Ars Politica: Recent Episodes
Stephen Wolfe
A podcast on political life, culture, and Christian political theory that seeks to revitalize the Christian West and restore the strength, dignity, and self-respect of European civilization among its remnant.
Stephen discusses political methods, including the object, end, and means of politics.
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This episode's Headline Sponsor is: Lux Coffee Company; Caffeinating the New Christendom with artisan roast coffee. Get 15% off your coffee with code
"NCP15". https://luxcoffee.co/
Looking for Body Armor & Ballistic Plates? Armored Republic has you covered.
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Stephen is joined by Thomas to discuss recent events around Charlie Kirk's murder, America's reaction, and what life looks like going forward.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode's Headline Sponsor is: Lux Coffee Company; Caffeinating the New Christendom with artisan roast coffee. Get 15% off your coffee with code
"NCP15". https://luxcoffee.co/
Looking for Body Armor & Ballistic Plates? Armored Republic has you covered.
https://www.ar500armor.com/
Stephen discusses the false dichotomy between ethnic and civic nationalism, and he explains why liberals want to destroy inherited ways of life under a prevailing empire of choice.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode's Headline Sponsor is: Lux Coffee Company; Caffeinating the New Christendom with artisan roast coffee. Get 15% off your coffee with code "NCP15". https://luxcoffee.co/
Looking for Body Armor & Ballistic Plates? Armored Republic has you covered. https://.
www.ar500armor.com/
Stephen addresses the PCA study committee on Christian nationalism and explains his definition of CN from his book, The Case for Christian Nationalism.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode's Headline Sponsor is: Lux Coffee Company; Caffeinating the New Christendom with artisan roast coffee. Get 15% off your coffee with code
"NCP15". https://luxcoffee.co/
Looking for Body Armor & Ballistic Plates? Armored Republic has you covered. https://.
www.ar500armor.com/
This episode is brought to you by Mt Athos. Sustainably sourced goat dairy protein and other performance products. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount site-wide with code "NCP20". https://athosperform.com/
Resurrection Design, Co is on a mission to help Christian businesses and churches flourish for the kingdom of Christ through bold and beautiful branding. If you want your website designed for free, be the first to sign up for a Brand Identity package. Visit https://.
resurrectiondesign.co/bulwark
According to Aristotle, there are different types of friends we experience throughout life. Some are useful, some are fun, and some are "true" friends. Understanding and navigating these types improves our personal relationships and has the potential to strengthen political order as well.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode is brought to you by Mt Athos. Sustainably sourced goat dairy protein and other performance products. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount site-wide with code "NCP20". https://athosperform.com/
Looking for Body Armor & Ballistic Plates? Armored Republic has you covered. https://www.ar500armor.com/
Don’t settle for unhealthy pet products. Feed your dog the good stuff! Use code “NCP10” for a 10% off discount. https://summerspettreats.com/product/sweet-potato-dog-biscuits/
Resurrection Design, Co is on a mission to help Christian businesses and churches flourish for the kingdom of Christ through bold and beautiful branding. If you want your website designed for free, be the first to sign up for a Brand Identity package. Visit https://resurrectiondesign.co/bulwark
Stephen responds to the political ideas of Pastor Jim Cassidy, who recently appeared on the Grace Abounding podcast.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode is brought to you by Mt Athos. Sustainably sourced goat dairy protein and other performance products. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount site-wide with code "NCP20". https://athosperform.com/
Looking for Body Armor & Ballistic Plates? Armored Republic has you covered. https://www.ar500armor.com/
Don’t settle for unhealthy pet products. Feed your dog the good stuff! Use code “NCP10” for a 10% off discount. https://summerspettreats.com/product/sweet-potato-dog-biscuits/
Resurrection Design, Co is on a mission to help Christian businesses and churches flourish for the kingdom of Christ through bold and beautiful branding. If you want your website designed for free, be the first to sign up for a Brand Identity package. Visit https://resurrectiondesign.co/bulwark
The Puritan Hope by Ian Murray describes the puritans' future hopes of a postmillennial era. Some of those themes strongly correlate with today's reformed postmil movement. We explore these points and provide some criticism.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode is brought to you by Mt Athos. Sustainably sourced goat dairy protein and other performance products. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount site-wide with code "NCP20". https://athosperform.com/
Looking for Body Armor & Ballistic Plates? Armored Republic has you covered. https://www.ar500armor.com/
Don’t settle for unhealthy pet products. Feed your dog the good stuff! Use code “NCP10” for a 10% off discount. https://summerspettreats.com/product/sweet-potato-dog-biscuits/
Resurrection Design, Co is on a mission to help Christian businesses and churches flourish for the kingdom of Christ through bold and beautiful branding. If you want your website designed for free, be the first to sign up for a Brand Identity package. Visit https://resurrectiondesign.co/bulwark
Stephen and Thomas go on a hike after the New Christendom Conference in Ogden, Utah and discuss main takeaways, the broader movement, and life in general.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode is brought to you by Mt Athos. Sustainably sourced goat dairy protein and other performance products. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount site-wide with code "NCP20". https://athosperform.com/
Looking for Body Armor & Ballistic Plates? Armored Republic has you covered. https://www.ar500armor.com/
Don’t settle for unhealthy pet products. Feed your dog the good stuff! Use code “NCP10” for a 10% off discount. https://summerspettreats.com/product/sweet-potato-dog-biscuits/
Resurrection Design, Co is on a mission to help Christian businesses and churches flourish for the kingdom of Christ through bold and beautiful branding. If you want your website designed for free, be the first to sign up for a Brand Identity package. Visit https://resurrectiondesign.co/bulwark
In this episode of The Lone Bulwark, Stephen and Thomas dive into the nature of envy, its contrast with emulation, and the philosophical and theological roots of both. Why is envy considered uniquely shameful? How can righteous indignation be confused with envy in our political discourse? With references to Aristotle, Plutarch, the Bible, and literary examples like The Count of Monte Cristo, the hosts examine how envy arises among peers, how it can be weaponized in rhetoric, and how to channel it into virtue through emulation. Whether you’re navigating online discourse, professional rivalries, or personal struggles, this is a timely and rich exploration of one of humanity’s oldest vices—and its redemptive counterpart.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode is brought to you by Mt Athos. Sustainably sourced goat dairy protein and other performance products. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount site-wide with code "NCP20". https://athosperform.com/
Don’t settle for unhealthy pet products. Feed your dog the good stuff! Use code “NCP10” for a 10% off discount. https://summerspettreats.com/product/sweet-potato-dog-biscuits/
Resurrection Design, Co is on a mission to help Christian businesses and churches flourish for the kingdom of Christ through bold and beautiful branding. If you want your website designed for free, be the first to sign up for a Brand Identity package. Visit https://resurrectiondesign.co/bulwark
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: "LB15" for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
Stephen is joined by Thomas to discuss the virtue of Courage from ancient and Christian sources.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode is brought to you by Mt Athos. Sustainably sourced goat dairy protein and other performance products. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount site-wide with code "NCP20". https://athosperform.com/
Don’t settle for unhealthy pet products. Feed your dog the good stuff! Use code “NCP10” for a 10% off discount. https://summerspettreats.com/product/sweet-potato-dog-biscuits/
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: "LB15" for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
Three segments in this episode. In the first, Stephen argues that Christians can be citizens of two nations: the church and an earthly Christian nation. In the second, he argues that the dominion mandate is still binding on Christians. It was not a mandate only for pre-fallen Adam. Lastly, he briefly discusses the recent question about debates with James White.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
This episode is brought to you by Mt Athos. Sustainably sourced goat dairy protein and other performance products. Listeners of the show get a 20% discount site-wide with code "NCP20". https://athosperform.com/
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: "LB15" for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
Stephen argues for a rightwing view of the "common good", a near ubiquitous concept in the classical world and Christian tradition, only recently fallen out of favor.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: LB15 for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
Segment One: Christian Liberal Identity
Segment Two: Proof 2 for Christian Nations
Segment Three: SACRALISM!
