Between the testaments

My November column for Christian Courier is on a topic that has likely puzzled Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox alike: Between the testaments. Indeed, "Why is the Apocrypha not included in Protestant Bibles?" Here is an excerpt:

In my personal library, I have an early King James Bible, printed in sections between 1637 and 1642, and presumably bound together in the latter year. Published by Robert Barker – “Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie” – it places the Apocrypha after the New Testament. The owners of this volume over the centuries underscored some verses and made notes in the margins. But not in the Apocryphal books, which suggests that they may not have read them.

What is this Apocrypha? Read the entire article to find out. 

Recent activities for October 2024

I have now posted my Global Scholars newsletter for October. Recent activities include one more endorsement for my Citizenship Without Illusions, which is now available for purchase, two interviews on the subject of the book, signing a Barmen-like confession of evangelical conviction, and the current housing crisis in Canada. Thank you for your continued support for my work.

CPJ interview

Some weeks ago, I was interviewed by the Center for Public Justice's Emily Crouch on the subject of my new book, Citizenship Without Illusions. A transcript of the interview has now been posted at the CPJ website: How Do We Honor Christ in Our Citizenship? A Conversation with David Koyzis. An excerpt:

To be created in God’s image means that we have multiple tasks and responsibilities for the communities we are a part of, and not all of those communities are the ones that we choose. I did not choose my parents . . . . But we still have an obligation to communities that we have not chosen, and we do so out of gratitude. Likewise, citizenship is something that for the most part we do not choose. We are born into citizenship, and it is not something we should take for granted. We should be grateful for it, and that means that we should willingly fulfill our responsibilities towards these communities that have nurtured us.

I have been associated with the Center for Public Justice since its establishment in the late 1970s. It has done exemplary work over the decades, some of which is featured in my new book, now available from InterVarsity Press and the many online vendors.

Housing Canadians

My monthly Christian Courier column tackles an important issue affecting millions of people: Housing Canadians, with this introductory sentence: "As the cost of living leaves many homeless, should the government declare a national housing emergency?" An excerpt:

Unfortunately, the structures of our political system discourage a coordinated approach to the [homelessness] issue. Try calling the office of a local MP or MPP, and you will likely be told that the problem is not in their riding and you should seek help elsewhere. Our federal division of powers further aggravates the issue. The territorial fragmentation of political representation inadvertently facilitates buck-passing, with no one willing to assume responsibility for finding a solution to a problem that transcends boundaries.

Read the entire article here.

Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction

I have recently read Tim Alberta's The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. This was on the recommendation of a friend and was further inspired by an online interview with the author which I saw in February. I had thought to review the book here, but I think it is sufficient to indicate that I found it a difficult read because it treats disturbing developments within American evangelicalism over the past few decades.

Recent activities for September 2024

My Global Scholars newsletter for September is now posted. Recent activities include another endorsement for my forthcoming Citizenship Without Illusions, a retrospective on the Cyprus crisis of 1974, another online interview, and a recently published article on Christian nationalism.

What is Christian nationalism?

The September-October issue of Faith Today carries my article, What is Christian Nationalism? Here is my own description of the article's purpose: "We must take seriously the phenomenon of Christian nationalism as a syncretistic religion combining traditional faith with excessive reverence for the nation and its symbols. Like other ideological frameworks it can distort and has distorted the lived faith of many believers." Here is a brief excerpt from the article:

There are four basic flaws in Christian nationalism. First, it inappropriately applies biblical texts meant for God's people of the old and new covenants to a particular earthly nation. This reflects an unsound biblical hermeneutic that not only ignores the original context in which the text was written, but applies it in a way that ignores two millennia of biblical interpretation. The frequent application of 2 Chronicles 7:14 to America is notorious in this respect. "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

For the remaining three flaws and much else, including its relevance to Canada, read the entire article.

