Applying Lessons Today 

by Michael Horton

Note: History (see previous blogs) speaks to our current social and political crisis. The root of republicanism was in Athens, Greece. It is a political ideology based on citizenship and self-rule. Its values and ideals appear in our constitution and history. 

     "Today, there is very little of U.S. republicanism. It has been replaced by radical theology, first held by those who sought to set up the kingdom of God on earth. The same outlook characterizes the extreme left today. These radicals may be found at both extremes of the political spectrum. 

     "This vision is neither progressive nor conservative, but is a divide between Good and Evil, perilous to civil liberty and the cause of Christ. From Washington to Obama, speeches were laced with biblical allusions. They were often taken out of context and woven into an American narrative rather than old-covenant Israel as a sacred nation.  

     "Many American politicians assumed there is a God above all rulers and Law above national laws. Such recognition has tempered populism and tyranny. This allowed abolitionists and civil rights leaders to appeal to the Law above law, as many do today in defense of the unborn. 

     "On the negative side, this vague civil religion has corrupted Christianity in America, as similar combinations of religion and civil society have done throughout history."

Next: Shared consensus has evaporated