Concern for social justice has become one of the most effective ways for Christians to signal that they care about the world's poor, yet below the surface of this virtue signaling are some important issues about justice itself – of social well-being – and understanding how to be a Christian concerned with the common good. It is important to understand just how the message of the gospel applies to the well-being of the world. Jason Jewell joins us to talk about why a libertarian view of the state, society, and human action are critical concepts to understand before one arrives at a viable pursuit of social justice.
What distinguishes Christian libertarianism from secular (or other) forms of libertarianism? Is it mostly a question of motivation, or are there also differences in policy application? Do Christian libertarians sometimes even disagree with one another on policy? In this round table discussion, we explore these and other questions pertaining to what may be considered unique about a Christian perspective on libertarianism.
LCI recommends a lot of books for libertarians. Many of our regular readers or listeners may already be familiar with some of the most influential books amongst libertarian Christians, but in this episode, we're going to discuss some other, perhaps lesser-known books (as well as some of the obvious ones), and explain what relevance they have for understanding political and economic theory in light of Christianity.
Books covered in this episode:
It's not the Old Testament that a Christian often goes to for their theological defense of non-violence. Our guest, Matthew Curtis Fleischer, believes that the Old Testament not only sets the stage for a non-violent Jesus, but also believes Christians will find in its pages the foundations for an ethic of non-violence. A lawyer and a libertarian, Fleischer's approach will feel familiar to a libertarian audience as he explores the Scriptures with attention to important clues as to what God was doing with his people.