'Honestly, Though' interview

A few weeks ago, Rebecca Carrell and Liz Rodriguez interviewed me for their Honestly, Though podcast on the subject of my next book, Citizenship Without Illusions. The recording has now been posted and can be heard here: Episode 138 | Let's Talk Politics | Guest: Dr. David Koyzis. Although I had to develop quickly my skills at small talk at the outset, the substance of the interview begins at about 9 minutes into our conversation if you prefer to skip ahead.

Cyprus plus 50

This month marks exactly half a century since my father's native island of Cyprus was divided. Read about it here: Cyprus plus 50. An excerpt:

After half a century of division, ordinary Cypriots have grown accustomed to what has hardened into a protracted stalemate. When I first wrote about the issue in graduate school, only a few years had passed since Turkey’s military had forcibly partitioned the island. It still seemed reversible. Most of the city of Famagusta, where our family had lived, had become a UN-patrolled buffer zone. Its Greek-speaking inhabitants could still return home if Turkey would only permit it.

Today, that seems decreasingly likely. Famagusta’s once thriving streets and buildings have fallen into decay, and billions of dollars would be required to restore it to habitable condition. Ankara still controls 37 percent of Cyprus through its proxy regime, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Read the entire article here.

Recent activities for August 2024

I have now posted my Global Scholars newsletter for August. Recent activities include an interview on my work with the Psalms, a Society of Christian Scholars webinar, and a conversation with young people sponsored by a local think tank. Also, as of today, 99 more days remain until the publication of Citizenship Without Illusions. Pre-order your copy now.

Society of Christian Scholars webinar: Citizenship Without Illusions

Yesterday I presented a webinar for the Society of Christian Scholars on the subject of my forthcoming Citizenship Without Illusions. Click on the video below to view the event.

Thinking Christian podcast interview on the Psalms

Some weeks ago I was interviewed by James Spencer on What does it mean to be a Christian citizen?, covering topics in my three books. Not long after that, Spencer and I had a conversation about my work with the Psalms, and this has now been posted on the various media hosting the Thinking Christian podcast episodes: How Can the Psalms Help Christians Worship? A Conversation with David Koyzis. Spencer has a PhD in theological studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and has hosted this podcast for about a year. Topics covered here include the Genevan and Scottish Psalters, my own Genevan Psalter project, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Lutheran use of the daily office.

When voting makes things worse

My American contacts on social media divide into roughly two groups during this presidential election cycle. The two appear not to communicate directly with each other or to engage each other in conversation. Each posts its own memes, extolling its favoured candidate and pointing to the flaws in his or her opponent through some clever turn of phrase expected to persuade the sceptical but more likely to inflame outrage due to its obvious one sidedness. In our present age of social media, there have been such elections before, but the current cycle sees two extremely flawed candidates whom right-thinking people have reason to dread contesting for the highest office in the land. Voting for one against the other will presumably solve the country's problems and get it back on track. Or at least that appears to be the assumption of the meme-sters.

July newsletter online

I have just posted my Global Scholars Canada newsletter for July. This month it features an endorsement for my forthcoming Citizenship Without Illusions, material related to the current Gaza war, and an interview for the Thinking Christian podcast.

Thinking Christian podcast interview

Last month, James Spencer interviewed me for the Thinking Christian podcast. Listen to it here: What Does It Mean to Be a Christian Citizen? A Conversation with David Koyzis. I quite enjoyed our conversation and appreciated the opportunity to talk about my work, and especially my forthcoming Citizenship Without Illusions. Spencer has a PhD in theological studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and has hosted this podcast for just under a year. This is the first interview I had with Spencer. A few weeks later he interviewed me again on my work with the Psalms, and this should be posted sometime next month. I will link to that from my Genevan Psalter blog.

