christ. It has a “corporate” and “individual” component to it, if you will. You might even say this is somewhat laid forth in 1 Corinthians 12:27 — “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” Individuals are stitched together by Christ to become the Church.
Christians Should Care About Wealth Inequality – When It’s Caused By The Government
Some say we are living in a new Gilded Age. The first Gilded Age, you may recall from your old …
Jesus’s Kingdom Revolution
By six o’clock in the evening on the first Good Friday, the world was a different place—although no one knew …
All Things to All Men
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may …
Optimists With A Story To Tell
Is our world getting better or getting worse? Should we be optimistic about what lies ahead, or fearful over what’s …
Jesus Shows Us What It Means To Be Human
Scottish theologian Stephen Neill was excited and challenged by the story Christianity told about humanity. As a missionary, he spent …
Freedom and Responsibility
Nothing created by God is evil. It is not food that is evil but gluttony, not the begetting of children …
Christian Citizenship
I am currently conducting research in the Gospel Advocate, a journal of the Churches of Christ founded in the 1850s, …
Does the Reformed Doctrine of Inerrancy Threaten Christian Libertarians?
The Libertarian Christian Institute is an ecumenical Christian organization which brings together Christians from a variety of theological backgrounds. Though …
Does Religion Cause Violence? (Book Review)
There is no shortage of new books on the relationship between religion/theology and violence. Does Religion Cause Violence? is the second from …
Does Romans 13 Teach That Christians Have Permission to Kill For Their Government?
This guest post is by Tyler Boyd, and was originally published on The Christian Exile website. Tyler is from Olive Branch, …
Why the Left Adores Donald Trump
The Left worships Trump because he is an irresistible obstacle to their devotion to the victim-garbed Total State. For generations, …
The Stone Table
C.S. Lewis had some interesting things to say about humanity in his children’s fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia, and …
Romans 13 for Dummies
“It is very biblical to enforce the law.” – Sarah Sanders Romans 13 is in the news, and is being …
Do I Respect My Free Will?
God has gifted us with free will. We can choose between right and wrong, good and evil. We are free …
An Alternative View on Taxes
The centuries immediately before and after the 100s CE in the Greco-Roman world were increasingly violent. There were frequent uprisings, …
Jesus Wants Me to Break the Law
Early Christians understood that to proclaim Jesus is Lord and that their citizenship is in Heaven was to make a …
How Freedom Depends on Easter
Some people may think that Resurrection Sunday is unrelated to the important themes we discuss regularly on LibertarianChristians.com, The Libertarian …
Jesus, Natural Law, and Economics
Today’s guest post is by writer/commentator Paul LaScola. The sense of God and commerce have both been with mankind …