Publisher: P&R ISBN: 9780875524481 Item #: 2973

Binding: Paperback Chapters: 20 Page Count: 320

Edited by Gary Scott Smith. The publication of this work indicates that a major change is under way in American churches. An area of life previously neglected is now the center of considerable interest and concern. All the contributors to some degree share a Christian concern with political order and the necessity for a Christian stance and action. Their comments deserve attention.

- What does the Bible say about civil justice?
- How is Christ King over the nations?
- Was America ever a Christian nation, and should it be one?
- Which Old Testament laws apply to civil life today?
- To what extent should the state tolerate non-Christian views and practices in the name of pluralism?

These are some of the questions addressed by 16 contributors representing four positions on the biblical role of civil government. Originally delivered at a consultation on that topic, each of the four major papers is presented by a leading representative of that view and is followed by responses from the three other perspectives. The result is a vigorous exchange of ideas aimed at pinpointing areas of agreement and disagreement and equipping God's people to serve him more effectively in the political arena.

"The church has needed a scholarly work that dispassionately, yet biblically, examines the tension points that exist between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of our God."
Cal Thomas, Los Angeles Times Syndicate

Publication Date: 2010