Q. What prompted you and Tom to write this particular book at this juncture in history?
A. I remember listening to a news podcast about the latest info on the Russian invasion of Ukraine on TV, then later watching a documentary on YouTube about China and Taiwan, soon after I saw my Twitter feed inundated with debates about Trump, Christian nationalism, and January 6. Later that same day I got an email from a friend in Myanmar about the persecution of Christians by the ruling military junta. I remember, thinking that the world feels combustible right now. What is a Christian to make of all this? It touches on so many topics. The exegesis of Romans 13:1-7, church and empire in the Book of Revelation, church and state across history, Just War theory, the case for civil disobedience, should Christians avoid politics completely, etc. Also, in a world divided between predatory autocracies and liberal democracies, why should Christians support liberal democracy?
I asked Tom Wright his thoughts on world events and he shared my alarm. As we corresponded, it turned out we have similar ideas of church-state relationships because of our Anglican connection. Above all, we wanted to write something for Christians on how to think faithfully about geo-politics and global affairs. Not a voting guide, but a way of understanding how Christians relate to the powers spiritual and human, how to build for the kingdom, and bear witness in an age of totalitarian terror and dysfunctional democracies.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In