Christianity Today Book Awards finalist

I am pleased to report that my book, Citizenship Without Illusions, which has been out for just over a year, has been designated a finalist under the category of Politics and Public Life for the Christianity Today Book Awards. Read all about it here, along with the winners and finalists in the other categories. I am grateful for this affirmation of my work by what is arguably the premier journal in the evangelical world in the United States.

Philosophy in full colour

This past saturday, 29 November, an event was held to launch a new book: The Intellectual Legacy of Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977): A Hopeful Philosophy for our Time. Co-authored by Maarten Verkerk, Gerrit Glas, and Suzan Sierksma-Agteres, it was translated into English by David Hanson and published by Amsterdam University Press. From the publisher's website:

The work of Herman Dooyeweerd is currently attracting global interest. From the United States to Korea, from New Zealand to Brazil, and from the United Kingdom to South Africa, professionals across various disciplines—philosophers, engineers, politicians, economists, and others—are expanding upon his ideas within their respective fields. At the same time, his work is becoming increasingly relevant as contemporary society displays characteristics reminiscent of those observed in European culture a century ago. The Intellectual Legacy of Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977): A Hopeful Philosophy for our Time introduces his most significant concepts and numerous examples of their contemporary applications.

CARE UK conversation

As I have done every year for the past few years, I was privileged last friday morning (afternoon London time) to speak with the latest group of British young people who are part of the CARE Leadership Programme. CARE stands for Christian Action, Research, and Education. According to the organization's website,

At CARE, our vision is to see Politics Renewed and Lives Transformed. We believe that politics and government, at their best, can be a real force for good in our nation. We hold the conviction that the Bible tells a better story for our broken world, a story that benefits society as a whole. By actively participating in politics, we help shape it to be the best it can be. Our vision is to create a society where everyone flourishes, exactly as God intends.

The young people in this programme are working for members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They recently read my Political Visions and Illusions, which was the principal focus of our conversation together. May God bless them as they seek to serve him in public life.

Robert Putnam and an Italian referendum

One of the more significant studies in my discipline of political science is Robert Putnam's award-winning Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. I used to have my students reading this book, because it demonstrates the durability of political cultures over many centuries and their power to make or break political institutions. I was reminded of Putnam's study when I recently came across this map:

As many will be aware, the Italian peninsula was politically divided between the end of Roman/Byzantine rule and the mid 19th century, when the Kingdom of Sardinia united the various realms into a single Italian kingdom under the House of Savoy. There was no inevitability to this union, and even today many linguists are wont to speak of the languages of Italy rather than of a single Italian language with dialectal differences.

The poverty of left and right

In chapter 1 of Political Visions and Illusions, I call into question the use of left and right as labels for identifying people's political leanings for three principal reasons: First, the issues covered by these labels are constantly changing and are thus relative to these issues from one age to the next. Second, the notion of a left-right spectrum is one dimensional and thus unable to cover the full diversity of issues by which people measure their political convictions. Third, it does not adequately account for the religious differences underpinning these convictions. I hint at a fourth reason in the book: "Often these terms are used in a derisive fashion as a way of discrediting those with whom we disagree" (19). People caught up in this bipolar categorization are typically unable to see the moments of truth in the convictions of those on the opposite side. Moreover, they tend to engage in a strategy of assigning guilt by association. If Stalin is a leftist, then even moderate socialists are deemed guilty of his crimes against the Russian people. If Hitler is a rightist, then even classical liberals and tradtionalists must bear the burden of his guilt.

Given my general discomfort with using these labels, I find myself resonating with Andres Acevedo's argument in this video. Take 15 minutes to watch it in full.

According to his website, Andres Acevedo is a "Stockholm-based video essayist, motion designer and freelance content creator" who once worked as a lawyer.

Recent activities for November 2025

My Global Scholars newsletter for 2025 is now posted. Included this month are my thoughts on a controversial billboard, two podcast interviews, a response to a question whether a famous Dutchman would wear a MAGA hat, and a round table discussion on Christian Nationalism. Please consider making a contribution to my work as we near year's end. As always, I am grateful for your support.

An Evangelical's Guide to Christian Nationalism: posted

Last week's conversation on Christian Nationalism has now been posted online. Listen here:

Social media stardom

The recent tragic death of Charlie Kirk, the young founder of Turning Point USA, prompted these thoughts from me: Social media stardom. An excerpt:

Kirk was one of a number of mostly younger men who have gained a following through astute use of social media. At one time fame and fortune generally came to those who were willing to be slotted into existing institutions and channels associated with the stage, cinema, print journalism, publishing, radio and television. Film stars, for example, were discovered by studio executives or their minions and found their lives circumscribed by the studio system.

Not anymore.

Read the entire article here. 

