Kingdom Politics Does Not Fail.
Before reading Deneen-
Immediately, I recall that NT Wright and Bird wrote that a liberal democracy is the “least worst” option for governance.[1] Each system has its’ flaws, but a liberal democracy might have fewer. One flaw of a liberal democracy highlighted recently is the idea of allowing multi-culturalism at all costs. This has historically been seen more in Europe but is gaining traction in the US.[2] The idea that multiculturalism trumps holding some religions accountable to Western moral and ethical standards has led proponents of multiculturalism to downplay the hardships experienced of bringing multiple cultures together.
A liberal democracy is a government where all voices can be heard, and everyone should have a seat sat the table. This does not mean that everyone gets what they want but rather nobody should get everything they want and there is a cooperative give and take of ideas. It is a form of governance in which religious ideas are each permitted an opportunity to practice their religion freely with some collectively agreed upon governmental restraints.[3]
I would argue my political convictions are based on my understanding and reading of Scripture. As I say this, I understand that there are others who read the very same Scripture and interpret it differently. To know where we are, it is important to understand where we have come from. I grew up in a Republican (conservative) middle class white family in the heart of the Silicon Valley, an ultra-rich liberal part of the liberal state of California. I went to public schools and took a blue-collar union job for fifteen years. My conservative Evangelical church taught me to always push back and away from culture. I voted for President Bush after 9/11 yet I then voted for President Obama as I lobbied for “Change!” I moved overseas to live in an Islamic village, in East Africa where my world was turned upside down. I learned to work through culture, and not push against it. I learned what peace-making was about and how to disagree with others who are not like me. Though I initially supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at the time, I now find myself more of a Pacifist. The more I follow Jesus the more I see him peacefully interacting with his enemies.
Currently, I find myself discussing my deeply held convictions regarding immigration often. I believe the Bible teaches us that people are image-bearers of God. Thus, people from whatever country they might originate, should be treated as image-bearers and should be given respectful dignity. Likewise, the Californian tree-hugger in me will always argue in favor of protecting this earth, the land that the Lord created and entrusted us to live on and care for.
After reading Deneen-
One thing that took me a bit by surprise reading Why Liberalism Failed was how philosophical the book was. There was a lot of political theory and philosophy which helps explain our current political realities. His thesis is essentially, “Liberalism has failed — not because it fell short, but because it was true to itself. It has failed because it has succeeded.”[4] This argument ran counter to what I had previously believed about a liberal democracy. Towards the end of the book, he asserts that Band-Aids have been used to cover up the mess.
Reading the chapter on anticulture I could not help but see some similarities to the way European culture has changed as mentioned above. He writes, “The replacement of these conditions with a ubiquitous and uniform anticulture is at once a crowning achievement of liberalism and among the greatest threats to our continued common life. The very basis of liberalism’s success again ushers in the conditions for its demise.”[5]
While I might agree with Deneen’s thesis, I have kept asking the question, “If not liberal democracy what would work?” Postmodernism along with the sudden and drastic rise of artificial intelligence has caused our society to be eternal skeptics. In another political philosophy book, David Runciman writes, “Another reason for thinking that the liberal democratic package may be coming apart is what digital technology is doing to it.”[6] The liberal view our society has taken regarding technology might very well be the true undoing of liberalism.
Both authors, Deneen and Runciman briefly mention another author, Francis Fukuyama who way back in 1989 stated, “The self-correcting mechanisms of Liberal Democracy should outweigh its self-destructive impulses. That’s how it’s meant to work. That is why, at the end of history, it is the only idea left standing.”[7] Is liberal democracy the only idea left standing? Is it even standing anymore, or has it failed completely? Honestly, politics can feel so futile. Our worldly governments will all fail. Every different political theory and practice throughout history has failed, so why should we expect differently? Babylon failed; Rome failed; and Washington D.C. is failing, yet as Christians we put our hope in the kingdom of heaven, whose ruler will not fail.
So where do I land?
The failure of liberal democracy is never where I had my hope entrusted. Certainly, I will continue to engage with it and engage the political realm. It is possible that I might engage even more vocally and energetically if we do see immigrants continue to be scapegoated and de-humanized. I will not engage in this political debate for the sake of political theory, but rather lived-out theology. Instead of democracy, my hope lies in the future of blessing promised to us in the kingdom of heaven.
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[1] N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2024), 158.
