Power and society

In defence of Christian Libertarianism

I have a confession: I am not a conservative. My politics are what is known as Christian Libertarian. A while ago, I was asked to defend my ideas in Parliament to a group of centre-right Christians in politics, public life and the clergy. It follows below.

I received two criticisms. At the time, one theologian rightly corrected my pronunciation of the Greek word "storge". Subsequently, a local vicar responded that I should have covered justice: it is a fair point. I think I would survey Rawls and Nozick, combining them to say God’s justice is that you get what you deserve: both the consequences of your actions and a basic minimum beneath which a civilised society should allow no one to fall.

As usual before addressing matters of faith, I am clear that the use of power can only ever be legitimately justified by evidence and reason.

If you enjoy this speech or find it useful, you may also like my article In Defence of Capitali$m | a Christian perspective for BMS World Mission.

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This is a speech about power and love as alternative organising principles of human relations. It is a speech about society and politics, about God and government.

It is not a Conservative speech, nor of course socialist, but one radically liberal in the old tradition, a tradition of freedom which arguably was and is only possible under the conditions of the Christian faith.

The fundamental point of this speech is this: the big story of the Bible - the reason Christ came and will come again - is that power, expressed in the law, will never set society right, not for God and certainly not for us, and not if free will is to have any meaning.