Christian Nationalism, Theonomy, and monarchism are on the rise in libertarian circles. The hosts of the Reformed Libertarians Podcast, Kerry Baldwin and Gregory Baus, join my to explain why the Reformed stream of Christianity is compatible with libertarianism, and why it offers a peaceful alternative to Christian Nationalism.
Follow the show at reformedlibertarians.com.
Transcript - https://share.descript.com/view/qaDVvrw7pNo
Guest Notes:
Note: At 42:05 Gregory accidentally said Moses when he meant to say "another covenant with NOAH."
About The Reformed Libertarians Podcast
The Reformed Libertarians Podcast aims to educate and inspire listeners to intelligently embrace and passionately promote a view of libertarianism as grounded in the Reformed Faith, and informed by a Reformed worldview.
Exploring free society from a Reformed perspective, hosts Kerry Baldwin and Gregory Baus discuss culture, society, politics, economics, theology, philosophy, worldview, and more. Follow the show at reformedlibertarians.com and discover how to think about liberty and human flourishing based in the Reformed Faith.
Gregory Baus
A confessional Presbyterian and student of Reformational philosophy. He became a libertarian anarchist in 2008. His personal interests include classic diners, folk and jazz music, and speculative fiction. - https://sites.google.com/site/ideolog/
Kerry Baldwin
An independent researcher, co-author, and Socratic coach with a BA in Philosophy. She is a confessional Presbyterian and became a libertarian in 2008. Her interests include puzzles and brain teasers. - https://mereliberty.com/about/kerry-baldwin/
Reformed Libertarianism Statement & Principles - https://reformedlibertarians.com/reformed-libertarianism-statement/
Some material about the Reformed Faith/theology:
A. highlights: https://opc.org/WhatIsReformedFaith.html
B. Our Confession (statement) Of Faith: https://opc.org/confessions.html
C. a helpful, popular-level book on the Reformed view of salvation: https://www.amazon.com/Putting-Amazing-Back-into-Grace/dp/0801014212
Libertarian Christian Institute - https://libertarianchristians.com
Some Key Points discussed in the episode:
A. While a common approach to viewing the compatibility of Christianity and libertarianism in terms of
i. the 6th commandment (do not murder) and the 8th commandment (do not steal), entailing self-ownership and property rights
ii. Jesus' moral imperative (treat others as you would be treated), entailing a non-aggressionist and non-vengeance/non-retaliation ethic
iii. the Bible's consistent portrayal of centralized power in a negative light
B. Reformed theology and Reformational (or Neocalvinist) philosophy offer additional important insights for understanding that libertarianism is not only compatible with Christianity, but is the most consistent expression of Christian political thought. Discussed on the show:
i. the philosophical understanding that "religious neutrality" (or, "non-religiousness") is a myth (or false idea) since all political theories (as well as every other kind of theory) depend upon (consciously or not) some general philosophical view of reality, which in turn is inevitably directed by some idea of what is self-existent, which is a religious belief (whether it involves belief in any deity or not). For more on that:
So, libertarianism (like every other political theory) is ultimately grounded, for everyone, in one sort of religious standpoint or another. The Reformed Libertarians Podcast aims to show how libertarianism can be understood as grounded in a Reformed perspective.
ii. the theological understanding of "covenantal theology" that helps us recognize that outside the old Mosaic covenant, part of the normal operation of "common grace," made explicit in Genesis 9 in terms of the "lex talionis," involves a principle of proportional responsive coercion, which entails the non-aggression principle. To use coercion against what is not an initiation of coercion is disproportionate, aggression, and illegitimate.
According to the Epistle to the Hebrews, the old Mosaic covenant is made obsolete by the new covenant, established by Jesus Christ. The old covenant was a temporary "typological" symbol pointing to the Final Judgement. When the old covenant was in force, the normal operations of common grace were temporarily suspended and certain non-aggressive immoral acts were punishable by death. However, in Christ's inauguration of the new covenant, the old covenant arrangement is ended and the normal operations of common grace resume. For more on that: https://reformedlibertarians.com/015
C. Two more important insights, not discussed in the episode are:
i. Reformed "political resistance theology" (view of Romans 13). For more on that see:
https://reformedlibertarians.com/002 and https://reformedlibertarians.com/006
ii. Reformational/neocalvinist "societal sphere sovereignty". For more on that see: https://reformedlibertarians.com/009 and https://reformedlibertarians.com/012
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Can Reformed Libertarianism Counter Christian Nationalism? With Kerry Baldwin and Gregory Baus