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica, and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: LB15 for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
I respond to some of Jeff Durbin’s criticism of my work, including his comments on natural law, theonomy, and worldview.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: LB15 for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
I talk about the differences between masculinity and femininity in the ancient and modern worlds, arguing that it reflects a move away from conditions of necessity (and other things). The "trad" phenomenon recognizes and seek capture some of the good lost in modern life.
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: LB15 for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
I discuss Trump's first month and few other things (obsession with Israel).
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: LB15 for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
Part 3 of my response to this video.
Sign up for my Scholars Series on Patreon. I'm currently teaching a class on classical logic.
https://www.patreon.com/c/StephenWolfe
I interview Pastor Zach Garris, author of Honor Thy Fathers.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/store/p/honor-thy-fathers-recovering-the-anti-feminist-theology-of-the-reformers-kd42e
Did you know supporters of the show get access to our supporter-exclusive show, Ars Politica and ad-free video and audio episodes delivered to your podcast player?
Give it a try: https://thelonebulwark.supercast.com/
Join me at the New Christendom Press 2025 Conference, Safety Third: Recovering the American Will to Greatness, this June 12th - 14th in Ogden, Utah. Use code: LB15 for 15% off your tickets.
https://www.newchristendompress.com/2025
Part 2 of my response to this video.
Sign up for my Scholars Series on Patreon. I'm currently teaching a class on classical logic.
https://www.patreon.com/c/StephenWolfe
Part 1 of my response to this video.
Sign up for my Scholars Series on Patreon. I'm currently teaching a class on classical logic.
https://www.patreon.com/c/StephenWolfe
I talk with Jeremy Carl, author of the outstanding book The Unprotected Class.
Purchase your copy here:
https://www.amazon.com/Unprotected-Class-Anti-White-Tearing-America/dp/B0D2P9KK4H/
I discuss a frequent criticism of my work -- why I didn't cite or exegete Scripture in my book, The Case for Christian Nationalism
I respond to Kevin DeYoung's talk at CrossCon 25 found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI9x-tSia-U
Go to Abbyselderberry.com and use code BULWARK
I talk about liberty of conscience in classical Protestantism.
Go to Abbyselderberry.com and use promo code BULWARK
I discuss whether Christian nationalists are "divisive" and whether feuds have made it a failed movement.
David Reece and I have a friendly discussion on our systems of thought to prepare for later discussions.
Jettisonentertainment.com
I heard that natural laws equals "Thomism", and so I looked at several quotes from Reformed theologians to see if they're "Thomists". Watch to the end.
I discuss this article, by Stephen Perks, from the Ezra Institute:
https://www.ezrainstitute.com/total-depravity-social-order/
Note: on the Junius quote, I missed the "no" in there. The quote is accurate.
Find more on Jettisonentertainment.com
Patreon: patreon.com/stephenwolfe
The other day I announced my new YouTube Series, the Scholar Series. Sign up on my patreon.
I talk about China in Latin America, Germany, and secession movements in the US.
Sorry for the subtle echo.
I discuss Trump's cabinet picks.
See all my content at jettisonentertainment.com, along with videos by CJ Engel, Andrew Iskar and others. If you're interested in sponsoring this show or the others, please see the about page.
I discuss abortion bans by state, Russia providing target data to the Houthis, Israel's strike against Iran, and the US anti-missile production as it concerns our posture against China.
I discuss Trump's lead in the polls, US military recruitment problems, the conflicts between Turkey and the Kurds, and the new tension between Canada and India over the Sikhs.
I discuss an IMF economic report, the China's influence on ethnic Chinese in NYC, and India/China foreign relations.
Note: I kept calling the NYC mayor "Eric Andrews". It's Eric Adams. My mistake. I was thinking of someone locally here in NC, of whom I'm not a fan.
I discuss the records of Trump and Harris on inflation, the US restoration of old airfields in the Pacific, North Korea's military support to Russia, and Israel's plan to attack Iran.
I discuss Cruz's senate run, Poland and asylum claims, Iran's recent actions, and the Chinese economy and geopolitical matters.
[I apologize for repeatedly publishing the same episode. I had to fix audio problems.]
I discuss the latest poll numbers, a new conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia, and the birthrates and pronatalism in Norway and Hungary.
I discuss the question: Are the virtues of the good man and of the good citizen the same? Or is the good citizen always a good man? I argue, among other things, that a tension between the two is what animates Christian nationalists today.
This was recorded with video intended for YouTube.
https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
I read my speech titled "Against Multiculturalism", originally delivered at the New Christendom Conference in Ogden, Utah on June 7, 2024.
https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
I discuss the liberty of conscience.
Support me here: https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/justin-lapoint/dead-man-walking
License code: ZTKQY3XSU09WGHDD
I discuss a Scott Clark tweet.
You support me hereL https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/justin-lapoint/dead-man-walking
License code: ZTKQY3XSU09WGHDD
I discuss the origin story to my adopting the term "Christian nationalism" and also I respond to Doug Wilson's great interview with Tucker Carlson.
You can support me here: https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/justin-lapoint/dead-man-walking
License code: ZTKQY3XSU09WGHDD
You can support me here: https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
I discuss my theory that a diversity of distinct nations would have arisen had Adam not fallen. I mainly read the following article from November 2023.
https://americanreformer.org/2023/11/national-diversity-in-an-unfallen-world/
You can support me here: https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/justin-lapoint/dead-man-walking
License code: GTSDSVJM4RLZR5QH
I discuss the New England "persecutions" of Roger Williams, the Antinomians, the Quakers, and the Baptists.
