Israel's precarious democracy, 2: institutional factors

In part 1, we covered the historical and demographic elements forming the unique context of Israel's politics. Here I want to discuss some of the institutional factors that play a role in Israel today.

First, Israel has no constitution. Well, not exactly. Like every country, Israel has a constitution in the sense of an empirical arrangement of political institutions relating to each other in customary and predictable ways. In this respect its constitution is similar to those of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and nine of Canada's provinces. But Israel has no written constitution, that is, a document that establishes in normative fashion the institutions and offices that govern Israel. There is no equivalent to the Constitution of the United States, which describes itself as "the supreme law of the land," taking priority over ordinary statutory laws. This has complicated Israel's domestic politics, including Prime Minister Netanyahu's recent efforts to rein in what he sees as an overreaching judiciary.

Israel's precarious democracy, 1: historical and demographic background

This year Israel celebrates 75 years as an independent state. It was born in the wake of the Holocaust, as large numbers of Jewish refugees from nazi-occupied Europe fled to what was then the British League of Nations Mandate of Palestine. Britain had acquired Palestine in December 1917, when Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Allenby captured Jerusalem from the Ottoman Turks during the Great War. By then the nascent Zionist movement was already bringing Jewish immigrants from Europe into the territory. The previous month, the British government had issued the Balfour Declaration, named for Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, which stated:

His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

During the three decades in which Great Britain controlled Palestine, the government in London discovered that the influx of Jewish settlers from Europe was not popular with its Arab inhabitants and attempted, rather too late, to curtail immigration. However, Jewish immigrants found ways to evade British efforts to stem the tide. After the end of the Second World War, survivors of the Holocaust streamed into Palestine, as Britain was preparing to vacate the territory.

Jane Koyzis (1931-2023)

Jane Marie Korpinen Koyzis has died at age 91 in North Andover, Massachusetts. A deeply compassionate and self-giving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she will be sorely missed by those she has left behind. She was born in Jackson, Michigan, the second daughter of Frances Marie Hyder and Eino Justus Korpinen, and had colonial American, German, and Finnish roots.

As an adolescent, she came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through the influence of a childhood friend and her family's local church congregation. Soon thereafter, she attended the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she met her husband of 66 years, Theodore Koyzis (1928-2020) of Cyprus. Together they raised six children, pouring their heart and soul into them during their long residence in Wheaton, Illinois, bringing them to church on Sundays and supporting them in their school-related and extracurricular activities. She had a sharp intellect, was an avid reader, and was an invaluable partner to her husband in their market research business. During her long life, Jane developed considerable wisdom in her understanding of human relationships and was always her children's go-to person when they needed advice or just a listening ear. She prayed with her children when putting them to bed and read to them from the Bible. She had a beautiful singing voice and often sang while working around the house, bequeathing her musical talents to many of her descendants.

May newsletter posted

I have now posted my Global Scholars newsletter for May, containing two items of good news, one relating to my book and another to my work with the Genevan Psalter, along with an interview on the church in China, and a forthcoming remote course for Brazil. Thank you for your financial and prayer support for my work.

Raskolnikov and Resurrection

Christian Courier has just posted my April column: Raskolnikov and Resurrection, with this subtitle: "The greatest of literature points us to the One who was raised from the dead that we too might live eternally." Here is an excerpt:

Many years ago, when I was still a graduate student, I decided to read some of the major Russian novels of the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s taken me decades, but I finally got to Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment (1866). The story is set in the imperial capital of St. Petersburg. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov has recently abandoned his university studies and is living hand to mouth in a rented room. Intellectually gifted, he is subject to frequent bouts of fever and depression.

Read the entire article here.

Nationalism: the need to belong

My series with the Politics Network of UCCF: The Christian Unions in the United Kingdom continues with this piece: Nationalism: the need to belong. An excerpt:

In principle we can recognize the legitimacy of national communities, however we define them. However, it is possible to make too much of our nation. And when we do so, we run the risk of idolizing it, thereby embracing nationalism as an ideology. In Cyprus, the partisans of enosis, or union with Greece, were so persuaded of their cause that they were willing to sacrifice the lives of those who stood in their way, including Turkish Cypriots and the less persuaded Greek Cypriots. Because their efforts led eventually to my paternal relatives losing their homes and becoming refugees in their own country, I have long been exceedingly wary of even a hint of nationalism, especially the ethnic variety. I dislike seeing the flag of Greece flying outside Orthodox church buildings in Cyprus because it represents a cause that disturbed the peace of the island and uprooted its people.

The series continues with a piece on democratism in June and concludes with one on post-liberalism in July.

April newsletter posted

I have just posted my April newsletter, with links to a wonderful Lutheran resurrection hymn, a revised table of contents for my next book, the 20th anniversary of this blog, and a new way for Canadians to contribute financially to my work.

The office of citizen

I have written a monthly column for Christian Courier since 1990. The latest instalment has been posted: The office of citizen. Here is a brief excerpt:

As God has created us in his image, he calls us to a variety of authoritative offices related to the various differentiated communities of which we are part. One of these is citizenship in our respective political communities. I myself was born an American citizen, although in adulthood I took an oath to our late Queen, her heirs, and successors and became a Canadian citizen.

Because citizenship is such an important office, with implications for us and our neighbours, we Christians ought to reflect on the obligations it imposes on us.