An Evangelical's Guide to American Christian Nationalism

Tomorrow I will be participating in an online symposium titled, "An Evangelical's Guide to American Christian Nationalism," along with three other participants. The time will be 14:00 UTC -5, or 2 pm EST. I expect this to be a lively discussion about a movement that is in today's headlines. Register here for the event. I hope many of you will be able to make it.

MAGA Kuyper? Why the Dutch Polymath Would Not Wear the Hat

Cateclesia Forum has just published my article: MAGA Kuyper? Why the Dutch Polymath Would Not Wear the Hat. An excerpt:

If the American nation is in a covenant relationship with God, along the lines of ancient Israel, we would then have to inquire which institution is responsible to enforce this covenant’s terms. A nation, especially when conceived in undifferentiated fashion, can never be a responsible agent but only an amalgam of pluriform social structures bound loosely together by certain common elements, such as shared culture and language. Yet generally the nationalist assumption is that this responsibility belongs to the state, viewed as the highest agent in that nation. This again makes entirely too much of the state as an institution, in addition to misapprehending its normative structure as led by public justice—a proximate justice falling well short of God’s final judgement.

Read the entire article here.

Faith Seeking Understanding interview

Last week Allan R. Bevere interviewed me on the subject of my latest book, Citizenship Without Illusions. The interview, which forms a part of his Faith Seeking Understanding podcast, has now been posted online and can be viewed immediately below:

Stop censoring unpopular speech

A recent controversy over a billboard here in Hamilton prompted me to pen this article: Stop censoring unpopular speech. An excerpt:

[T]he use of psychological language to censor unpopular speech has become commonplace as we near the second quarter of the century. A phobia is generally thought to be an irrational fear properly addressed by therapeutic means. In contemporary parlance, however, a phobia is something to be suppressed, often by political means. Accordingly, the term love is misused as a way of stifling needed discussion of an issue of obvious importance to families with minor children.

Incidentally, I have spoken remotely to the staff of the Association for Reformed Political Action, referenced in the article, several times in recent years. 

Correction:  ARPA's Levi Minderhoud has made a correction to this statement of mine in the article: "It is true, of course, that gender reassignment surgery is not permitted for minors." Here is Minderhoud:

Aside from Alberta, that isn't true for most of Canada (which makes this all the more shocking). Every six days on average, one teenage girl has a "gender-affirming double mastectomy" in Canada (sources: Let Kids Be, National Post, attached CIHI data). Bottom genital surgeries generally are not performed on minors, but even there CIHI has stated that at least one minor has received such a bottom surgery in the last few years. Nova Scotia seems to be a big culprit here.  

Thanks to Minderhoud for setting the record straight. 

Recent activities for October 2025

I have now posted my Global Scholars Canada newsletter for October 2025. This includes recent travels within Canada and to the US, a response to Canada's recognition of Palestine, a forthcoming online discussion of Christian Nationalism, and the completion of my guitar journey through the Genevan Psalter. Thanks again for your ongoing support for my work! I deeply appreciate it.

ICE and the rule of law

Three months ago I posted on a topic that has now been published in somewhat modified form in another venue: ICE and the rule of law. An excerpt:

Until recently, I assumed that the rule of law was firmly rooted in the political cultures of the English-speaking countries, uniquely heir to the tradition of the common law, Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights of 1689, and numerous precedents which together are the shared birthright of our several countries. A key principle of this heritage is that the law applies to our rulers as much as to ordinary citizens, who enjoy constitutional protections against abuse by government officials. Such protections apply as well to non-citizens who have entered the country legally. Moreover, even illegal immigrants must be treated in accordance with their shared humanity. How do we know who is who? Great care needs to be taken to distinguish rightly between legal residents and illegal immigrants. Cutting corners for a supposedly greater good inevitably leads to miscarriage of justice.

Read the entire article here. 

So many stars

My latest column in Christian Courier describes my boyish fascination with astronomy. In the print edition the title is "So Many Stars," an allusion to this 1967 popular song by the late Sergio Mendes. The online title is: I saw four Galilean moons circle Jupiter. An excerpt:

When I was around 10 years old, my parents bought me a telescope. Although my major adult interests would be in the social sciences, arts and humanities, as a child I had a pronounced affinity for astronomy. Something about those bright celestial objects easily fired the imagination of a schoolboy. . . . I collected a small library on the subject, trying to memorize the constellations and to identify them in the night sky. During the wee hours of the morning, my ever so patient mother would get up with me and join me as I set up my telescope and attempted to view the moon, the planets, and the stars from our suburban front garden.

Read the entire article here.