You can support me here: https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
Intro & the Pattern: 1:00 - 8:55
Roger Williams: 8:55 -27:05
Antinomians: 27:10 -40:58
Quakers: 41:00 - 47:52
Baptists: 47:52 - end
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/justin-lapoint/dead-man-walking
License code: KQFFEOQMYVLCFBL3
I respond to Kevin DeYoung's review of my book, The Case for Christian Nationalism.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/christian-nationalism-wolfe/
See the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Wfi8NugEM
I discuss chapter 1 of my book Case for Christian Nationalism.
This chapter covered prelapsarian (pre-fall) man and whether nations would have existed had man not fallen.
The Christian right needs to reclaim hospitality from the left.
I discuss the definition of hospitality and its application in the home, church, and civil society. I plan on writing a book on this topic, so please send me your comments. Thanks.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
Email Ars Politica: arspoliticapodcast@gmail.com
The first episode of a series. I respond to criticisms of my book, Case for Christian Nationalism, focusing on the definition, my method, and why one should adopt the term.
See my patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/StephenWolfe
Get the book here.
Checkout REN's website here.
Connect with REN on Twitter here.
Watch Carlson's End Of Men documentary here. Use promo code ORIGINALS for a free 30 day trial.
https://twitter.com/arthurkwonlee (https://twitter.com/arthurkwonlee) https://t.co/X0FgRlgPAC (linktr.ee/arthurkwonlee)
Aeneas lands in Latium (Italy) and makes friends with everyone. But the womenfolk start a big war and Aeneas' momma asks Vulcan to forge him a great shield. Don't miss the special announcement in this episode!
Christian Winter, https://gradschool.hillsdale.edu/Profiles/Christian-Winter/ (PhD candidate at Hillsdale), joins us to discuss Nietzsche's criticism of Christianity and what importance it has for us today. Winter's writings can be found at https://providencemag.com/authors/christian-winter/ (Providence Mag) and https://americanreformer.org/author/christianwinter/ (American Reformer).
Carl Lantz of Pella, Iowa joins us to discuss fatherhood, raising a large family, and starting family business.
We are joined by Timon Cline and Clifford Humphrey to review https://www.amazon.com/Religion-American-Greatness-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1514000261/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+religion+of+american+greatness&qid=1662258124&sr=8-1 (The Religion Of American Greatness), by Paul Miller.
Aeneas journeys to Sicily and plays games while the women burn ships and sing sea shanties. Then he goes into the underworld and Thomas tries to argue that the Greek-Roman Hades is similar to the afterlife in the bible.
Stephen and Thomas are joined by Yoram Hazony to discuss his latest book https://www.amazon.com/Conservative-Rediscovery-Yoram-Hazony/dp/1684511097/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= (Conservatism: A Rediscovery). Hazony argues that conservatism has failed to conserve much of anything and that liberalism has failed on its own terms. He contends that it is time to promote another vision: Anglo-American conservatism or “national conservatism”. What must we conserve and how should we do it? Conservative principles: “Men are born into families, tribes, and nations to which they are bound by ties of mutual loyalty. Individuals, families, tribes, and nations compete for honor, importance, and influence, until a threat or a common endeavor recalls them to the mutual loyalties that bind them to one another. Families, tribes, and nations are hierarchically structured, their members having importance and influence to the degree they are honored within the hierarchy. Language, religion, law, and the forms of government and economic activity are traditional institutions, developed by families, tribes, and nations as they seek to strengthen their material prosperity, internal integrity, and cultural inheritance and to propagate themselves through future generations. Political obligation is a consequence of membership in families, tribes, and nations. These premises are derived from experience, and may be challenged and improved upon in light of experience.”
Three means of political process: Reason, Experience, Will:
Reason Rationalists, revolutionaries, puritans, liberals, universalists, globalists Utopian future, jettison the past, immediate change, damn the consequences, mathematical certainty, applies to all mankind, overrides particular peoples, traditions, customs, nations Stoics Hugo Grotius John Locke Jean Jacques Rousseau Karl Marx Liberals and Conservatives
Experience Anglo-American conservatives, old guard political arts Careful accumulation of wisdom spanning ages of men in a given nation, imperfection over perfection. Preserves nations, customs, and peoples with unique laws drawn from universal principles. Nationalism as a political way to overcome the small stock of wisdom and experience of our own lifetimes or eras. “…by consulting the accumulated experience of the past, we overcome the inherent weakness of individual judgment, bringing to bear the many lifetimes of observation by our forebears, who wrestled with similar questions under diverse conditions.” Pg 47 John Fortescue Richard Hooker John Selden Edmund Burke Founding Fathers
Will Tyrants, emperors, usurpers, some kings, dictators Might makes right, triumph of the will, overcome the will of the masses and their life ways. James 1, Charles 1, queen Mary, Nietzsche, Thrasymachus No place for religion or God, “beyond good and evil”, atheism
Some quotes: “...a conservative political theory begins with the understanding that individuals are born into families, tribes, and nations to which they are bound by mutual loyalty. This means that a conservative recognizes the nation is an ineliminable reality. Political reality, as the conservative sees it, is full of competing nations, each of which consists of a number of tribes tied to one another by bonds of mutual loyalty. Each nation and tribe is engaged in a constant competition with its neighbors, allying or warring with them as circumstances dictate. Each nation and tribe possesses a unique cultural inheritance carrying forward certain traditional institutions, which can include its language, religion, laws, and the forms of its government and economic life.” 133
"By a nation, then, we mean a number of tribes with a shared heritage, usually including a common language, law, or religious tradition, and a past history of joining together against common enemies and to pursue common...