Read the entire article here.

'Citizenship Without Illusions': update

It's been two months since I reported on my contract with IVP Academic to write a third book, provisionally titled, "Citizenship Without Illusions." It's time for an update. By the start of this calendar year I had already written three chapters but in a different format than the one I am working with now. Since signing the contract, I have written most of seven chapters, with two more to go. The table of contents will look something like this:

Asbury em português

A Brazilian online resource called Gospel+ has reported on my recent commentary on the Asbury University revival: Renomado teólogo diz que frutos de Asbury só serão provados com “o tempo”. Translated into English, the title reads: Renowned theologian says Asbury's fruits will only be proven with "time". Of course, while I must protest that I am neither renowned nor a theologian, I appreciate that the writers have taken the time to read my original post on the subject.

March newsletter posted

I have now posted my Global Scholars Canada newsletter for March, including news about the progress of my book, a new online article on conservatism, and a review of a new metrical psalter.

Asbury's aftermath: weighing revival

The New York Post is covering the revival that recently broke out at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky: How an ‘itchy sweater’ sparked a new Christian revival at a Kentucky university. Not having experienced this event first-hand, I am reluctant to comment on it. I will indicate that, by temperament and conviction, I am not a partisan of revivalism, a phenomenon often associated with emotional manipulation and a pelagian conception of salvation based less on God's redeeming work through Jesus Christ and more on my decision for Christ. I wrote in some detail about this last year: The altar call: good or bad? I am persuaded that it is better to emphasize, not the intensity of my response to God's call, but to focus instead on the ordinary means of grace that come to us through word and sacrament through regular church attendance.

That said, I would not wish prematurely to dismiss what has been happening amongst the young people at Asbury. Anything that moves the current generation to greater fervour and dedication to the kingdom of God must be seen as a manifestation of the work of the Holy Spirit, and for that we should give thanks. Youthful energy and enthusiasm can be infectious, and having taught and grown to love this age group for thirty years, I can testify that I am not immune to this. However, the test will come with time as we see how all this plays out in their lives over the long term. At present we are at the stage of the sower sowing the seeds (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). Inevitably, some will fall away after the enthusiasms ebb, but others will persevere throughout the course of their lives, trusting in God's saving grace and living in gratitude and obedience to his will. May God multiply the numbers of those in the latter category.

Conservatism: tradition as norm

The latest of my series of articles for the Politics Network of UCCF: The Christian Unions in the United Kingdom has now appeared. The title is Conservatism: tradition as norm. Here is an excerpt:

Despite attempts to define a “true conservatism,” the phenomenon is so slippery as to elude such efforts. While liberals and socialists boast guiding principles in their efforts to govern and improve their societies, conservatives lack something comparable. What unites conservatives is less a substantive set of principles than an attachment to tradition. Which tradition? Well, their own, whatever that might happen to be.

Obviously, every society has its traditions which it passes down to future generations through various means. Although we have experienced revolutions in technology and social mores over the centuries, we still for the most part live within a civilization shaped in countless ways by our forebears. We expect that people will live up to shared social norms when, say, eating in a restaurant, attending a concert, or meeting a new person. Churches, workplace communities, amateur football clubs, theatre troupes, and so forth all have standards to which members must conform. These are informed by traditions inherited from the past.

But what happens when our traditions conflict with each other?

Read the entire article to find out.

CPJ international relations discussion

On 7 February, I participated in a discussion with James W. Skillen on the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, moderated by Calvin University Professor Tracy Kuperus. This was part of a board meeting of the Center for Public Justice. You can view the discussion below:

February newsletter posted

I have just posted my Global Scholars Canada newsletter for February, which this month includes news about my book contract and my recent travels to the Pittsburgh area to deliver three addresses at two educational institutions.

Trinity and Geneva: travels in western PA

Much of last week I spent in the Pittsburgh area speaking at two educational institutions. The first was Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge. I had known of this institution for a long time, because my good friend William G. Witt teaches systematic theology and ethics there. I spoke on two subjects. The first took place at the Dean's Hour on wednesday morning, 15 February. It was about "Ideology and Idolatry," covering the basics of my first book, Political Visions and Illusions, with a preview of what is coming in my third book. My second talk was on metrical psalmody, which you can read about here. The second person responsible for my visit was the new Dean President, Bryan Hollon, who had heard me speak five years ago at Malone University in Canton, Ohio.

'A United Canada'

Maintaining a unified Canada over such long distances and scattered populations has always been a difficult proposition. Our national unity narrative has now encountered one more plot twist with Alberta's passage of its Sovereignty Act: 'A United Canada': New Act in Alberta creates sovereignty without independence. An excerpt from the article in Christian Courier:

Since our own rebellions of 1837, Canada has been at peace, although national unity has always been a precarious enterprise. For most of our history, the major issue has been linguistic, with French-speaking Québec being the most obvious candidate for separating from the rest of the country.

But now the government of Alberta, led by United Conservative Party Premier Danielle Smith, has passed something that smacks of René Levesque’s paradoxical 43-year-old goal of sovereignty-association: Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act. According to the provincial government’s website, “The act allows Alberta to fight harmful federal laws and defend the constitutional federal-provincial division of powers.” Among other things, it allows Alberta’s legislature to debate and pass a motion to the effect that a particular federal policy violates the constitution or harms Alberta in some way. Once the legislature has approved such a motion, it will turn the matter over to the provincial cabinet to take appropriate action.