Gaza horrors

I have written a monthly column for Christian Courier for the past 34 years. This month's column is titled, Gaza horrors. Here is an excerpt:

Israel’s war against Hamas has sparked protests around the world, especially on university campuses, as students have set up tent encampments to indicate their disapproval of their governments’ support for Israel. In so doing, they are replicating an earlier generation of student activists pushing for their institutions to boycott South Africa’s apartheid regime.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thus far ignored such criticisms, although he himself had already succeeded in dividing Israeli public opinion in the months leading up to the Hamas attack. Israel appears to be severely botching its response under incompetent and uncompassionate leadership. Small wonder so many are protesting.

Read the entire article here.

ANAJURE lecture 2024

On monday, 8 July, I was privileged to address the seventh annual meeting of the Associação Nacional de Juristas Evangélicos (ANAJURE), or the National Association of Evangelical Jurists in Brazil. This was at the invitation of the organization's president, Edna V. Zilli. ANAJURE is made up of legal professionals and students committed to the cause of Jesus Christ in the world. The subject of my address was "Citizenship Without Illusions: hearing the Word, confessing the faith," taken from the eighth and final chapter of my next book. As always, I was heartened by the participants' expressions of gratitude for my work and for my ongoing interest in their beautiful country and its people.

I hope that a Brazilian publisher will see fit to translate Citizenship Without Illusions into Portuguese in the near future. As I do touch on Brazil's political experience in that book, it would be appropriate for its people to have access to Cidadania sem Ilusões in their own language.

Israel and Gaza: nine months later

The war between Israel and Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, has lasted for nearly nine months with no signs of ending. In the meantime, innocent Palestinian civilians are caught in the crossfire. Until now I have not commented on the conduct of the war, because I am not sure I have any additional wisdom to offer beyond what others have. However, I will call readers' attention to a four-part series I wrote last year on Israel's precarious democracy. I wrote it a few months before the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.

The ex-vangelicals' idiosyncratic faith

Christian Courier has published my monthly column under the title, Draw near. An excerpt:

In North America today there is a certain first-person narrative that frequently grabs the attention of the secular media . . . . Those telling such stories are often called “ex-vangelicals,” distancing themselves from their conservative religious past. However, not all such people become atheists or agnostics. Many retain belief in God and perhaps even in Jesus Christ, but their faith has become more idiosyncratic – a matter of adjusting what they were taught as children to who they feel themselves to be today. They have made themselves the arbiters of what is and is not acceptable in the faith.

Read the rest of the article here.

June newsletter online

My Global Scholars newsletter for June is now online, featuring news about my forthcoming Citizenship Without Illusions, podcast interviews, and a talk with seminary students about politics and the pulpit.

Seven essential qualities of a political leader

Last week Jason Scott Montoya interviewed me on the subject of seven essential qualities of a political leader, which he had gleaned from a previous post of mine. You can access the interview, along with ancillary material, by clicking on the link in the previous sentence. Or you can watch it here:

This is the third interview that Montoya has had with me. The others concerned my Political Visions and Illusions and the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Entre Amigos interview

Two years ago I appeared on the Entre Amigos podcast hosted by my friends José (Zé) Bruno Pereira dos Santos and Rodolfo Souza, whom I met nearly eight years ago during my visit to Brazil. Last evening I appeared again on this podcast to discuss my forthcoming Citizenship Without Illusions. My translator was Lucas Vianna, who has translated for me on previous occasions. Also present was Jacira Monteiro, author of O Estigma da Cor. Here is our conversation, which lasted not quite an hour and a half.

Although it was mentioned towards the end, I have not yet been approached about a Brazilian edition of my next book. I hope that it will indeed become a reality.

Local action

My monthly column appears in Christian Courier under the title, Local action. Subtitle: "Living as a responsible citizen in a way that glorifies God." An excerpt:

Several years ago, a good friend in North Carolina suggested during a phone conversation that I write a book on citizenship. At the time I was revising my first book, Political Visions and Illusions, whose second edition was released five years ago this month. I decided to take him up on his suggestion, submitting a proposal in the autumn of 2022 to InterVarsity Press. IVP accepted the proposal, and I signed a contract in January. I wrote steadily over the next months and had a more or less complete manuscript by late spring. Interviews with people featured in the book continued over the summer, and I submitted the final manuscript in September, 2023.