https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/straight-from-the-pit.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-34u99F3Uk
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48573831-the-coming-of-neo-feudalism (The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58782897-the-end-of-the-world-is-just-the-beginning (The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18406274-decline-and-fall (Decline and Fall: The End of Empire and the Future of Democracy in 21st Century America)
The Trojan Horse Battle and Flight Many Wanderings The Will of the Gods Vengeance And Justice Destiny and Propaganda Prophecy and Conspiracy Theorists
https://twitter.com/default_friend/status/1497252548532748296?s=21&fbclid=IwAR3oQ81wGdVmuZ7nsRb-Xj-EGb0YhrhPY4v4K7iM-5Q3BHG20Nl6_vGm-XQ (Fandomification Thread) https://www.vice.com/en/article/epxq3j/russia-ukraine-invasion-memes (The Meme-ification of the Ukraine Invasion) https://www.garbageday.email/p/everything-will-be-all-the-time-and?s=r (Everything will be all the time and everywhere) https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1496880192979181573?fbclid=IwAR2ZIYTDHZmvv4je34PHKPIFOLHQQI5ryVHoAVS3C5P6znXMP0lqWPsKMoc (Commercialization of War) https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1498307068893319170?s=25&fbclid=IwAR2JyNDDPPu5ZpBmghX2o4OUrAiVlXabLnMTS7kyVONBfb2TBOUZJsHdPAY (Zelensky as Celebrity-Warrior)
"Evil is not able to create anything new, it can only distort and destroy what has been invented or made by the forces of good.” – Tolkien Amazorg’s series producer: Lindsey Weber, an executive producer of the series, told Vanity Fair, which posted several first-look photos from the series on Instagram, that it was "only natural" for an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's work to "reflect what the world actually looks like." "Tolkien is for everyone. His stories are about his fictional races doing their best work when they leave the isolation of their own cultures and come together," she said. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/amazon-the-rings-of-power-series-first-look
“Hump, well! I wonder (if we survive this war) if there will be any niche, even of sufferance, left for reactionary back numbers like me (and you). The bigger things get the smaller and duller or flatter the globe gets. It is getting to be all one blasted little provincial suburb. When they have introduced American sanitation, morale-pep, feminism, and mass production throughout the Near East, Middle East, Far East, U.S.S.R., Hither Further and Inner Mumbo-land, Gondhwanaland, Lhasa, and the villages of darkest Berkshire, how happy we shall be. At any rate it ought to cut down on travel. There will be nowhere to go. So people will (I opine) go all the faster. Collie Knox says 1/8 of the world’s population speaks ‘English’, and that is the biggest language group. If true, damn shame—say I. May the curse of Babel strike all their tongues till they can only say ‘baa baa’. It would mean much the same. I think I shall have to refuse to speak anything but Old Mercian.” – Tolkien, From a letter to Christopher Tolkien, 9 December 1943
“Tolkien once remarked to me that the feeling about home must have been quite different in the days when the family had fed on the produce of the same few miles of country for six generations, and that perhaps this was why they saw nymphs in the fountains and dryads in the wood – they were not mistaken for there was in a sense a real (not metaphorical) connection between them and the countryside. What had been earth and air & later corn, and later still bread, really was in them. We of course who live on a standardised international diet (you may have had Canadian flour, English meat, Scotch oatmeal, African oranges, & Australian wine to day) are really artificial beings and have no connection (save in sentiment) with any place on earth. We are synthetic men, uprooted. The strength of the hills is not ours.” – C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters, Volume 1
On slaves dying after slavery ended: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/16/slavery-starvation-civil-war
https://www.amazon.com/House-Tom-Bombadil-C-Wiley/dp/1954887027/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=In+The+House+Of+Tom+Bombadil&qid=1642124273&sr=8-1 (Get Wiley's book on Amazon). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhFAB-Z9Kb0
“If you have these four things—lack of social bonds, lack of sense-making, free-floating anxiety, and free-floating psychological discontent—then society is highly at risk for the emergence of mass phenomenon.” https://zero-sum.org/mass-formation-psychosis-and-the-coronavirus-narrative/?fbclid=IwAR2CR_fA_FtsEBfK_Rwdc3nlWYSXDs5LiNwvS-2wFiPTPQAopen3fOIAbf4 (https://zero-sum.org/mass-formation-psychosis-and-the-coronavirus-narrative/) https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/mass-formation-psychosis?fbclid=IwAR1t2wzSqetGHFautTMm6SKZgiUIAjYnNh51-7Znm7PZnLecZ-qd2AVIuHc (https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/mass-formation-psychosis)
“Reflect upon your present blessings — of which every man has many — not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens) More on recovering Christmas traditions: https://issuu.com/romanroadsmedia/docs/digressio_express_vol_2_-_christmas_2021/s/14301383
Chesterton: https://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2011/07/chesterton-defines-and-defends-patriotism.html Strand on twitter: https://twitter.com/DDFStrand
Walker's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Liberty-All-Defending-Everyones-Pluralistic/dp/1587434490 Clifford's reviews will appear in forthcoming publications at First Things and Ad Fontes. Overview of Walker’s book: eschatology, anthropology, missiology, and an appendix The logic of the gospel plays out in each of these - each requires religious liberty: if Christians want to evangelize, we must accept that people might not believe, which entails that people are free not to believe. Hence, the government cannot impose upon people any beliefs. This has assumptions about baptism: we have to choose the gospel. Hence, society must be arranged in such a way that chosen baptism is possible.
Anarcho-Tyranny, A Definition: Selective enforcement of laws, for the purpose of control. The term anarcho-tyranny was introduced by Samuel T. Francis in 1992. The National Review staff summarized the term in 2011 as "anarcho-tyranny describes that stage from governmental dysfunction in which the state is anarchically hopeless at coping with large matters but ruthlessly tyrannical in the enforcement of small ones." Francis described it as "the failure of the state to enforce the laws and, at the same time, the criminalization of the law-abiding and innocent”.
“We refuse to control real criminals (that’s the anarchy), so we control the innocent (that’s the tyranny).” Samuel Francis
Francis: The “criminalization of the law-abiding and innocent,” Francis expounded, is achieved in such a state through: “exorbitant taxation, bureaucratic regulation; the invasion of privacy, and the engineering of social institutions, such as the family and local schools; the imposition of thought control through ‘sensitivity training’ and multiculturalist curricula; ‘hate crime’ laws; gun-control laws that punish or disarm otherwise law-abiding citizens but have no impact on violent criminals who get guns illegally; and a vast labyrinth of other measures.”
Jerry Pournelle provides his own variation on this theme: "We do not live by rule of law, because no one can possibly go a day without breaking one or another of the goofy laws that have been imposed on us over the years. No one even knows all the laws that apply to almost anything we do now. We live in a time of selective enforcement of law.”
AT is where "government increasingly lets criminal and dependent elements dominate public life while directing the heavy hand of the State onto people who are basically peaceful” https://wirkman.com/2019/08/16/free-migration-is-not-on-the-table-anarcho-tyranny-is/
Decriminalization of non-European activities with the increasingly regulated or criminalization of European social activities.