Read the entire article here.

MAID and the meaning of suffering

Christian Courier has published my most recent column, titled, MAID and the meaning of suffering, MAID standing for "Medical Assistance in Dying." An excerpt:

We live in confused times. The Government of Canada hosts two websites standing in tension with each other. The first is titled, “Preventing suicide: Warning signs and how to help.” It lists the phone numbers of crisis centres and offers advice for helping those at risk. It then lists the websites of other agencies and of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. So far so good.

The second website is titled, “Medical assistance in dying,” otherwise known by its acronym MAID. It describes the amendments to the Criminal Code mandated by the Supreme Court’s Carter decision (2015) permitting assisted suicide. It then proceeds to tell us who can offer this service to those wishing to end their earthly journeys.

It is difficult to know what to make of such an obvious contradiction. On the one hand, Ottawa is reaching out to save lives. On the other, it appears to facilitate the taking of life. Which is it?

Read the entire article here.

Rethinking NATO's role

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, known as NATO (OTAN in French), is arguably the most successful military alliance in history. Founded in 1949, it brought together Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States into a defence pact aimed primarily at containing the Soviet Union. At the end of the Second World War, Moscow had moved into the heart of Europe, occupying a large swathe of territory extending from the Baltic to the Black Seas, stopping short of the Mediterranean. In the countries it occupied, it set up communist governments and made them clients of the Soviet Union.

'Citizenship Without Illusions': contract signed and book forthcoming

I am pleased to report that on 20 January I signed a contract with InterVarsity Press, publisher of my first book, Political Visions and Illusions, to write a new book under the provisional title, "Citizenship Without Illusions." In effect, this new work is a sequel to the earlier one, and I plan to draw out some of its practical implications for ordinary Christians wishing to live out their citizenship in a way that honours God and serves their neighbours. The idea for this book was suggested to me by my good friend Bruce Ashford in a phone conversation a few years ago, and I decided to take it up. Like my first two books, this too grows out of three decades of teaching political science to undergraduate students at a Christian university here in Canada.

An American virus infects Brazil: Christian Courier

Christian Courier has picked up my recent post on the copy-cat uprising in Brasília earlier this month: An American virus infects Brazil. An excerpt:

Brazil has now experienced six republics, one more than France’s post-1789 five. Because its current constitution is still young, its institutions remain vulnerable to occasional outbreaks of political instability. Under such conditions, loyalty to the constitution may take a back seat to partisan allegiances in the hearts of many Brazilians. If your favoured party or candidate pushes an ideological narrative which you support, you may come to look at the constitution and its mandated procedures as obstacles to its implementation.

Read the rest of the article here.

January newsletter posted

I have now posted my newsletter for January 2023. Among other things, I have received good news from InterVarsity Press concerning my next book project. Read all about it here.

An American virus infects Brazil

No, this is not about COVID or some other physical malady. It's about how excessive political polarization is negatively affecting two of the world's largest democracies in a way that threatens to erode their political institutions.

The United States has one of the oldest functioning constitutional documents in the world dating back to 1787, when its founders negotiated a political union of thirteen states based on a federal division of powers with sovereignty at each level divided among legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Americans in turn borrowed many of their institutions from the centuries-old English and later British constitution, in which a balanced power-sharing arrangement among King, Lords, and Commons developed, not by deliberate design, but out of the vicissitudes of history.

Gorbachev, Putin, and the toxic cycle of Russian leadership

At the end of August of last year, I briefly noted the death of Mikhail Gorbachev and promised to comment further on his legacy. However, the death of the Queen days later delayed my fulfilment of that promise as the world's attention focussed on the legacy of Britain and Canada's longest reigning monarch. However, as we approach the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, I believe it is time to return to Russia, whose troubled history has negatively affected, not only its own people, but its neighbours as well.

For centuries Russian leadership has vacillated between seemingly good rulers bent on reform and tyrannical rulers bent on holding the line with, if necessary, methods ranging from the harsh to the cruel. We all remember Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584), the grand prince of Moscow who became Russia's first tsar. Putting an end to the last remnants of Mongol rule, Ivan expanded his country's territory into a vast Eurasian empire, but at the cost of many lives. He managed to murder his own son and heir, Ivan Ivanovich, and effectively killed off his own Ryurik dynasty, leading directly to the Time of Troubles between 1598 and 1613, when the first Romanov came to the throne. After this pivotal period in its history, Russia would see its leadership occupied by several more seemingly vicious rulers, during the tsarist, Soviet, and post-Soviet eras.

Incarnation and renewal

My December column for Christian Courier has been posted here: Incarnation and renewal, with this subtitle: "Christ took on our perishable flesh to redeem us for an imperishable life with him in his coming kingdom." An excerpt:

As I approach age 68, I am increasingly aware of the fragility of our earthly existence and that our years on God’s earth are limited. My father has been gone for two years. His younger sister died in October at age 90 . . . . Since May I have suffered from severe shoulder pain that is limiting my activities . . . . Moreover, I find November and December depressing months, with darkness enveloping our northern hemispheric latitude for so many hours each day. In such circumstances, it is easy to become discouraged.

Nevertheless, as a cradle Christian, I, along with the rest of the church, have rehearsed the redemptive story embedded in the church calendar for nearly three score years and ten – so many times that by now its cyclical patterns have become a source of comfort and stability. 