[2] For a recent European example see, https://www.thefp.com/p/muslim-grooming-gangs-cover-up-keir-starmer-elon-musk
[3] For example, child sacrifice or child brides might be declared illegal even if one religion might support it.
[4] Patrick J. Deneen, Why Liberalism Failed, Politics and Culture (New Haven (Conn.): Yale university press, 2018), 3.
[5] Deneen, 90.
[6] David Runciman, Confronting Leviathan: A History of Ideas (London: Profile Books Ltd, 2022), 254.
[7] Runciman, 252.
About the Author
Adam Cheney
I grew up in California, spent five years living along the beautiful coast of Kenya and now find myself working with refugees in the snow crusted tundra of Minnesota. My wife and I have seven children, four of whom have been adopted. I spend my time drinking lots of coffee, working in my garden, and baking sourdough bread.12 responses to “Kingdom Politics Does Not Fail.”
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Thanks Adam – How does Deneen’s critique of liberal democracy challenge or affirm your theological perspective on the role of government in promoting justice and human dignity, particularly in light of the tensions between multiculturalism and universal moral standards?
Glyn,
One thing that Deneen highlights is that the system that is currently in place is not working well. Or that it worked too well and is not longer working the way it was intended. Recently, I have been telling people that I am concerned for our democracy and believe that we are driving swiftly into more of an oligarchy. I do think this is very concerning, but I also recognize that the kingdom of God is not restricted to our human political endeavors. Historically, we have seen a variety of political systems come and go.
Hi Adam, thank you for this post, and welcome back to another semester. I resonate with your California tree-hugger statement, as I hail from Los Angeles. I appreciated your concluding statement regarding a lived-out theology. After returning from Africa, what were the biggest challenges you encountered in shaping your current perspective on liberal democracy?
Elysse,
Good question. The challenge that I am still wrestling with is how the narrative on immigration has shifted. I struggle with seeing so many of my Christian friends base their view on political rhetoric, and the spin of right-wing pundits, rather than basing their views from a biblical perspective. It was the Evangelical Christian president, Jimmy Carter, who signed the refugee act into place in 1980 and established the modern era of refugee resettlement. It was a bipartisan deal.
Adam,
I felt a sermon coming on when you started talking about all the various kingdoms failing, Amen, preach it!
Thanks for reminding me about how Wright and Bird suggest that liberal democracy is the least worst option of governance .
What was the style/philosophy of government like in Africa where you lived. what do you believe was the greatest political difference between the two countries?
Jeff,
I could definitely preach a sermon on this. I probably would not be invited back though…
Kenya is technically a democracy. Yet, it is ruled by tribal alliances and the ultra wealthy. The president of Kenya owns many of the hotels on the coast where the tourists flock. The system in place is certainly not a system for “all the people,” but rather, “for their tribe.”
In the village I lived in, it was entirely Islamic and though technically not Sharia law, they had a way of governing themselves without much insight or input from the capital city.
Hi Adam,
Thank you for sharing your perspectives about liberalism.
Based on your life journey, what are your thoughts about Patrick Deneen’s assertion that “liberalism has failed because it has succeeded” challenge traditional views of liberal democracy, and what implications does this have for our current political realities?
Shela,
I think that this last election in America was a refurendum by the people against the forced onslaught of liberal politics. That is why the strong-armed orange man won. He represented the only hope against the tidal wave of liberalism affecting all aspects of our culture and society. The way I see it is he only won because liberals have become so extreme they no longer knew who the heart of our country is anymore.
Thanks Adam! I really appreciated your line, ” I will not engage in this political debate for the sake of political theory, but rather lived-out theology.” how does theology shape your political practice? what is that looking like in your conversations around immigration?
Ryan,
Thanks. I always focus on the individual and their humanity as image-bearers of Christ rather than focus on the media soundbites. My father-in-law just posted a horrible anti-immigrant post full of false rhetoric, meant to hype people up and cause fear. I am currently trying to figure out how to step into this discussion in a way that is uplifting. I don’t think that adding a comment will do the trick.
Adam, As usual, I relate deeply to your post. I appreciate your mentioning how you learned to “work through culture and not push against it.” If you could go back to 20 years, what advice would you give to yourself in living out one’s theology?
Kari,
25 year old Adam knew how the world worked and knew what needed to be done. I would tell that Adam to sit down, shut up and listen for a while. I would also probably tell myself to buy everything in grey because I would find myself in all the grey areas of life where nothing is quite so black and white as I had thought it to be.