“The hallmark of authoritarian systems is the creation of innumerable, indecipherable laws. Such systems make everyone an un-indicted felon and allow for the exercise of arbitrary government power via selective prosecution.” Ayn Rand
Examples: Certain violent groups are allowed to protest without masks during the lockdown. But poor, small business owners weren’t allowed to open up to feed their family. People with particular political affiliations are allowed to destroy public property, but others are imprisoned even for speaking against the establishment. Elected officials and senators get to throw parties, but common people can’t even attend funerals or religious places during COVID-19. Petty crimes of some people are punished disproportionately, but actual criminals are allowed to roam free. Invasion of personal rights through excess control or regulation. Censorship of free speech and press freedoms. Not to mention the media itself lying to people for biased propaganda. Public slander in the form of defamation, bullying, harassment or cancel culture for having a different opinion. Use of digital or tech devices to spy on people in order to collect their personal data. auto crime rises, law-abiding citizens need more insurance and must fight insurance claims, but criminals are not punished or restricted a Trump supporter was maced by Antifa protestors, who also threw rocks at his truck. The Trump supporter pulled a gun on them, and he was arrested by police, who had done nothing to prevent Antifa from attacking him. Kyle Rittenhouse defends himself from attackers. He is prosecuted. His assailants are not. He is attacked by the media, courts, politicans, state. His attackers are protected by the media, courts, politicians, state. Rittenhouse defends himself, powers that be attack him. Black nationalist guy plows car into parade of white children, media...
https://newfounding.com https://americanreformer.org/ https://joinalign.us/ https://twitter.com/NateAFischer
Link to Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JeALyF3uW8-l8_pQb__pfD5LekolzF2w_GiUQrsq6a4/edit
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero http://www.jstor.org/stable/2713705 (Lincoln's Plan for Colonies) https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/about-this-collection/ (Slave Narratives) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/16/slavery-starvation-civil-war (Slaves' lives after slavery)
Third Wayism Chase Davis, pastor of The Well in Boulder CO, works out to Ars Politica, drives a Taco. Definitions
“Radical centrism”
“Progressive center-left” (Russell Moore, Tim Keller, David French, etc)
https://twitter.com/PerfInjust/status/1386095631719141383 (Wolfe on twitter): Left/Right Moral Equivalence –> Third-Wayism
Andrew Walker on twitter: Third-wayism in politics is a form of political Gnosticism as it assumes that there is a platonic ideal to politics that does not require engaging the kingdoms of the world as what they fundamentally are: worldly, temporal, & creational ordinances designed for proximate justice.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/458626.stm (BBC Article): “[S]omething different and distinct from liberal capitalism with its unswerving belief in the merits of the free market and democratic socialism with its demand management and obsession with the state. The Third Way is in favour of growth, entrepreneurship, enterprise and wealth creation but it is also in favour of greater social justice and it sees the state playing a major role in bringing this about.”
Origins/Causes Third-Wayism as a neo-liberal reaction to the breakdown of 20th c. Left/Right politics. Neo-libs wanted a “new kind of socialism”. Instead of hard state economic socialism that wants to eradicate capitalism and institute hard equality, they preach social justice, individual worth, and accept some capitalist features. Basically, use other means to achieve the old ends. Promote egalitarianism to distribute goods indirectly as people rise in employment, instead of hard wealth distribution.
Anthony Giddens' works such as Consequences of Modernity (1990), Modernity and Self-Identity (1991), The Transformation of Intimacy (1992), Beyond Left and Right (1994) and The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy (1998) Repair damaged solidarities. Recognise the centrality of life politics. Accept that active trust implies generative politics. Embrace dialogic democracy. Rethink the welfare state. Confront violence.
It advocates ethical socialism, reformism and gradualism that includes advocating the humanisation of capitalism, a mixed economy, political pluralism and liberal democracy.
Alan Carlson's Third Ways
Evangelical Examples Tim Keller https://twitter.com/timkellernyc/status/1385951866660474886 (https://twitter.com/timkellernyc/status/1385951866660474886) https://twitter.com/timkellernyc/status/1317646996342177793?s=20 (https://twitter.com/timkellernyc/status/1317646996342177793?s=20) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/christians-politics-belief.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/christians-politics-belief.html)
Political Media Bias Graph https://photos.app.goo.gl/LN4PzvaTFKo6BnuJ6
We discuss egalitarianism, complementarianism, and patriarchy with guest Zach Garris, author of "https://www.amazon.com/Masculine-Christianity-Zachary-Garris/dp/1735473901/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=masculine+christianity&qid=1627342025&sr=8-1 (Masculine Christianity)".
Books 16-21 - Second Turning Point The Death of Patroclus Situation for the Greeks is dire. Nestor suggests that Patroclus help the Greeks by asking Achilles for his armor, to pretend that Achilles has returned, giving courage to the men. Achilles tells him not to pursue the Trojans beyond the plain back to their gates. He does anyway. Apollo comes to stop Patroclus, hits and stuns him, knocks his armor off him. A Trojan comes and stabs him, then Hector stabs him to death. Fight over Patroclus’ Body Trojans fight Greeks for Patroclus’ body. Hector takes the armor off of Patroclus, but the Greeks recover the body and take it back to bury it properly. Homer says that Hector took the “deathless” armor, which is ironic since a man just died in it, indicating that Hector will die soon. Achilles hears of Patroclus’ death and loses his mind, all he wants to do is kill Hector now. Problem: His mother says that the Fates determined that Achilles will die right after Hector dies. Achilles recognizes that his anger has led to the death of his comrades and his best friend. Gall feeling. But he doesn't give up his anger, he turns it from Agamemnon to Hector. Achilles anger refuses healing, reconciliation. He had the opportunity to do so with Agamemnon’s offer, but he turned it down because the gall and bitterness had become sweet to him. He relished in his hurt. Bitterness digs a hole in your soul. Reconciliation was offered to him but he turned it down, because healing and justice wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to kill, and now he’s got the opportunity to do it. New Armor for Achilles Thetis goes to Hephaestus to make armor. The entire cosmos is shown and then two cities: one at war and one at peace, city life, farming, dancing, disputes, wedding ceremonies, the Ocean river encircling the shield. The Quarrel is Ended The issue between AG and AC is finished. Achilles Leads the Army Returns to battle in fire. AC has his aristeia. He’s hunting for Hector. He piles up dead bodies of Trojans. The Fight at the River
Image of the Shield of Achilles: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Shield-of-Achilles.jpg
Eric Conn's tweet https://twitter.com/Eric_Conn/status/1394769381503111169?s=20 Women's Suffrage: Size And Scope Of Government http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~iversen/PDFfiles/LottKenny.pdf Gender Gap in Free Speech https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-antisocial-psychologist/202104/the-gender-gap-in-censorship-support C.S. Lewis: The Four Loves https://www.amazon.com/Four-Loves-C-S-Lewis/dp/0156329301 C.R. Wiley: Man Of The House https://www.amazon.com/Man-House-Handbook-Building-Shelter/dp/1532614772 Doug Wilson: Father Hunger https://www.amazon.com/Father-Hunger-Calls-Their-Families/dp/1595554769 Shakespeare's Sonnets http://shakespeare.mit.edu/Poetry/sonnets.html Ovid's Metamorphoses: Story of King Nisus and his daughter, Scylla (In the show I said the king's name was Midas but I was incorrect.) https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/Metamorph8.php Aeneid: Scene where women destroy civil order: https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/VirgilAeneidVII.php#anchor_Toc3086154
Books 10-15 - The Deception of Zeus 10 The Night Raid Grand war turns into personal vendettas and quests for glory. When frontal attacks are stopped, guerrilla warfare ensues Prisoner of war strategies: Dolon tells all too quickly and becomes useless The legitimacy of fighting the unarmed 11-13 Hector pushes the Greeks to their ships Hector’s aristeia Ajax and Hector exchange words 14 Hera tricks Zeus (male/female stereotypes) Agamemnon feels like a failure, wants to flee by night and sail home. Odysseus calls him out. Ag is a humbled man at this point. Hera and Poseidon want to throw the battle in favor of the Greeks. Zeus favors Hector and is also carrying out his promise to Thetis by throwing the battle in favor of the Trojans. Hera, a typical woman, only has one real power: beauty. Zeus, a typical man, only has one real weakness: women. Are the gods just anthropomorphisms? Humans deified? Emotions abstracted. Since gods can’t die, they don’t have risks, hence they can’t gain glory. Achilles talks about this in the movie Troy, 2000. 15 The Greeks at Bay (Zeus and Poseidon struggle) Zeus threatens Hera, and Hera promptly obeys her lord. Zeus and Poseidon disagree about who is in power. Trojans reach ships once again. Zeus wont’ turn them back until he “sees the glow of the burning ships.” The fleeting glory of life.