Read the entire article here.

Socialism and pluriformity

Two months ago I mentioned that I would be writing a series of short articles on political ideologies for the Politics Network of UCCF: The Christian Unions in the United Kingdom. The first was titled, Understanding Liberal Mythology, and was posted in October. Now the second piece in the series has appeared and is called, Socialism and Pluriformity. An excerpt:

What is socialism? It is a political ideology that aims to equalize the enjoyment of economic resources across a society, thereby eliminating the ancient cleavage between rich and poor. This would be done by everyone pooling their resources instead of each person claiming exclusive ownership over a portion. In other words, common property would replace private property. Under this arrangement, each person would work to produce the wealth that would go into a common pot, refraining from making a particular claim to the fruits of their labours. As the pot would be continually filled and refilled, any members of the community could draw from it to meet their own needs . . . .

However, the larger a community becomes, the more difficult it is to carry this out in the same way. Why?

Read the entire article to find out.

December newsletter: World Cup edition

My latest Global Scholars newsletter is now posted: DECEMBER 2022 newsletter: World Cup edition. How is my work relevant to the World Cup? Read and see for yourself. And while you are at it, please consider making a year-end donation so I can continue my work. Thanks so much in advance!

Incidentally, I've been informed by people in the know that my position on the alternate Brazilian team is not goalie but striker, "perhaps an even more prestigious position considering that is who scores many of the goals." I suppose I do tend to underestimate myself!

CARE UK event

As I did around this time last year, I had another great conversation today with the current group of young people in the CARE Leadership Programme in the United Kingdom. CARE stands for Christian Action, Research, and Education. The website describes the programme:

The Leadership Programme provides talented Christian graduates, who have a desire to serve the Lord in public life, the opportunity to experience a year in Parliament or a policy-shaping NGO.

For four days a week, graduates are placed with a Parliamentarian or in an NGO, helping with speech writing, research, advocacy and public relations. Most internships are London-based, but we also offer Parliamentary placements in Edinburgh at the Scottish Parliament and occasionally media and business placements. This eleven month educational programme provides a unique insight into Parliament and how it works . . . .

Additionally, for one day a week, graduates participate in an intensive study programme that includes theology, political theory and training in leadership skills.

Included in their studies is my book, Political Visions and Illusions, about which they posed some great questions for our discussion. I pray that God will bless these young people as they seek to serve him and their fellow citizens.

ANAJURE lecture and discussion

Last evening I was privileged to address remotely a group of Brazilians at the invitation of Gabriel Dayan Stevão de Matos, executive director of Associação Nacional de Juristas Evangélicos (ANAJURE), or the National Association of Evangelical Jurists. My talk was on the relationship between ideology and idolatry, and it was followed by questions from the participants.

As always, I was overwhelmed by the expressions of appreciation for my work and for my participation in this event. I was particularly moved by a prayer for me at the end of the event. May God bless the people of Brazil, and may he continue to advance his kingdom in that beautiful country.

Aqui está uma descrição em português:

A mystical faith

Christian Courier has published my recent column titled, A mystical faith, with this subtitle: "Our approach to God must always be accompanied by the humble recognition that he deserves our worship." An excerpt:

No one has ever accused me of being a mystic. For one thing, I don’t dress the part. No flowing robes or beard down to the belly. Corduroy trousers and tweed jackets are my style. But even apart from sartorial evidence, my writings show few signs of flirting with mysticism. I love the carefully constructed logical argument, whose symmetry I find deeply satisfying – even beautiful!

Nevertheless, I have always known that mystery accompanies faith in the God who created us and saved us through Jesus Christ. Part of this may flow from my paternal Orthodox roots, but even a Reformed Christian upbringing made me aware of God’s presence in a way that defies explanation.

Does that make me a mystic? Read the entire article here to find out.

Byzantine Calvinist Commentary 1: nondenominational churches and the liberal narrative

Beginning this week, I will periodically be uploading video commentaries on various issues, some relevant to politics and others more generally relevant to the life in Christ, including the church. Here is the first in this series, on Nondenominational churches and the liberal narrative, which is a slight reworking of my recent blog post with this title.

A Trilha de Cantuária: culto e reforma

My recent post on The Canterbury Trail: worship and reformation has been translated into Portuguese and posted at Lecionário: A Trilha de Cantuária: culto e reforma. An excerpt follows the Portuguese translation immediately below.

Meu post recente sobre The Canterbury Trail: worship and reformation foi traduzido para o português e postado no Lecionário: A Trilha de Cantuária: culto e reforma. Um trecho:

Webber não me levou ao anglicanismo per se, muito menos a uma comunhão anglicana, uma invenção de meados do século XIX. Mas ler seus livros me ajudou a entender que até alguns dos reformadores do século 16 erraram, especialmente no que diz respeito às liturgias históricas da Igreja. Em qualquer esforço para reformar a igreja, os pretensos reformadores devem diferenciar entre o que pertence legitimamente à tradição da qual são herdeiros e o que são acréscimos antibíblicos. Isso requer conhecimento de como era a igreja antiga e como ela adorava o Deus trino. Infelizmente, os reformadores não tiveram acesso às fontes mais antigas que conhecemos hoje.

Leia o artigo inteiro aqui.

