Dave Black on The Politics of Witness

2:12 PM I just finished editing the next addition to our Areopagus series, The Politics of Witness, by my co-editor Allan Bevere.

Allan’s goal is clear: the abolition of Constantinianism. He writes:

In other words, the church’s first task is not to work to coerce the state to take care of the poor. The church’s first task is to live lives of simplicity and generosity and take care of the poor ourselves. In so doing we will be witnessing to the nation that it would be a better state if it took care of the poor as well. The church’s first task is not to coerce the state into outlawing abortions. The church’s first task is to reject abortion as a Christian option and live in such a way that we welcome all children into the world. In so doing we will be witnessing to the nation (as Tertullian stated to the Roman Empire) that it would be a better state if it didn’t kill its children.

Well put indeed. Allan observes that “both the right and the left seek political power in order to fundamentally transform America according to their understanding of biblical values while ending up being nothing more than faith-based extensions of the Republican and Democratic Parties.” I couldn’t have said it better.

I am pleased to commend both book and author. Not that Allan Bevere needs commendation from me; his one and only desire is to be found worthy by the One who judges rightly. And his book will commend itself. It fleshes out theory in a very practical way. I will be very excited to see this book in print.

(From Dave Black Online. Used by permission. David Alan Black is author of Energion titles The Jesus Paradigm, Christian Archy, and Why Four Gospels?.)