Ray's tweet: https://twitter.com/rayortlund/status/1381776675780841475 Moore's article: https://www.russellmoore.com/2021/04/15/losing-our-religion/ Murray's book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12031563-coming-apart
Books 5-9 - First Turning Point Book V: Diomedes Fights the Gods Aristeia (book 6) Glaukos and Diomedes - two enemies, two guest-friends, ancestry and kinship bind beyond political interests. Book VI: Hector and Andromache Male/Female dynamics: Achilles/Briseis, Hector/Andromache, Paris/Helen Male tenderness, husbandman, father, countryman, duty before self Book VII: Ajax against Hector Book VIII: The Trojans at the Wall Book IX: The Embassy to Achilles Greeks are losing. Realize they must do something. Seek Achilles. Achilles rejects reason, family, friends, tradition, decency, society, and the cosmos.
Stephen and Thomas are joined by Timon Cline to for a more in-depth discussion about election sermons and the role of the preacher in public thought during colonial America.
Iliad Books 1-4 - The Anger of Achilles The Homeric Epic: epic = long, gods, heroes, war, adventure. Primary cultural texts for ancient civ. Ed tools, moral framework, proper behavior. Historical accounts? What it means to be human. Influence on literature, philosophy, theology, art, architecture, politics. Background: gods and goddesses, wedding on Mt. Ida., Rape of Helen, Greeks to honor oaths to Helen’s husband. 1 The Homeric Question The Iliad begins in medias res: “in the middle of the subject.” The Quarrel and the elite warrior ethos Greeks fight for Timé and Kleos - honor and glory. Trojans fight for these and for country, home, hearth. Agamemnon dishonors Achilles, Achilles withdraws Whole story is the result of Achilles’ withdrawal 2 Epic List Historicity verified in archeological digs. 3 The Duel: History of the duel. Whole armies represented by individual leaders 4 The Truce Broken: Covenant made by one top leader binds all beneath him Contrast between ancient and modern value systems
http://quintapress.webmate.me/PDF_Books/John_Cotton/Laws_of_New_England_1641_v1.pdf (An Abstract of the Laws of New England, 1641. John Cotton) https://www.dropbox.com/s/sjo01kapxecvhf2/The%20New%20England%20Pulpit%20And%20The%20American%20Revolution%20copy.pdf?dl=0 (The New England Pulpit And The American Revolution) https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/sandoz-political-sermons-of-the-american-founding-era-vol-1-1730-1788--5 (Political Sermons of the Founding Era)
“Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books...The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books.” – Lewis Intro to Old Books: Why Read Them? Why This Podcast Series? Iliad Books 1-4 - The Anger of Achilles Books 5-9 - First Turning Point Books 10-15 - The Deception of Zeus Books 16-21 - Second Turning Point Books 22-24 - The Death of Hector
Oresteia trilogy Odyssey Books 1-4 - Telemachus Books 5-8 - The Court of Alcinous Books 9-12 - Odysseus Tells His Wanderings Books 13-24 - The Homecoming of Odysseus
Aeneid Book 1 - Rome as an Idea Books 2-3 - The Fall of Troy and Wanderings of Aeneas Book 4 - The Tragedy of Dido Books 5-6 - The Underworld Books 7-8 - The Broken Truce and The Shield of Aeneas Books 9-10 - The Tragedy of Nisus and Euryalus Books 11-12 - Camilia, Juno’s Surrender, The Death of Turnus
Two most noble arts for a man: war and husbandry (war and women) (soldiers/arms and residents/laborers) Achilles gave up the latter to pursue the former Odysseus gave up the former to pursue the latter
Husband and Wife: Patriarchal Partnership Husband leads, earns, produces, commands, oversees Wife spends, provides, adorns, manages (Proverbs 31 exemplifies this. Feminists take it wrongly; she was managing what her husband acquired. cf.: Ruth gained status as the wife of Boaz.)
Books referenced: Xenophon's Economics Homer's Odyssey and Iliad Apollonius' Voyage of the Argo The Goodman of Paris Tolstoy's Anna Karenina James M. McPherson's For Cause and Comrades Rebekah Merkle's Eve In Exile C.R. Wiley's The Household and the War for the Cosmos
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arspolitica Checkout Thomas' new book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SH1CD7C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
R.C. Sproul: “Other theologians argue that image and likeness are really synonyms in this verse, so we cannot make a neat distinction between the two. They—including most traditional Protestant theologians—explain the situation this way: There is a wider sense in which man is the image of God (imago essentialis), and also a narrow or particular sense (imago conformitas). In the wider sense, man simply is the image of God, and since that is what man is by definition, it cannot be changed or lost. As long as man is man, he is the image of God. “In the narrow sense, however, man images God’s holiness and righteousness. Man, therefore, stopped imaging God at the Fall. He lost his conformity to God’s image. We are still the image of God, but we are distorting that image. If other people look at us to see what God is like, they will get the wrong idea, because we image Him imperfectly. Only in Jesus Christ do we see a man who is the perfect image of God in both senses.” – R.C. Sproul, https://ref.ly/logosres/ttaug90?ref=Page.p+40&off=991&ctx=he+likeness+of+God.%0a~Other+theologians+ar (Tabletalk Magazine, August 1990: Parables: Kernels of Truth), 40. Turretin on the dignity of man: "Fifth, the dignity of man himself [Hominis ipsius dignitas] demands the same thing [that the promise given to Adam was not only of a happy life to be continued in paradise, but of a heavenly and eternal life]. Since his noblest part is spirit (even of heavenly origin) touched with a vehement desire of heavenly goods (by which alone its infinite appetite for the highest good can be satisfied), he could not obtain on earth his full felicity, but must be gifted with it at length in heaven where he can enjoy the fullest and most perfect communion with God, in whom his highest good resides. For although on earth he could in some measure give himself to be enjoyed, it is certain that the immediate and absolute fruition of God is not to be sought apart from the beatific vision which can be looked for only in heaven." IET 8.6.8 "Although the body of Adam was in origin earthy (and as composed, so also resolvable, through the indisposition of matter), yet it could have been immortal through the dignity of original righteousness [originalis justitiae dignitatem] and the power of God’s special grace." IET 5.12.9 "We maintain that the loss of the divine image (or of original righteousness) followed the fall of Adam doubly—both meritoriously and morally (on account of the divine ordination) and efficiently and really (on account of the heaviness of that sin)." "By the divine image, we do not understand generally whatever gifts upright man received from God (spoken of in Gen. 1:26, 27) or specially certain remains of it existing in the mind and heart of man after the fall (in which sense we understand Gen. 9:6 and Jam. 3:9). Rather we understand it strictly of the principal part of that image which consisted of holiness and wisdom." Jonathan Edwards: “Before I dismiss this head of the degenerating of experiences, I would mention one thing more that tends to it; and that is, persons aiming in their experience to go beyond the rule of God's Word, i.e. aiming at that which is indeed, in some respect, beyond the rule. Thus some persons have endeavoured utterly to root out and abolish all natural affection, or any special affection or respect to their near relations, under a notion that no other love ought to be allowed but spiritual love, and all that other love is to be abolished as carnal, and that it becomes Christians to love none upon the account of any thing else but the image of God; and that therefore love should go out to one and another only in that proportion in which the image of God is seen in them. They might as well argue that a man ought utterly to disallow of, and endeavor to abolish, all love or appetite to his daily food, under a notion that it is a carnal appetite, and that no other appetite should be tolerated but spiritual...
