Ep 204: The Political Witness of the Church with Allan Bevere

In this episode I talk with pastor and theologian Dr. Allan Bevere. Dr. Bevere wrote the 2011 book The Politics of Witness that played a major role in shaping my understanding of Christian political engagement. We discuss many of the major arguments put forth in that book, which are still relevant today. Dr. Bevere argues that the church has given in to Constantinianism, the idea that Christians should rule over others using the levers of temporal political power. The Enlightenment domesticated Christianity by appropriating its moral teaching to build modern nation states, and Christians on both the left and right want to impose their values on others through state power. Bevere explains how this compromises the witness of the church and how following Jesus can restore the witness of the Church to the world. 

Media Referenced:

The Politics of Witness: https://a.co/d/9OehoFs

Alan Bevere on X: @arbevere

Website: http://www.allanrbevere.org/

Substack: https://allanrbevere.substack.com/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com. 

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