Faithfully political

More than 20 years ago David Koyzis wrote Political Visions and Illusions, a helpful Christian introduction to the political ideologies of late-modern Western societies. He explained how these ideologies offer their own implicit worldviews that mimic the Biblical story of redemption. Each political ideology takes a particular aspect of creation and makes it of ultimate importance, meaning these worldviews are species of idolatry.

Koyzis’ new book Citizenship Without Illusions: A Christian Guide to Political Engagement (IVP Academic, 168 pp.) can be seen as the practical sequel, offering guidance for those who have rejected the world’s lies and now seek to live their political lives in light of the twofold greatest commandment: to love God and to love neighbor.

Citizenship Without Illusions David T. Koyzis

Koyzis defines a citizen as a member of the community whose basic task is doing justice. “Citizenship” then makes one responsible for public justice, because “the political community is uniquely tasked with doing public justice.” His book offers practical wisdom for Christians in light of this helpful frame.

The book warns about the dangers of the digital age and the “virtual illusion” that deceives us with pseudo-community that demands no real sacrifices and inclines us to neglect our tangible neighbors. Striking a Jordan Peterson–esque note, Koyzis argues that we can be no political good unless we start at home, at the local level. He warns against revolutionary fervor and enjoins communal discernment for prudent resistance to tyranny. He explains that civil disobedience is not only permitted, but in some circumstances constitutes a Christian duty, though Christians must always be prepared to endure the consequences.

Chapter 5 covering the practical theology of voting is his best. Koyzis recognizes that in our contemporary democratic systems, we often have to choose between the “lesser of evils” among the options available to us. However, he wisely reminds us to make sure that our support of such flawed candidates doesn’t lead us to support their flawed character and the wicked policies that they might pursue. Christians must always withhold total endorsement from any candidate or party, retaining critical distance from each while seeking to manifest the deeper unity of the Church that transcends party lines.

The other particularly insightful chapter is Chapter 8 on “global citizenship.” Here Koyzis discusses nationalism and the various nationalist developments that have emerged over the past decade. He affirms a proper loyalty to one’s nation, but he also argues that Christianity, in some important respects, is fundamentally “cosmopolitan.” The gospel points us beyond any particular tribe, nation, etc. We care for the whole of humanity, but this does not entail a singular world government or the erasure of national distinctives.

But despite the book’s benefits, Koyzis leaves some important threads unexamined.

One of the striking omissions in this book is its lack of discussion of key Biblical texts on Christian citizenship: Hebrews 13:14, Philippians 3:20, and Ephesians 2:11–22. The author of Hebrews explains that we have no lasting city here, but seek the one that is to come. In Philippians and Ephesians, Paul explains that a Christian’s ultimate citizenship is in heaven. Any proper Christian reflection on temporal politics needs to account for the impact of our heavenly citizenship manifested in the Church. This is a major theme in the writings of Augustine of Hippo, especially in his masterpiece The City of God, and it’s remarkable that Koyzis never refers to that seminal book.

Augustine’s work would also challenge some assumptions about the topic of justice. The City of God reiterates the classical conception of justice as rendering what is due, but Augustine adds that justice requires that God be given His due. Any polity that fails to honor God in an explicit, intentional manner fails justice. In Augustinian theology, the only society on earth that can achieve any measure of real justice is the Church. And this makes the Church politically significant in ways that are unaccounted for in Koyzis’ work.

Koyzis seems to subtly assume a form of sacred/secular dualism that fails to properly communicate the Church’s political significance. This comes up when he says that preaching and the growth of the Church are only “indirectly” political and that Christian discipleship has public “implications.” But it also comes up when he seeks to rightly resist social-gospel temptations or any sociological marginalization of the Church. Koyzis argues that the Church is not a community center, providing for all the social needs of society. However, in his defense he obscures the political nature of the Church. The Church is the heart of society—a paradigm polis that manifests true sociality. Its presence reshapes the world around it simply by being what it is.

A key slip here, in my opinion, is a comment at the end of the book: “I would never argue that the gathered church’s purpose is to raise good citizens.” This statement is loaded with assumptions about what it means to be a good citizen and how this is related to true religion and the Church. One could put it this way: The Church’s purpose is to make good citizens of the kingdom of God, of the heavenly city. That is what discipleship is. This is not merely encouraging believers in a private ­devotional life. Rather, it is building up this commonwealth called the Church.

Augustine told a pagan public official that heavenly citizenship complicates and reshapes our loyalties to our earthly homelands. He explained that political agents who recognize this reality would do all that they could to serve that heavenly city by supporting “the small group of its citizens who are pilgrims on this earth.”

A true polity is one that is marked by justice, and justice requires giving to God what is His due, which is worship. The Church, though imperfect, intends to do just this, and calls all persons to join it in this task. This certainly impacts broader society, and the Church’s “indirect” political influence intends to bring broader society into greater alignment with the politics that she lives out.

This book builds upon Koyzis’ masterful earlier work exposing political ideologies by offering practical insight about how to comport ourselves politically in this world. It would benefit from more reflection on how our political allegiance to the kingdom of God and the political nature of the Church itself inform our loyalties to temporal polities. But as a practical guide for prudent political engagement in the various earthly cities in which we find ourselves, it’s an admirable introductory text.