Nondenominational churches and the liberal narrative

This month Christianity Today reports that ‘Nondenominational’ Is Now the Largest Segment of American Protestants. Although I have no memory of being part of such a nondenominational congregation, my parents had me dedicated as an infant at the Wheaton Bible Church in Wheaton, Illinois, although a year and a half later I would be baptized in an Orthodox Presbyterian congregation near Chicago. Back in the day, WBC was a flourishing congregation just north of downtown. Although the man who presided at my parents' wedding was an ordained Presbyterian minister, he attended this church along with his family. Decades later it is a nondenominational megachurch, having attracted members from other neighbouring congregations, one of which recently closed.

November newsletter posted

My latest Global Scholars newsletter is now posted online: November 2022 newsletter. Among the news to report: my shoulder pain appears to be improving slowly, and I have received a second grant from the Reid Trust. Thanks for your continued prayers and financial support for my work.

A new Carolingian era

Christian Courier has posted my latest column: A new Carolingian era, with this subtitle: "Three reasons to believe that King Charles is off to a good start." Here is the second reason:

[A]lthough King Charles has not been as beloved a figure as his late mother, he is heir to a legacy of considerable good will and admiration that she earned during her seven decades of service to her country and to the Commonwealth. Sad to say, the media are not as respectful of the royal office as they were in 1952, yet I believe that our new monarch will rise to the occasion, taking every opportunity to connect with his people on a personal level. He may not be a gregarious person, but neither was his late grandfather, who endeared himself to his people through his courage and dedication during the war.

 Read the first and third reasons here.

The Canterbury Trail: Liturgy and Reformation

Kuyperian Commentary has published my post, titled, The Canterbury Trail: Liturgy and Reformation. I wrote it in response to a post by Gillis Harp: Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail: Reflections on the Pilgrimage to Anglicanism Nearly 40 Years After Webber’s Classic. An excerpt:

A close examination of the Apostolic Tradition [of Hyppolytus] and similar early documents indicates that many of the Reformers unduly disposed of much that should have been retained, rejecting some of the substance of the tradition along with the accretions. . . . If the Apostolic Tradition was lost to the Reformers, its liturgical rubrics and texts survived in both the western and eastern rites of the historic church and were thus available to the Reformers of the 16th century in that form. Indeed, Cranmer and Luther retained much of the ordinary of the mass, removing its accretions, translating it into their respective vernacular languages, and prescribing it for use in the churches for which they were responsible.

This is cross posted to my Genevan Psalter blog as well.

Dooyeweerd and the inadequacy of conservatism and progressivism

One of Abraham Kuyper's philosophical heirs was Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977), whose prolific writings are increasingly being translated into English, Portuguese, and other languages. One of his lesser known works is his Encyclopedia of the Science of Law, of which two volumes have thus far been published in English. Although Dooyeweerd was also an heir of Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801-1876), whose analysis of the French Revolution owed much to that of Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Dooyeweerd was severely critical of conservatism in its many manifestations. This is from volume one of the Encyclopedia:

Iran and the arc of history

When I was an undergraduate student back in the mid 1970s, I took a concentrated summer course in the Russian language at the University of Minnesota. While my grasp of Russian would weaken over the ensuing decades, I still remember the protests on campus of Iranian students against the rule of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had less than two years remaining in his troubled reign. At the time, it seemed possible that the Shah might be replaced by a Marxist régime. My political science education, coupled with a minor in history, had prepared me for the likelihood that an unpopular American-supported monarch, whom the CIA had put in power in 1953, could be replaced by a revolutionary group sympathetic to the Soviet Union. After all, we had seen it happen before in Asia and Africa, and, of course, in Castro's Cuba, only 140 kilometres from Florida's coast.

Ukraine & Russia: To Whom Does The Land Belong?

Jason Scott Montoya interviewed me again last week, and the interview can be viewed here:

The interview along with ancillary material can also be found here: Ukraine & Russia: To Whom Does The Land Belong? Discussing Geographic Sovereignty With David T. Koyzis Ph.D.

October newsletter posted

My Global Scholars newsletter has now been posted online: October 2022 newsletter. As always, I am thankful for your financial and prayer support for my work. Please pray for a complete recovery from my chronic shoulder pain and that I might get to see two specialists before too long. Thanks again.

The altar call: good or bad? Kuyperian Commentary

My short piece from last week has been reposted at Kuyperian Commentary: The altar call: good or bad? An excerpt:

Reformed Christians in North America were historically divided over New Measures revivalism, leading to an outright split between Old School and New School Presbyterians lasting from 1837 to 1857. The division resurfaced in the 1930s during the fundamentalist-modernist controversy with Orthodox Presbyterians (Old School) going one way and Evangelical and Bible Presbyterians (New School) going another. Old School Presbyterians feared that revival methods would elicit false conversions that would quickly disappear when buffeted by the winds of adversity and the temptations of sin (Matthew 13:20-21). Once the emotional high had evaporated, converts would rest on a false assurance of salvation depending too much on their own decision for Christ apart from God’s electing grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. Revivalism appeared to be based on the false assumption that an unregenerate person could decide for Christ and thereby effectively ensure his or her own redemption—something often called decisional regeneration.

Would bringing back altar calls in churches be a good thing?

Find the answer here.

Can Christian Higher Education Stay the Course?