Read the entire article here.

Trump's verdict and the American political crisis

Yesterday we received word that the jury in the Trump hush money trial has found the former president guilty on all 34 counts. Every media outlet that I've read or heard has pointed to the unprecedented nature of the conviction of a former president and current front runner in a presidential election campaign. We are in uncharted territory, as Trump is scheduled to be sentenced shortly before his party is expected to nominate him for president. Sad to say, the Trump verdict and its predictable fallout highlight nothing less than a serious crisis in America's political institutions.

Citizenship education

Writing for the Christian Scholar's Review blog, Perry L. Glanzer, professor of Educational Foundations at Baylor University and a Resident Scholar with the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion, has posted something of relevance to my forthcoming book: Christian Universities Do Little to Help Students Contemplate Excellent Christian Citizenship: Here’s the Evidence. An excerpt:

Since it is an election year, I wondered if I could find evidence that Christian universities help their students contemplate excellent Christian citizenship. As mentioned in an earlier post, my research team examined the general education requirements at 231 Protestant colleges requiring at least one Bible or theology course. We chose these institutions because they showed evidence of operationalizing the Christian identity in their general education.

May newsletter online

I have now posted my Global Scholars Canada newsletter for May. Included are a tribute to Bob Goudzwaard, news of my next book, suggested books for students, and a forthcoming article on Christian nationalism.

Suggested books for students

During my recent visit to Grove City College, I was given the opportunity to have lunch with some students in the cafeteria, along with Michael Coulter, my principal host in the political science department. During our conversation, Michael asked which books I might recommend the students to read. As I had just discussed Dietrich Bonhoeffer's witness the previous evening in response to a question from the audience, the first book I thought of was his Life Together, a magnificent book that emphasizes the need to love the existing Christian community, with all its warts and flaws, over our own aspirations for such community.

Where would I be without Bob Goudzwaard?

Christian Courier has picked up my tribute to Bob Goudzwaard: Where would I be without Bob Goudzwaard? Subtitle: "Goudzwaard always emphasized the human side of economics. He passed away at age 90."

Catholic integralism: response to a response

During my time at Calvin University earlier this month, I was invited to respond to an important book by Kevin Vallier, titled, All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism (Oxford: 2023). The subject is Catholic integralism, a position calling for the state to establish the Roman Catholic Church, giving it a privileged position above other churches and religious faiths. In his book, Vallier, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University and a convert to Orthodoxy, makes a carefully argued case against integralism, effectively demonstrating its flaws with respect to history, symmetry, transition, stability, and justice. He then examines Confucian and Islamic anti-liberalisms before proposing in an epilogue his own alternative, which amounts to tolerance of "integration writ small," that is, local experiments in integralism within an adapted liberal order coupled with a more decentralized federalism: "Liberals must both unite to protect liberal order and concede some political independence to nonliberal communities of faith" (275).

Bob Goudzwaard (1934-2024)

This past weekend we learned that Bob Goudzwaard has departed this life at the age of 90. Goudzwaard was a political economist who was steeped in the Christian tradition, especially in that branch of the faith downstream from Augustine, John Calvin, Abraham Kuyper, and Herman Dooyeweerd. Born and raised in Delft, the Netherlands, he lived through the difficult war years. When he came of age, he studied at the University of Rotterdam and came under the influence of Johan P. A. Mekkes (1898-1987), an adherent of the school founded by Herman Dooyeweerd known as the Philosophy of the Law Idea. Eventually he would teach at the Free University of Amsterdam and also served for a time in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament with the Anti-Revolutionary Party.

April newsletter online

I have now posted my Global Scholars Canada newsletter for April, which includes travels to Calvin University and Grove City College, where I spoke on sections from my forthcoming book, Citizenship Without Illusions.