The Christian Escape from the Partisan Trap

Anthony Bradley has been a great supporter of my work over the years, regularly assigning my first book to his students at the late and lamented King's College in New York City. Now he has reviewed my latest book on his Substack: The Christian Escape from the Partisan Trap. An excerpt:

The escape from this idolatry is not a retreat into political apathy. Rather, it is the retrieval of a more robust and biblical political theology, one centered on the concepts of public justice and societal pluriformity.

Recognizing 'Palestine': right or wrong?

This week Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada would be recognizing a "State of Palestine." Carney, in this statement, explains what this means for the ongoing critical situation in that troubled part of the world:

Recognising the State of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those who seek peaceful coexistence and the end of Hamas. This in no way legitimises terrorism, nor is it any reward for it. Furthermore, it in no way compromises Canada’s steadfast support for the State of Israel, its people, and their security – security that can only ultimately be guaranteed through the achievement of a comprehensive two-state solution.

Recent activities for September 2025

I have now posted my Global Scholars Canada newsletter for September. Included are an especially warm and positive review of my latest book, my most popular writings at academia dot edu, and the contemporary relevance of a 20th-century philosopher's response to developments in his homeland. A heartfelt thanks to so many of you who faithfully support my work both financially and in your prayers!

Watson review of Citizenship

A new review of my latest book recently appeared in Christian Scholar's Review. This one comes from my esteemed Calvin University colleague Micah Watson: A Review of David T. Koyzis, Citizenship Without Illusions: A Christian Guide to Political Engagement. An excerpt:

This book is a conversational and welcoming invitation to consider a host of enduring challenges for Christians engaging the public square. Koyzis’s voice is personal, and he draws from his own life and experiences in helping the reader grapple with topics like the different roles of citizenship, law, and the competing (and often idolatrous) ideologies that vie for our attention. He moves fluidly from personal reflections based on his own history to more academic (but rarely jargony) mentions of thinkers like Patrick Deneen, Hannah Arendt, Yoram Hazony, and Alexis de Tocqueville. The reader feels almost like Koyzis is engaging us in a conversation on his front porch, drawing from local life in his home of Hamilton, Ontario, as well as from his relatives in Cyprus, his boyhood in Chicago, and his connections in Brazil through the translation of his earlier work into Portuguese. 

I am pleased that Watson has found my approach successful, as I tried as much as possible to communicate something of the flavour of my classroom lectures and discussions with my students over the three decades that I taught undergraduate political science. I am grateful for another (mostly) positive review.

'Our enemies' enemies are our friends': Simon's insight

Yves R. Simon

Bob Sweetman, emeritus professor at Toronto's Institute for Christian Studies, has just posted a brief essay worth reading and pondering: The Enemies of my Enemy are They not my Friends? Sweetman mentions French philosopher Yves René Simon (1903-1961), on whom I wrote my dissertation in the 1980s. Simon left France in 1938 to take up a position as visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame, but when the Second World War broke out the following year, he ended up remaining there for another nine years. In 1948 he moved to the University of Chicago but continued to live in South Bend, Indiana. He taught there until his untimely death at age 58. His son Anthony O. Simon (1936-2012) was a great help to me as I was writing my dissertation.

Recent activities for August 2025

My Global Scholars newsletter for August is now posted. Included are two reviews of my latest book, an interview with a Canadian Tory, a modal analysis of two metrical psalters, an online conversation with a group of young people, and a tribute to a recently departed teacher and scholar.

Cardus NextGen event

Last evening, at the invitation of Stephen Lazarus, I spoke with this year's Cardus NextGen cohort of young people who are being mentored towards service in public life. I have done this annually for a few years now. Those in the programme read selections from two of my books, Political Visions and Illusions and Citizenship Without Illusions, both published by IVP Academic. This is the first group to have read both of these books, given that the latter came out less than a year ago. As before, I enjoyed my conversation with these young people and wish them God's blessings as they seek his will for their lives and work in his kingdom.

The last Koyzis

I've not spent a lot of effort exploring the origins of my exceedingly rare surname, but this is the best I can do: The last Koyzis. An excerpt:

My Dutch Canadian friends and acquaintances tell stories of how, in 1811, Napoleon compelled residents of the Netherlands to adopt surnames. Prior to that year, many people in the Low Countries had gone by patronymics based on their respective fathers’ first names. Assuming that surnames were a passing fashion, many Netherlanders adopted humorous names, with which, two centuries later, their descendants are still stuck.

In my father’s native island of Cyprus, fixed surnames weren’t adopted until the island’s independence in 1960. Thus my father was born with only a first name and a patronymic: Theodoros Antoniou – Theodore son of Anthony.

 Read the rest of the article here.

Calvin Seerveld (1930-2025)

Calvin Seerveld was the longtime senior member in aesthetic philosophy at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. I myself was a junior member (student) there in the late 1970s and had the privilege of sitting in one of his seminar courses. Although he was not my principal mentor, I recall his inimitable teaching style and the enthusiasm he brought to the subject matter.

