Subject or citizen?

My monthly Christian Courier column is titled Subject or citizen? Byline: "Citizenship is a gift from God that we can use to improve our communities." An excerpt:

The notion of being a subject sounds archaic to our ears. If I am the subject of a particular monarch, I am bound by personal – almost feudal – ties to him or her. And if that’s the case, my responsibilities would seem to begin and end with obedience to the ruler’s will. Prior to 1947, Canadians were not even citizens of their own country; they were merely British subjects, a status shared with those born not only in the United Kingdom, but in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and many other territories of the former Empire.

But one by one, beginning with Canada, each of these Commonwealth realms established its own citizenship. The UK enacted its citizenship law in 1949, setting up several categories of citizens, each of which had varying rights of residence within the country. Canadians remained British subjects until 1977 when Ottawa decided to end this ambiguous dual status.

Read the entire article here.

Common Good interview

On the occasion of the release of Citizenship Without Illusions, Common Good has published an online interview with the author: Being a Good Citizen Doesn’t Stop After the Election. Here is an excerpt:

Sometimes we are tempted to think that we owe allegiance only to those communities we have freely chosen to enter. It’s an attractive proposition, and it appeals especially to North Americans whose constitutional documents include a Bill of Rights (U.S.) and a Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Canada). However, this is not a recipe for a healthy society, but for a mere amalgamation of supposedly autonomous egos out to advance their own individual interests. 

As Christians, by contrast, we recognize that we must approach life from a posture of gratitude, especially for those things that we haven’t chosen and which come to us as a gift. I firmly believe citizenship is one of these gifts. If you don’t believe it, just imagine the plight of the millions of refugees and stateless persons who lack legal standing in a functioning political community. They would dearly love to possess the citizenship that others take for granted.

Read the entire article here.

Launch day is here!

Today's the day! Citizenship Without Illusions is now officially published and available from IVP Academic. A huge thank you to everyone of you who has supported my work with your prayers and your financial contributions. Those of you who have funded this effort prior to this year are mentioned in the acknowledgements on pages ix and x.

This time of year I usually mail out cards to people who have donated in the past to express my gratitude for their support. Unfortunately, I will be unable to do so this year due to the postal strike here in Canada. However, I will be sending each of you a personal email message as an admittedly poor substitute. But I hope you will consider it a small token of my thankfulness.

A reminder that those of you who contribute an extra $100 before the end of the year will receive a copy of my book from the publisher. 

GSC's page for giving can be found here. Once you are in the page, scroll down to the heading marked DONATION DETAILS, and then choose one of the options under FUND. Americans may donate through our sister organization in the US.

Or, if you prefer, Canadian donors can donate publicly traded securities (shares or mutual funds) directly to charities without having to pay the capital gains tax. This is a cost-effective and painless way to make a donation that comes with a substantial tax incentive. By donating securities, donors pay no tax on capital gains, receive a tax receipt for the fair market value of the securities, as well as reduce their taxes. Watch this video for more information about this option: Link Charity Canada: Donation of Securities. If interested, please visit the Link Charity Canada Inc. website, and call for details at 1-800-387-8146. Link Charity Canada is a partner organization of Global Scholars Canada, so Link Charity can easily direct funds for my work.

Thank you once again! Happy reading!

Yours,

David Koyzis, Global Scholar

 

 

'Faithful Politics' podcast interview

A few weeks ago I was privileged to have a great conversation with Pastor Josh Burtram and Will Wright on their Faithful Politics podcast. Listen to it here:

Recent activities for November 2024

My Global Scholars newsletter for November is now posted. Recent activities include the five-year anniversary of my time with Global Scholars Canada, the official publication of my new book, two podcast interviews, and joining the board of trustees of the Center for Public Justice. Thank you once again for your support for my work!

What a Trump win means for Canada

The recent US election has returned Donald J. Trump to the White House. Here are my thoughts: What a Trump win means for Canada. An excerpt:

What are the implications of all this for Canadians? Although our two countries have been good neighbours for nearly two centuries, changes in administrations have sometimes led to tensions. John Diefenbaker and John Kennedy endured a somewhat prickly relationship, as did Pierre Trudeau and Richard Nixon. With Trump governing the United States, it is safe to assume that we are in for a rocky ride for the foreseeable future. The U.S. is highly unlikely to give Canada the benefit of the doubt when and if disputes arise between us. The two major issues likely to divide us are trade and defence.

Click here to read more.

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.