by Dr. Norman Horn
It started with a blog. In the aftermath of the 2008 election, as the Obama era dawned and the Ron Paul Revolution lingered in our minds, I sensed a need to speak out in an area few were exploring with theological or intellectual rigor: the intersection of Christianity and libertarianism. I wanted to do more than post essays and link to news. I wanted to make a case—not just for libertarian ideas, but for their harmony with historic Christian theology.
So, I launched a small blog on Blogspot called “The Christian Libertarian,” intending it to be a home for my thoughts about political and economic liberty from a distinctly Christian perspective. After some early exposure from folks like Tom Woods and Bob Murphy, I bought the domain LibertarianChristians.com and started building an independent website. Little did I know that this quirky little website held together by WordPress code would become the foundation for a full-fledged organization.
The earliest content was driven largely by questions I had wrestled with myself: “What does Romans 13 really mean?” “Can a Christian support free markets without endorsing greed?” “Is the state a God-ordained institution or a rebellious tower of Babel?” I’d write long-form essays, share theological reflections, and occasionally critique the left-right dichotomy that so often entraps believers into choosing the lesser of two evils. The audience was small at first, but deeply engaged. People were hungry for thoughtful, theologically sound exploration of Christian political thought that rejected both progressive statism and nationalist conservatism.
Over time, others joined the effort. Friends and collaborators like Doug Stuart, Isaac Morehouse, Dick Clark, and Nick Gausling brought fresh insights and helped expand our vision. What began as a solo blogging project slowly grew into a team endeavor. We experimented with podcasts and videos, published articles from a variety of voices, and started engaging with people all over the world who resonated with our message.
By 2015, we saw the need to go even deeper. The ideas we were promoting weren’t just good blog material—they were vital truths with far-reaching implications. We believed that liberty isn’t just a political philosophy; it’s part of God’s essential design for human flourishing. And so, we founded the Libertarian Christian Institute (LCI), a nonprofit organization committed to a simple mission: equipping the Church to promote a free society, all grounded in biblical truth and supported by sound economics and ethical clarity.
From the beginning, LCI has sought to demonstrate that libertarianism is the most consistent expression of Christian political thought. We do not mean libertinism, or the rejection of moral standards. We mean the principled stance that no one may initiate force or coercion against another—what libertarians call the non-aggression principle—which aligns naturally with the biblical commands to love our neighbor, treat others as we wish to be treated, and refuse to “lord it over” one another.
Our growth has been steady and organic. Our core medium for years was our weekly articles to help Christians learn about theology, economics, history, ethics, and libertarian theory. We then added The Libertarian Christian Podcast, which became a crucial pillar of our content strategy. Then we took this idea even further, expanding into multimedia production more concretely by establishing the Christians For Liberty Network, which now hosts six active podcasts and two legacy shows. We’ve published books like Faith Seeking Freedom that have reached thousands of readers and helped clarify what Christian libertarianism actually is. Faith Seeking Freedom in particular was born from a desire to answer the dozens of tough questions we regularly received. Why do Christians care about property rights? Is taxation theft? Should Christians support the welfare state? What about Romans 13? Our book addressed over 100 questions in a concise, conversational format, and has served as a gateway for many believers curious about these ideas.
In addition to books and articles, we’ve hosted conferences, partnered with other organizations, and launched new projects like the Faith Ventures podcast, which tells the stories of Christian entrepreneurs making an impact through the marketplace. Because if we really believe that voluntary exchange and peaceful cooperation are God’s preferred means of societal flourishing, then we ought to spotlight the believers who are doing just that—serving others, creating value, and glorifying God in their work.
One of our milestones along the way was to lay out what we believe as Christian Libertarians in a simple, articulate way. This resulted in the creation of our Core Values statement, and it has been available publicly on LibertarianChristians.com for all to see since 2018. These include our belief in the compatibility of Christianity and libertarianism, our emphasis on biblical justice over political partisanship, and our commitment to integrity, humility, and truth-seeking. We want to make it abundantly clear: you can be a Christian and a libertarian—not only that, you probably ought to be one if you’re taking both the Bible and liberty seriously. And we’re inviting every Christian across the world to learn and embrace these ideas.
Looking back, it’s almost surreal to see how far we’ve come—from a simple Blogspot page to a robust institute influencing conversations around theology, economics, and freedom. We are so grateful that so many in the liberty movement – from our fellow Christian-led organizations to even the curious atheists and agnostics – have recognized and promoted the work LCI has done for the cause of liberty. But in another sense, this journey has always been simple: tell the truth, love your neighbor, and trust God. That’s what motivates us at LCI every day.
There is still much work to be done. Christians are still too often beholden to false dichotomies, lured by promises of safety from the state or tempted by the illusion of moral purity through legislation. But we understand the essential reality: liberty is not the enemy of Christian virtue, but rather liberty is its natural outgrowth. Christ sets us free from sin and death, and that means we no longer have to be tied to the domination of human rulers and systems.
That’s the story of LCI—not just an organization, but a movement grounded in the gospel and committed to the radical idea that peace, freedom, and voluntary cooperation are not just possible, but God-honoring.
And we’re just getting started.
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