A blog post of mine from the beginning of last month has been picked up by the Christian Scholar's Review blog: Can Christian Higher Education Stay the Course? An excerpt:

One possible reason for a university losing its confessional moorings is an underlying worldview that divides the curriculum between divinity/theology on the one hand and so-called secular disciplines on the other, parallel to the historic scholastic division between sacred and secular. Because it was assumed that these latter disciplines were subject to the canons of a neutral reason, any connection with the faith would be extrinsic at least and unnecessary at most. In McMaster’s case, this approach is likely why the university could so easily restrict the historic Baptist element to the Divinity College, still situated uneasily on campus as a curious vestige of its earlier affiliation.

Understanding liberal mythology: The Politics Network

Last week, on 3 October, I had the privilege of conversing with between 15 and 20 young people in the United Kingdom who are part of the Civitas programme of the Politics Network. I believe this is the third time I have spoken with a Civitas group, as hosted by Thomas Kendall. The Politics Network is affiliated with Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, or The Christian Unions, located in Oxford. The participating young people are generally working for members of parliament. The topic under discussion was "The Liberal Myth: Rationalism and the Privatisation of Faith." As before, it was a most enjoyable experience.

The altar call: good or bad?

Christianity Today recently published an article by Russell Moore titled, Bring Back Altar Calls,  with the following subtitle: "They could foster the worst in evangelical spirituality. But the best of it, too." Because the article is behind a paywall, I cannot assess the author's argument, but I will take the occasion to look at the altar call because it is something with which I grew up, at least in part. No, not at the Orthodox Presbyterian Church congregation my parents started with another family in Wheaton, Illinois, when I was a small child. The OPC represents a rather pure form of Old School Presbyterianism, which took a dim view of New Measures revivalism in the 19th century. Worship in our congregation was based on the 1961 Trinity Hymnal, along with the use of traditional liturgical forms such as the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Gloria Patri, the confession of sin and assurance of pardon, and the weekly reading of the Ten Commandments. We sang metrical psalms from the 1912 Psalter of the former United Presbyterian Church in North America.

Remembering Ron Sider

My latest Christian Courier column has been posted online: Remembering Ron Sider, devoted to the late Christian leader who died on 27 July this year. Here is an excerpt:

[Sider] attempted to articulate a comprehensive pro-life ethic in opposition to abortion, capital punishment, and of course hunger. In 1987 Sider wrote a book called Completely Pro-Life: Building a Consistent Stance, in which he tied together several issues that would defy the conventional labels of conservative and progressive. Sadly, his efforts did not prevent especially evangelical Christians from dividing along the political lines familiar to us today.

Read the entire article here.

When a constitution gets rights wrong

Last month, after Chileans rejected a new proposed constitution, I offered some possible reasons for this rejection: Chile's constitution: back to square one. Now another article appears that puts Chile's constitutional issue in a larger historical context: What the Constitutions of the Soviet Union and North Korea Can Teach Us about Rights—and the Purpose of a Constitution. The author, Jack Elbaum, recounts the adoption of the 1936 Soviet Constitution which the country's leaders praised as "the most democratic in the world."

Jason Montoya interview

This week Jason Scott Montoya interviewed me for his podcast, which can be seen immediately below:

The interview can also be found at Jason's website, along with relevant links: Political Visions & Illusions: A Survey & Christian Critique of Contemporary Ideologies — With Author David T. Koyzis. Thanks to Jason for a stimulating conversation!

The seeds of the gospel: remembering the Queen

Over the past not quite two weeks, the world has witnessed the grandest of ceremonial and pageantry in honour of Her Late Majesty the Queen, beginning with the memorial service at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, then the funeral a week later at Westminster Abbey, and finally the committal service at St. George's, Windsor, where she was laid to rest. Great Britain is, of course, famous around the globe for the pomp and circumstance with which it surrounds its monarchy—something which other constitutional monarchies long ago put behind them.

Nevertheless, what stood out for me in these three memorial services is the extent to which they focussed, not so much on the Queen's life and witness, but on the person of Jesus Christ whom she trusted as her Saviour. To be sure, there was some eulogizing, especially by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, during the funeral.

Sherif Girgis on Constitutional Law and Culture After Dobbs

Last week Calvin University hosted Prof. Sherif Girgis, who teaches at the Law School at my alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. His lecture on Constitutional Law and Culture After Dobbs can be found immediately below:

One of Girgis' more persuasive points is that, in today's United States, there is a predominant notion that the courts—and the courts alone—are the arbiters of what is constitutional and what is not. But it has not always been thus. In the early history of the US, presidents and Congress alike saw themselves as guarantors of the constitution, alongside the courts. The introduction of judicial review in 1803 was not meant to negate the responsibilities of the other branches of government to uphold the constitution. Two centuries later, however, something like judicial supremacy has become a poor substitute for constitutional supremacy, as provided for in Article VI, paragraph 2, of the Constitution of the United States.

September newsletter

I have just posted my Global Scholars newsletter for September online, including, once again, a request for prayers for my return to health, especially after COVID made its way through our household this month: September 2022 newsletter. Thanks once again for your financial support and prayers!

'We are all orphans'

My updated Christian Courier column has been posted online under the title, "We are all orphans," with this subtitle: "In a culture of ‘self,’ the Queen was a true servant of the people." An excerpt:

Although we knew it was coming, we still experienced the death of Queen Elizabeth II as a blow. I myself was caught off guard and wept when I heard the news. A good friend put it well: we are all orphans. The Queen had been on the throne for seven decades, since before I was born, and serving until after my retirement. . . .

