I have been anxiously awaiting the publication of a new
book, Resurrecting the Idea of a
Christian Society by R. R. Reno. It became available this week, and I was
so struck by Reno’s introduction to the book, that I am excerpting it here. I
quite literally could not say it better myself.
“Today’s progressivism is waging a war on the weak. Putting
an end to that war is the most important social justice issue of our time….
“We also need to recover solidarity, limited government, and
a sense of the transcendent. These are natural goods that one finds in many
cultures. Christian societies do not have a monopoly on them. But ours has been
a Christian history, and it is by a renewal of Christian influence that we are
most likely to restore theses humanizing qualities to our society.
“Serving those most in need and contributing to that
restoration of American society requires us to speak clearly, honestly, and
forcefully. Being a serious Christian does not automatically make one a social
or religious “conservative,” but the logic of faith runs counter to the cult of
freedom. The freedom for which Christ makes us free is quite different from the
freedom championed by modern liberal culture….
“This does not mean “establishing” Christianity but speaking
up in the public square as Christians.
We need to say, out loud and with confidence, that we’re best off when we live
under the authority of the permanence of marriage, accept the duties of
patriotism, and affirm the supernatural claims the church makes on our souls. We’re
“judgmental” not to sustain the preeminence of Christianity in American society…
but because we seek to promote the wellbeing of our neighbors, especially the
weakest and most vulnerable….
“Today’s poverty is spiritual and moral. What’s needed is
the stability and permanence of moral truth, as well as a renewed sense of the possibility
of a faith that brings us into the everlasting household of God….
“There is much talk among Christians these days about a
pessimistic withdrawal from public life. The current of culture seems to be
running against us. We need to be realistic about the challenges posed by the present
age, and we certainly need to repair our communities of faith. There can be no
Christian society without vital churches. But let’s not sell the public potency
of Christianity short. The renewal of our society as a whole is possible, even
today, even in a hyper-individualistic society like America.
“America is full of people who sense the poverty of our
postmodern paganism. Our nation is still capable of caring for the weak and
vulnerable. Most Americans want everyone to flourish – together. And they don’t
want to be swallowed by the administrative-therapeutic state, ruled by a remote
meritocratic elite. They want their children to seek higher things, the surest
way to escape the cult of freedom that makes them servants of today’s
materialist hearth gods.
“Our fellow citizens recognize the seriousness of our faith –
loyalty to God, no less! They intuit that we can contribute something solid,
enduring, and reliable to public life. It’s not going to be easy. But America
is demoralized right now. Anti-establishment politicians win widespread
support. A wave of populism is demolishing longstanding political coalitions.
Polls reveal a dwindling of trust in mainstream institutions. Universities are
terrorized by political correctness. Secular progressivism rules our culture
more by default than because of widespread conviction. What seems like an
all-powerful secular consensus actually churns with dissatisfaction.
“Which is why, in this time and in this place, a relatively
small number of Christians can inspire and reinvigorate the public imaginations
of the disoriented majority. We can renew our society by restoring our voices
as Christian citizens.
“Resurrecting the idea of a Christian society is possible,
but by no means inevitable. The United States is a great nation. I’m a proud
patriot. But America is a nation of men, not the city of God. Yes, we may fail
to restore the Christian leaven in American public life. It is also true that
there will be a time when America is no more. Yet the Gospel endures. Let us
therefore take up our political tasks with cheerfulness, even if the odds are
against us. We are called to do what we are able, not to succeed. Let’s do our
best, trusting in God’s providence and confident in his final victory.”
Amen and thank you, Professor Reno.
No comments:
Post a Comment