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.