MARCH 2026 NEWSLETTER

During the Lenten season in the church's calendar we recall the later stages of Jesus' earthly ministry as he moved with his disciples inexorably towards Jerusalem and the death awaiting him to atone for the sins of humanity. A year ago I recorded on guitar the familiar Lenten hymn, O Sacred Head Now Wounded, and posted it at my YouTube channel.

Between 22 and 25 February I travelled to the University of the Cumberlands in Willamsburg, Kentucky, a visit delayed from January due to a severe storm that blew through the central part of the United States. While there I guest lectured in a class taught by my principal host, Devon Goings, Director of Civic Responsibility at the university. There I discussed the connection between idolatry and ideology, drawing, of course, on my Political Visions and Illusions. In the evening of the same day, I delivered a public lecture on citizenship, drawing on my most recent book, Citizenship Without Illusions. Read more about my visit here. I was pleased to spend time with students and faculty alike. Perhaps I can return one day when the weather is more favourable.

Some weeks ago Gabriel Ennes interviewed me for his Apologética cristã podcast. The conversation lasts for some 45 minutes, and it covers material from my first and third books. Brazil is a traditionally Roman Catholic country, in fact the largest such in the world. Nevertheless, there has been a huge explosion of evangelical Christianity in that country over the past more than three decades. Many of these Christians, freshly aware of their calling to live out the gospel in daily life, are seeking material to help them think through the implications of their faith for exercising political responsibility. I hope that my most recent book will soon be translated into Portuguese for the benefit of Brazilians and our brothers and sisters in other lusophone countries.

We are still trying to gauge the implications of the recent joint American-Israeli attack on Iran. I myself am conflicted on this development. The regime of the mullahs is unquestionably an oppressive regime that has inflicted suffering on the Iranian people for nearly half a century. Nevertheless, one might well question the wisdom of launching an attack with such unclear goals in a volatile region of the world. I have published two commentaries on the subject: Iran's troubled past and present, and Iran's uncertain future. With respect to the latter, I should clarify that I do not believe that American support for the late Shah was a cause of Iran's hatred of Israel, which is a feature of the form of Shiite Islam associated with the current regime.

A highlight of the past month is the publication of an anthology to which I and several other Christian scholars contributed: Creation Regained: Disciplinary Perspectives. The volume was edited by my great friend and former colleague Russell D. Kosits, now teaching at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Beginning in a conference occurring in 2014, the book has been published by Dordt Press. The inspiration behind the volume is Albert M. Wolters' classic book, Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview, originally published in 1985 and in a second revised edition in 2005. I am pleased to see this book finally see the light of day. It is an appropriate honour to Wolters, whom I also esteem a great friend and something of a mentor and influence on my own writings. I will have more to say on this anthology in the near future.

Thank you for your ongoing support for my work. If you have contributed financially on a one-time basis in the past, please consider a regular monthly contribution, as it makes it easier for Global Scholars to set an annual budget, including the modest salary I receive from the organization. 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!

Yours in God's service,

David Koyzis, Global Scholar