Clifford Humphrey of Thales College joins us for another discussion on Christian Nationalism. Nature is understood in two senses, both as tendency and as telos It’s true people have always gathered in groups, ethnei, but those are smaller than nation states. Nation states are relatively new. Can we say they are natural? Aristotle writes that people gather into cities first for protection, to preserve mere life, but they stay for the sake of the good life, which has something to do with the capacity to talk and deliberate about the common good. Likewise, we could say people gather in nation states for the sake of safety, but they preserve nation states for the sake of happiness, the good life. Christian nationalism in the American context must recognize three things: The problem posed by universal monotheism, settled imperfectly in the Peace of Westphalia (1648), but remained a problem in monarchic regimes before American founding A limited national government (First Amendment) (Originally) Near plenary police power in the states through federalism. This allowed states to make decency laws based on the mores of the people of each state, to discriminate who could vote and who could hold office based on religious tests each state could come up with.
1778 Constitution of South Carolina: XXXVIII. That all persons and religious societies who acknowledge that there is one God, and a future state of rewards and punishments, and that God is publicly to be worshipped, shall be freely tolerated. The Christian Protestant religion shall be deemed, and is hereby constituted and declared to be, the established religion of this State. That all denominations of Christian Protestants in this State, demeaning themselves peaceably and faithfully, shall enjoy equal religious and civil privileges. ...That every society of Christians so formed shall give themselves a name or denomination by which they shall be called and known in law.... each society so petitioning shall have agreed to and subscribed in a book the following five articles, without which no agreement fir union of men upon presence of religion shall entitle them to be incorporated and esteemed as a church of the established religion of this State: 1st. That there is one eternal God, and a future state of rewards and punishments. 2d. That God is publicly to be worshipped. 3d. That the Christian religion is the true religion 4th. That the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are of divine inspiration, and are the rule of faith and practice. 5th. That it is lawful and the duty of every man being thereunto called by those that govern, to bear witness to the truth. 1776 Constitution of Delaware: ART. 22. Every person who shall be chosen a member of either house, or appointed to any office or place of trust, before taking his seat, or entering upon the execution of his office, shall take the following oath, or affirmation, if conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath, to wit: " I, A B. do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration."
Lincoln’s “Lyceum Address” (context is increase in mob violence and mob justice in the form of lynching) - picking up the problem the ancient solved of how you get people to be attached to the laws (religion = to bind together)
People will respect the law only if they feel attached to the regime
The generation of the American Revolution was attached to the regime from passion that flowed naturally from the excitement of those times, but that generation is gone.
“They were the pillars of the temple of liberty; and now, that they have crumbled away, that temple must fall, unless we, their descendants, supply their places with other pillars, hewn from the solid quarry of sober reason. Passion has...
A few random quotes from hundreds of others:
“When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.” – Deuteronomy 32:8 “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” – Acts 17:26
Aquinas “God holds first place, for He is supremely excellent, and is for us the first principle of being and government. In the second place, the principles of our being and government are our parents and our country, that have given us birth and nourishment. Consequently man is debtor chiefly to his parents and his country, after God. Wherefore just as it belongs to religion to give worship to God, so does it belong to piety, in the second place, to give worship to one’s parents and one’s country [i.e., one’s people]. The worship due to our parents includes the worship given to all our kindred, since our kinfolk are those who descend from the same parents.” – Summa Theologica, Volume 3, Part 2, Second Section
Luther “...each town should support its own poor and should not allow strange beggars to come in, whatever they may call themselves, pilgrims or mendicant monks. Every town could feed its own poor; and if it were too small, the people in the neighbouring villages should be called upon to contribute. As it is, they have to support many knaves and vagabonds under the name of beggars….” – https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/luther-nobility.asp (Address To The Nobility Of The German Nation) Calvin “The sweetness of their native soil holds nearly all men bound to itself.” – Commentary on Genesis 12:1
“Delightful to every one is his native soil, and it is also delightful to dwell among one’s own people . . . all his relatives and the nation from which he sprang.” – Commentary on Jeremiah 9:2 “Among men, in proportion to the closeness of the tie that mutually binds us, some have stronger claims than others.” – John Calvin on Matthew 10:37
Matthew Henry “The times are perilous when men will not be held by the bonds either of nature or common honesty, when they are without natural affection, and truce-breakers, v. 3. There is a natural affection due to all. Wherever there is the human nature, there should be humanity towards those of the same nature, but especially between relations. Times are perilous when children are disobedient to their parents (v. 2) and when parents are without natural affection to their children, v. 3. See what a corruption of nature sin is, how it deprives men even of that which nature has implanted in them for the support of their own kind; for the natural affection of parents to their children is that which contributes very much to the keeping up of mankind upon the earth. And those who will not be bound by natural affection, no marvel that they will not be bound by the most solemn leagues and covenants.” – Commentary on 2 Timothy 3:3
Lancelot Andrews “In the ordering of our Love…we are to respect the conjunction by nature or grace in the duties of Love which we freely perform…We owe not so much to those persons with whom we have no such Conjunction. Thus, we should prefer a faithful man before an infidel, because in the one there is only the image of God by nature, in the other it is both by creation and regeneration…And among the faithful, we should rather do good to those of our own country, than to Strangers, because beside the bonds of Religion, there is also a second bond of proximity and cohabitation, and among them to our acquaintance before those that are unknown to us, because we have an easier entrance unto them to do them good by persuasion, etc. And among such, to our kindred and alliance before others…because we are joined and bound together as soon as we are born, and this bond cannot be dissolved as long as we...