In Canada and 14 other Commonwealth Realms, once styled dominions, Queen Elizabeth II served as head of state, serenely carrying out the responsibilities she believed God had given her. No other monarch reigned as long as she. During her years on the throne, she earned the admiration of her own subjects and of people around the world, who have good reason to envy people living in these realms.

Read the entire column here.

Chile's constitution: back to square one

Twice in recent months I have had speaking events related to Chile, an unusually long and thin Spanish-speaking republic stretching along the Pacific coast of South America bounded to its east by the Andes Mountains and Argentina. On sunday, 4 September, Chilean voters rejected the new constitution proposed by the administration of the country's 36-year-old president Gabriel Boric by a substantial margin of 62 percent over 38 percent. This new draft, intended to replace the 1980 constitution introduced by former dictator Augusto Pinochet, boasted a whopping 388 articles, making it one of the longest, if not the longest, constitutional documents in the world. After unrest in 2019 over price rises, the government decided to hold a plebiscite on a new constitution, which 80 percent of voters supported the following year. The next two years were spent drafting the document, which was to be placed before Chileans for their approval. While Pinochet's constitution had enshrined a neoliberal market-oriented economic régime, ordinary Chileans became increasingly dissatisfied with it, culminating in the mass protests of three years ago.

Unifying or divisive? Biden's speech

Last thursday evening, 1 September, United States President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., delivered a speech in Philadelphia, a city of historic significance for Americans. Here is the speech in full:

There is reason to be ambivalent about the appropriateness of this speech, which will likely be seen as hopelessly partisan by his political opponents. I will make three observations concerning the speech.

Staying the course: Christian higher education

Not far from our home in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is one of southern Ontario's premier universities, McMaster, known internationally as a centre for advanced scientific and medical research. What few remember is that the university once had a connection with the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Québec, the only remnant of which is the presence on campus of McMaster Divinity College, whose most famous faculty member was probably the late Clark Pinnock. 

During my first years of teaching at a neighbouring institution, I often found myself in the Mills Library at McMaster. During one visit, I happened to notice the university's crest outside the elevators, and I was surprised to read the motto emblazoned in Greek letters above the shield: ΤΑ ΠΑΝΤΑ ΕΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΩΙ ΣΥΝΕΣΤΗΚΕΝ: "In Christ all things hold together." This, of course, is a reference to Colossians 1:17. I imagined that hundreds of people would walk past this coat of arms every day as they moved between the floors of the library, unaware of what the words meant or of their history. According to the university's website, "One may suppose that the motto and book were intended to express the concept, espoused in the Will of Senator McMaster, of 'a Christian school of learning'."

Gorbachev (1931-2022)

Mikhail Gorbachev, who died yesterday at age 91, leaves behind a Russia caught up in the troubles engendered by the breakup of an empire he tried in vain to salvage. Lionized by the west, he was vilified at home, a tragic figure whose good intentions were insufficient to free Russia from the weight of its own turbulent past.

He will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the great leaders of the last quarter of the 20th century, who brought to a fairly peaceful end one of the most oppressive regimes in history, yet without being able to alter for the better the political culture that had nurtured it. Successfully ending the Cold War after just over four decades, Gorbachev proved more skilled at initiating good relations with the major western powers than at securing and maintaining the support of his own people. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher memorably called the Soviet leader "a man one could do business with." Nevertheless, co-operation at élite levels does not necessarily lead to lasting friendship between nations, as we are seeing at present with Russia's international isolation over its attack on Ukraine.

I will have more to say about Gorbachev's legacy in the near future.

The respectable Christianity of Life with Father

In many ways this classic 1947 film has not aged well, with its portrayal of a stern patriarchal father and a manipulative mother who actually controls the household and invariably gets her way. What was thought humorous seventy-five years ago might be thought insufferable today. Nevertheless, I found the film fascinating, even as I admit I had to take it in small doses to get through the entire thing. Starring two of the best known actors of their day, William Powell (1892-1984) and Irene Dunne (1898-1990), Life with Father is a cinematic version of a 1939 play, based in turn on the 1935 autobiography by Clarence Day, Jr. (1874-1935), played in the film by 24-year-old Jimmy Lydon (1923-2022), better remembered for playing Henry Aldrich in the eponymous radio programme and film series. The score was composed by Max Steiner (1888-1971), known for his music for Gone With the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1942), and A Summer Place (1959), among many others.

 

The source of my interest lies in its portrayal of turn-of-the-last-century upper-middle-class urban Christianity. The Day family are New York City Episcopalians (Anglicans) in the 1890s (1883 in the film), their church affiliation playing a major role in the story line. This comes out in three subplots.

Iron Sharpens Iron interview

As I mentioned in my August newsletter, Jonathan Chaplin interviewed me on the subject of my book, Political Visions and Illusions. The interview has now been posted on YouTube:

Hopeful realism or patient hopefulness?

