Church, State and Public Justice: Five Views

by Paul Charles Kemeny (Editor), Clarke E. Cochran (Contributor), Derek H. Davis (Contributor)

Abortion. Physician-assisted suicide. Same-sex marriages. Embryonic stem-cell research. Poverty. Crime. What is a faithful Christian response? The God of the Bible is unquestionably a God of justice. Yet Christians have had their differences as to how human government and the church should bring about a just social order. Although Christians share many deep and significant theological convictions, differences that threaten to divide them have often surrounded the matter of how the church collectively and Christians individually ought to engage the public square. What is the mission of the church? What is the purpose of human government? How ought they to be related to each other? How should social injustice be redressed? The five noted contributors to this volume answer these questions from within their distinctive Christian theological traditions, as well as responding to the other four positions. Through the presentations and ensuing dialogue we come to see more clearly what the differences are, where their positions overlap and why they diverge. The contributors and the positions taken include
Clarke E. Cochran: A Catholic Perspective
Derek H. Davis: A Classical Separation Perspective
Ronald J. Sider: An Anabaptist Perspective
Corwin F. Smidt: A Principled Pluralist Perspective
J. Philip Wogaman: A Social Justice Perspective
This book will be instructive for anyone seeking to grasp the major Christian alternatives and desiring to pursue a faithful corporate and individual response to the social issues that face us.

Genres: Christian, Politics, Theology, Church

254 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2007

About the author

Paul C. Kemeny (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary; ThM, Duke University; MDiv, Westminster Seminary) is professor of religion and humanities at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Kemeny has taught at Calvin College and was a research fellow at the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He belongs to the American Academy of Religion, the American Historical Association, the American Society of Church History and the Conference on Faith on History. Other books by Kemeny include Princeton in the Nation's Service: Religious Ideals and Educational Practice, 1868-1928 (Oxford University Press, 1998) and American Church History: A Reader (coedited with Henry Warner Bowden, Abingdon Press, 1998).

Reviews

[Mike Bright]

The book was a good review of different responses to the relationship between church and state. I liked the essay/response (from other viewpoints) format. The subject was broad, so I don't feel like I learned a lot of specifics, which might have been nice. Personally, I find the 'principled pluralist' perspective most persuasive, with the Catholic Perspective a close second. Full disclosure, my Christian background is reformed Presbyterian, and I tend to be conservative politically (although I don't find the 'liberal'/'conservative' labels particularly helpful anymore).

[Jonathan]

While being a tad dated (2005) and too American in scope (especially Davis' contribution), this was still a helpful volume that rounded out some of my education on the subject. I enjoyed learning more about Catholic social teaching but probably agreed with Sider's chapter the most.

[Steve]

IVP have done a great service over the years in producing the x views series (where x has been three, four or five). This one deals with a faithful Christian response to Church and State and public justice. Here we have a Catholic, Separatist, Anabaptist, Social Justice and Principled Pluralist perspectives.

All the essay are well written and easy to follow. Each essay is followed by responses from the other authors.

The principled pluralist view is expounded by Corwin E. Schmidt. Schmidt provides an excellent overview. He places his view in a creation, fall and redemption framework. He sees the state as being creational (as does Henry Meeter) rather than as a result of the fall (as does Kuyper). He recognises that Calvin broke new ground he didn't develop a full theory of the state. This was developed more by Abraham Kuyper with his view of sphere sovereignty, a the notion of a free church within a free state. Principled pluralism develops on these ideas and maintains that pluralism is good and that the role of the state, though limited, should be to ensure that justice is done by each of the different aspects of society. The state should also be an agent of common grace.

He argues cogently that:

Principled pluralism recognizes and accepts the diversity evident in public life and the presence of different structures of authority operating within different spheres of life. It affirms the state as a social structure possessing legitimate authority within a particular domain of life, but as only one among various structures to which God has delegated authority. (p. 152)

Christians should not escape from the political domain, even though it is affected by the fall. Christians are called to 'act with political modesty, to demonstrate tolerance for those with whom they disagree, to cooperate with others to achieve the public good...' (p. 153)

What is most remarkable about this position is that most of the other commentators seem to agree with it. Ronald Sider (Anabaptist) seems more concerned that this position has been labelled Reformed: "I agree with most of Corwin Schmidt's lucid description of principled pluralism. Most of it flows from fundamental biblical teaching and careful historical analysis' (p. 163). Clarke Cochran (Catholic) writes: this view 'comes closest to the Catholic position I describe' (p. 154); and J. Philip Wogaman (Social Justice) seems more concerned with Schmidt's amillenialism.

One day everyone will come to their senses and accept that the principled pluralist view is biblical and the best perspective!

[Mitch Mallary]

Decent overview of an important debate. That being said, it constantly leaves the trained reader wanting more.