“This is my own and my brother's real fatherland. Here is the most ancient origin of our stock; here are our family rituals and our family; here there are many traces of our ancestors. In brief: you see this house? It was made larger and fancier by our father, who spent most of his life here in study, because of his poor health; but on this very spot, while my grandfather was still alive and it was a small house of the old style, like the house of Curius in the Sabine country, I was born. And so something abides deep in my mind and feelings which makes me take all the more pleasure in this place.” – Cicero, Laws Chesterton: https://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2011/07/chesterton-defines-and-defends-patriotism.html Kipling: http://www.american-rattlesnake.org/2011/09/the-stranger/
“It is a known fact in human nature, that its affections are commonly weak in proportion to the distance of diffusiveness of the object.” Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #17 “The safety of a republic depends essentially on the energy of a common national sentiment; on a uniformity of principles and habits; on the exemption of the citizens from foreign bias and prejudice; and on that love of country which will almost invariably be found to be closely connected with birth, education, and family.” - Alexander Hamilton “The opinion advanced in the Notes on Virginia is undoubtedly correct, that foreigners will generally be apt to bring with them attachments to the persons they have left behind; to the country of their nativity, and to its particular customs and manners. They will also entertain opinions on government congenial with those under which they have lived, or if they should be led hither from a preference to ours, how extremely unlikely is it that they will bring with them that temperate love of liberty, so essential to real republicanism? There may as to particular individuals, and at particular times, be occasional exceptions to these remarks, yet such is the general rule. The influx of foreigners must, therefore, tend to produce a heterogeneous compound; to change and corrupt the national spirit; to complicate and confound public opinion; to introduce foreign propensities. In the composition of society, the harmony of the ingredients is all important, and whatever tends to a discordant intermixture must have an injurious tendency. “The United States have already felt the evils of incorporating a large number of foreigners into their national mass; by promoting in different classes different predilections in favor of particular foreign nations, and antipathies against others, it has served very much to divide the community and to distract our councils. It has been often likely to compromise the interests of our own country in favor of another. "The permanent effect of such a policy will be, that in times of great public danger there will be always a numerous body of men, of whom there may be just grounds of distrust; the suspicion alone will weaken the strength of the nation, but their force may be actually employed in assisting an invader. To admit foreigners indiscriminately to the rights of citizens the moment they put foot in our country would be nothing less than to admit the Grecian horse into the citadel of our liberty and sovereignty." —Alexander Hamilton, New-York Evening Post, January 12, 1802
What is R2K? Classical Reformed Two-Kingdom Theology: The two kingdoms are the visible and invisible, earthly and heavenly Christ’s rule is over both. The church is in both. So, the church participates in both, but its participation is according to the sphere it is in. Visible: both ministry and magistrates, both visible church and earthly civic life Invisible: heavenly life, eternal church Alternate 2K view: The two kingdoms are the civil society and the church. Christ’s rule is only over the church Civil: civil sphere is left to the “god of this world”, civil society is always assumed hostile, pagan, or secular Church: earthly church is separate, apart from civil society altogether with its own life, its own transient, “just passing through” society on earth, stands in opposition to earthly society in “prophetic denunciation” or “moral witness”, persecution complex (Evangelical view somewhat?) Flattened One Kingdom View: Christ rules over all in the same way, all (should or ought to) belong to the same one kingdom, share in same ways, life, laws, means, authorities church or civil holds superior authority? (Leithart’s “theopolis”) (Catholic Church?) Natural Law - God runs the world through consistent ways, principles, reason, laws These laws are discoverable by all peoples through reason. Protestant Reformers attested this over and over.
How did R2K develop? Augustine - two cities Gelasius - duo sunt Luther - spiritual and temporal governments, conscience and conduct Calvin - spiritual and temporal governments, the soul and conduct Hooker Locke Contemporary people?
Why is R2K important? Theonomists - presuppositionalism, OT laws as blueprint for society Neo-Calvinists - “take every thought captive” Evangelical - a bible verse for everything Proper role of the church in the Christian life over-reaching claims for biblical authority Blurring religion and politics, salvation and progress, heaven and the nation, discipleship and social justice
Importance for political thought/theory
Quotes:
"Regarding our eternal salvation it is true that one must not distinguish between man and woman, or between king and a shepherd, or between a German and a Frenchman. Regarding policy however, we have what St. Paul declares here; for our Lord Jesus Christ did not come to mix up nature, or to abolish what belongs to the preservation of decency and peace among us....Regarding the kingdom of God (which is spiritual) there is no distinction or difference between man and woman, servant and master, poor and rich, great and small. Nevertheless, there does have to be some order among us, and Jesus Christ did not mean to eliminate it, as some flighty and scatterbrained dreamers believe." Calvin, sermon on 1 Cor. 11:2-3
"Difference of nations [gentium] or condition or sex is indeed taken away by the unity of faith, but it remains in the conduct (or manner) of mortal life, and this order must be preserved in the journey of this life." Augustine, Epistle to the Galatians (on 3:28,29)
Calvin on Christ's spiritual kingdom belonging to the inner man: "The nature of [Christ's] kingdom...is not external, but belongs to the inner man; for it consists of a good conscience and uprightness of life, not what is so reckoned before men, but what is so reckoned before God." on Isaiah 42:1 "We must observe the analogy between the kingdom of Christ and its qualities; for, being spiritual, it is established by the power of the Holy Spirit. In a word, all these things must be viewed as referring to the inner man, that is, when we are regenerated by God to true righteousness." on Isaiah 9:7 "Having shown above that there is a twofold government in man, and having fully considered the one which, placed in the soul or inward man, relates to eternal life, we are here called to say something of the other, which pertains only to civil institutions and the external regulation of...
What manliness looked like for the ancient Greeks and Romans and what we can learn from them today.
What is evangelical rhetoric on social theory? How has it changed in recent years? What are its uses and goals? How has political discourse affected religious leaders' credibility?
We interview Jon Harris of https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3S-Zc7cwIFv0eNGs4ZaRyQ (Conversations that Matter) (on YouTube) on his new book https://www.amazon.com/Social-Justice-Goes-Church-Evangelicalism/dp/1649600801/ (Social Justice Goes To Church: The New Left in Modern American Evangelicalism).
Pastor Eric Greene of Thompson Memorial PCA talks with us about an essay he wrote entitled "Victims, Villains, and Victors".
We discuss whether and how Trump may signal an event in world history that is subject to future consequences and reinterpretation.
Today we are joined with Dr. Glenn Moots to discuss Education and Post-COVID University.