As I write, I am looking at my notes from one of Seerveld's lectures from 20 September 1978. In my youthful handwriting, I quoted him: "The world is a created theatre of God," and "One finds meaning in Jesus Christ." Seerveld was above all a faithful servant of Christ and a memorable teacher.

Should churches endorse political candidates?

Bruce Barron, of Bruce's gently provocative thoughts, has published a lengthy review of Citizenship Without Illusions, under this title: Should churches endorse political candidates? An excerpt:

Koyzis lays the groundwork for a deeper understanding of Christian citizenship by discussing what he calls “pluriformity”—the fact that societies are composed of “a multiplicity of social formations, each of which has its proper place and normative task in God’s world.” We have allegiances to family, church, neighborhood, schools, workplace, social clubs, multiple levels of government, and more. We engage in many spheres of life, such as education, healthcare, and culture. And as Christians, we must balance our responsibilities to our country, to all humanity, and to the kingdom of God.

In this context, politics is one important venue, but not the only one.

Do read the rest of the review here.

The rule of law versus overriding goals

In our era of social media, reasoned dialogue does not fare especially well. Too many of us are tempted to post short pithy memes containing half truths at best, all in an effort to score points against opponents whom we will almost certainly fail to persuade. 

In more than one place I have seen one such meme directed against those who may harbour doubts about the legality of current deportation policies in the United States. It runs as follows: if immigrants failed to respect due process in entering the country illegally, why should they themselves expect to be treated in accordance with due process? On the surface this may sound right to some.  But there is an obvious flaw in this reasoning: what if we were to apply it to ordinary criminals, for example, those who commit theft or murder? It would upend the constitutional guarantee of a fair trial for those alleged to have committed such crimes.

Ron Dart and the High Tory tradition

Not long ago I interviewed Ron Dart, a retired academic at the University of the Fraser Valley on a subject about which he has written extensively: Ron Dart and the High Tory tradition. An excerpt:

What is a Tory? Here in Canada, members and supporters of our federal and provincial Conservative Parties are known as Tories. But what does this mean? Is it similar to the Republican Party to our south? Or is there something distinctive about our Canadian conservative tradition that gives the Tory label a different connotation? Many of our fellow citizens would be at a loss to answer these questions.

But not Ron Dart, with whom I was privileged to talk some weeks ago.

Dart is Canada's resident expert on this country's Tory tradition and an admirer of George Parkin Grant, whom I was privileged to hear on two occasions, and Stephen Leacock, both of whom exemplify the Tory tradition.

Free Library review

One more review of Citizenship Without Illusions has appeared at The Free Library website. It's a very brief review written by Alexander Pyles. An excerpt:

Ending on a note that one can see coming, Koyzis affirms that Christians are God's children first, despite any allegiance or feeling of loyalty to a nation. Such feelings come second to our identity in Christ. At a time of rising Christian nationalism and even Christofascism, this is a reminder that Christians must do better for our neighbors, both local and global. 

I am, of course, grateful for another positive review of my book. 

Recent activities for July 2025

I have now posted my Global Scholars newsletter for July 2025. Included is an interview on the subject of my second book, two brief articles on scandal and marriage (separate topics!), and one more review of my third book, Citizenship Without Illusions. Thank you so much for your continued financial and prayer support for my work! I deeply appreciate it.

The good of marriage

The recent wedding of our daughter and son-in-law prompted this reflection on a basic social institution: The good of marriage. An excerpt:

As I am only two generations removed from arranged marriage, I am well aware that past communities were unwilling to leave so important an institution solely in the hands of the prospective partners. If, as the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a supportive community to make a successful marriage.

Read the entire article here.

Peter Bell interview: America and Power

Some weeks ago, Peter Bell interviewed me for a second time, primarily on the subject of my second book, We Answer to Another: Authority, Office, and the Image of God, along with several related phenomena, including Catholic and Reformed Christian social teachings, Christian nationalism, and the perennial temptation to use unjust means for desired ends. You can see the entire interview below. This is part of the second season of Bell's series, Sons of Patriarchy.

Zekveld review of Citizenship

Another review of my Citizenship Without Illusions has appeared, although I'm a little late in posting about it here, as it was published on 15 March 2025 in the periodical, Christian Renewal, which appears not to publish its articles online. However, the review was posted at ARPA's Facebook page and can be found there if you can read the small print. The reviewer is Daniel Zekveld, a policy analyst with ARPA Canada. I should perhaps indicate that I taught Zekveld in one of my introductory-level courses in political science nearly a decade ago. I am grateful for yet another positive review of my book.