Last month three esteemed colleagues of mine published a statement in Public Discourse: the Journal of the Witherspoon Institute: Hopeful Realism: Renewing Evangelical Political Morality. The authors, Jesse Covington, Bryan McGraw, and Micah Watson, I know from conferences we have all attended. Last May, during my visit to Calvin University, I was privileged to have coffee (well, tea actually) with Watson, who teaches political science there. This article was a collaborative effort, and I recommend a close reading of their argument, which is that the future of evangelical politics lies in a recovery of the natural law under the broad rubric of a hopeful realism. The authors outline four principles of a hopeful realism:

Tradition as a Way of Life: Yoram Hazony’s Winsome Defence

Mere Orthodoxy has published my review of Yoram Hazony's Conservatism: A Rediscovery: Tradition as a Way of Life: Yoram Hazony’s Winsome Defence. An excerpt:

I personally found the book a delightful read. Few nonfiction books are likely to be page turners, but this one is. Despite its nearly 400 pages, Conservatism is difficult to put down once you’ve begun, so it’s best to set aside some time to do it justice. Indeed, virtually every page is brimming with wisdom rooted in the biblical tradition with which the author, an observant Jew, is familiar. He shows considerable insight into human relationships and the qualities needed to maintain them over the long term. In fleshing out his conservative vision, Hazony succeeds in making the rival liberal and Marxist worldviews look thin and remote from lived reality. Nevertheless, despite the book’s considerable strengths, I was not persuaded by his overall argument for two reasons that I will explain below.

To learn what those reasons are, click here.

Three years ago I reviewed Hazony's earlier book, The Virtue of Nationalism, at Kuyperian Commentary: Is Nationalism Worth Defending? Both books are worth reading and pondering.

Probing the Russian and Ukrainian political cultures

At the time of communism's collapse in the Soviet Union and its former client states, some observers believed it was possible that Russia and the other post-Soviet republics would finally adopt democratic forms of government. One such scholar, Nicolai N. Petro, published a book titled, The Rebirth of Russian Democracy: An Interpretation of Political Culture (Harvard, 1997). I used to assign this book when I was teaching Russian politics, not because I found Petro's thesis entirely persuasive, but because the author plausibly focussed on the country's tradition of "constrained autocracy," Orthodox Christianity's "Symphonic Ideal," and the possible role of "Russia's Alternative Political Organizations" in paving the way to democracy. Sad to say, Russia's tradition of less constrained autocracy reasserted itself at the turn of the millennium, with President Vladimir Putin making a concerted effort to rein in and ultimately suppress alternative organizations that might have constrained his authoritarian proclivities. The current war with Ukraine has only increased the power of an autocratic leader—something scarcely surprising to students of Russian history.

August newsletter

I have now posted my latest Global Scholars newsletter online, including a request for prayers for my health: August 2022 newsletter.

Cardus conversation and populism

This week I travelled (virtually) from one end of South America to the other, while last evening saw my return to Canada, where I conversed with Cardus' 2022-2023 NextGen Fellowship Cohort, consisting of twelve people ages 25 to 34 with impressive résumés who are at the beginning of their careers in public service. They have been reading and discussing together Political Visions and Illusions, and last evening was their opportunity to talk with the author. One of the participants asked a question about populism, as did one of my Brazilian readers a day earlier. I did not cover populism as such in my book, although my treatments of conservatism, nationalism, and democratism certainly have relevance. Five years ago, however, I did write an article for the Autumn 2017 issue of The Bible in Transmission, of the Bible Society (also known as the British and Foreign Bible Society): Populism in Christian Perspective. An excerpt:

Remote lecture and conversation: João Pessoa, Brazil

The Brazilian city of João Pessoa is on the other side of South America from Santiago, Chile, and this is the location of the hosts for my next lecture, which took place last evening. The sponsoring institution was the Faculdade Internacional Cidade Viva in the tropical northeast of the continent's largest country. Every day between 8 and 14 August, to open the new semester, the faculty is discussing Political Visions and Illusions. I spoke to them on "Ideologies and Idolatry," taking the form of a first-person account of how I came to write the book and a brief glimpse into my plans for a sequel.

Remote lecture: Santiago, Chile

Last evening I delivered a remote lecture to the community associated with the Facultad de Teología Reformada in Santiago, Chile. This is a winter seminar (Chile is in the southern hemisphere of course) devoted to the Well-Being of the City (based on Jeremiah 29), connected with a larger discussion of Christian Faith, Political Action, and the New Constitution. After the turmoil of 2019, Chile is in the process of formulating a new constitution to replace the 1980 constitution adopted during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. A plebiscite on the document will take place next month.

Here is my lecture and subsequent discussion below. I especially liked the question about the element of truth in anarchism, something I did not cover in Political Visions and Illusions.

Reaching the hispanic world

Christian Courier has published my monthly column here: Reaching the hispanic world, with the subtitle: "¡Que Dios bendiga a su pueblo en el mundo hispano!" An excerpt:

Sources differ on the numbers of Spanish speakers in the United States, but their presence is enough to make that country one of the largest hispanophone nations in the world, possibly outranking Spain itself. Indeed, automatic teller machines in banks will prompt you to choose between English and Spanish, even though Spanish is not an official language of the United States . . . .

In 2014 the Pew Research Center reported that the Catholic share of the Latino population was declining, with evangelical and unaffiliated numbers growing. According to the report, Hispanic evangelicals attend church at higher rates than Catholics and are more involved in related activities such as Bible studies and evangelism. With the Latino population increasing in the U.S., it seems likely that Christianity will become more Hispanic as religious observance declines among the white middle class.

Read the entire column here.