Liberal Democracy and Confident Pluralism
This week as I was reading Jesus and the Powers by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, I received a notification on my phone from 6abc Philadelphia:
“Causalities reported in shooting at Georgia high school, suspect in custody.”1
My first response was, “No, no, no.” Throughout the day, I was glued to my laptop waiting for more reports hoping the casualties’ number was wrong and praying for the students, teachers, and their parents. In between my prayers I asked, “Is this a wicked problem?” Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth in their book, Exploring Wicked Problems, write, “The types of problems on which there is no real progress are inherently wicked because they deal with societal problems; that is, problems created and exacerbated by people.”2 The school shootings in America have gotten worse over time just like the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. People have become more cautious in life due to so much killing and pain. Even Wright and Bird mention this. “The 2020’s appear to be the most precarious and perilous time in human history since the 1930’s.”3 With so many scandals, embezzlements, sex crimes, and other atrocities by those who have absolute power, “the Church’s answer to the global crises of our day is, in sum, the kingdom of God…and the Church’s vocation is to build for the kingdom”4
Speaking of building for the kingdom, Wright and Bird take on two major tasks: (1) to summarize the biblical data about political power and its spiritual components, and (2) to lay out a practical theology to guide Christians in making decisions about how to interact with the political sphere. I really like how Wright and Bird’s approach builds upon a specific view of God’s kingdom that has become mainstream among Christian scholars with a high view of Scripture. In the first couple of chapters, they make clear that the kingdom Jesus brought fulfills the hopes of Israel to restore her fortunes in the aftermath of exile and to defeat the evil that wreaks havoc upon the world. “The kingdom is about God’s rescue and restoration of the entire creation.”5 The authors emphasize the importance of building for the kingdom. A huge part of building for the kingdom is to think about how to confront the political powers. The book really shines with two ways of confronting the powers: liberal democracy and confident pluralism.
Liberal Democracy
This is brilliant because a liberal democracy is a form of democracy in which elected representatives who hold power are limited by a constitution that emphasizes protecting individual liberties, equality and the rights of minority groups. Among the many liberties that might be protected are freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy as well as equality before the law and due process under the rule of law. Wright and Bird say, “Liberal democracy is ‘liberal’ in the sense that it regards civic freedoms as an inherent good that should not be subject to limitations unless completely necessary, and it is ‘democratic’ in the sense that voting rights apply equally to all citizens and each citizen’s vote should have the same weight.”6 I see four important ways liberal democracy is beneficial.
- Increased political stability
- Lower corruption
- Respect for human dignity
- A safe and secure community
As Christians we are to love our neighbors because all of us are created in the image of God. How would life be different if elected officials worked hard to make sure all organizations in their country respected all humans, worked hard to lower corruption, and committed financially to help communities be safe and secure. I wonder what if these school gunmen had received genuine love, safety, and care from their family, community, and school friends and teachers, if it would have made a difference. In a liberal democracy we look out for one another.
Confident Pluralism
Confident Pluralism argues that we can and must live together peaceably in spite of deep and sometimes irresolvable differences over politics, religion, sexuality, and other important matters.
In confident pluralism it is important for governments to facilitate and enable dissent, disagreement, and diversity in public forums. “Confident pluralism has a very simple premise, namely, that people have the right to be different, to think differently, to live differently, to worship differently without fear of reprisal.”7 This speaks of tolerance, humility, and patience. Confident Pluralism suggests it is often better to tolerate than to protest, better to project humility than defensiveness, and better to wait patiently for the fruits of persuasion than to force the consequences of coercion. Confident Pluralism will not give us the American Dream. But it might help avoid the American Nightmare.
Conclusion
It is impossible to be at peace with others when we feel we are better than them are when we feel they are wrong and should not exist on this earth. The answer is not a Christian nation. Part of the answer lies in living out the guidelines of liberal democracy and confident pluralism along with loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.
- https://6abc.com/videoClip/apalachee-high-school-shooting-winder-georgia-in/15267270/
- Jesus and the Powers. 3.
- 5
- 15.
- 8.
- 158.
- 171.
About the Author
Todd E Henley
Todd is an avid cyclist who loves watching NASCAR, photography, and playing Madden football. He is addicted to reading, eating fruits and vegetables, and drinking H2O. His passion is talking about trauma, epigenetics, chromosomes, and the brain. He has been blessed with a sensationally sweet wife and four fun creative children (one of which resides in heaven). In his free time he teaches at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and is the Founder/Executive Director of Restore Counseling Center.9 responses to “Liberal Democracy and Confident Pluralism”
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Hi Todd,
Thank you for focusing your post on Liberal Democracy and Confident Pluralism. I enjoyed that part of the book and found freedom and confidence within myself after reading Wright & Bird’s insights. I wish that final chapter was an entire book in and of itself. I wanted more…and you provided it. I appreciate your final comments, “It is impossible to be at peace with others when we feel we are better than them are when we feel they are wrong and should not exist on this earth. The answer is not a Christian nation.” The narrative of America’s Christian roots and a “return” of some sort has never set well with me. That is not to negate the stories of faithful Christians throughout our history, but it is only part of our nation’s story. Plurality was always part of our story. I wonder how the Christian nation narrative contributes negatively to our lack of peace. Any thoughts? Great post!
Hey Jenny, sorry my post was kinda blah. I enjoyed the book but just could not write a quality post. The fact that you enjoyed something in it proves your maturity. When you wrote, “Plurality was always part of our story. I wonder how the Christian nation narrative contributes negatively to our lack of peace,” I thought that was brilliant because how could anything Christian contribute to anything negative. I can see how it can lead to a lack of peace because if a female pastor, a gay Christian, or anyone else a Christian might disagree with writes or speaks about a topic or wants to join in on a community group, the western Christian will tend to talk negatively about the other person’s beliefs which will lead to a lack of peace or unity. This will happen even if “the other” person has biblical or excellent ideas/insight. Anyway, Jenny, that gives me something to think about in regard to how the Christian nation narrative contributes negatively to our peace. Thank you!
Hi Todd!
I really appreciate your perspective on the conclusion part. It is both enlightening and thought-provoking. It is not easy for a Christian to claim that we do not need a Christian state, but rather a liberal democratic, and pluralist state. This reflects a mindset that transcends personal ego. My question is, even though it is not a Christian state, can Christian values still play a significant role in shaping the policies and decisions of leaders and politicians when addressing the needs of the broader community?
Hey Dinka. I enjoyed the book but my blog post was quite weak. Sorry you had to read through that. Anyway, yes we can still have Christian values in our government, whether local, state, or country wide. In fact, I highly recommend it. Most leaders desire positive or good rules so Christian values tend to be welcomed.
Enjoyed your post, I picked up on those aspects as well and was pleasantly surprised with how the book ended. I love the push to live in peace despite our differences, and I know that it is much easier in theory then in practice. However, knowing you I believe you are creating this type of environment in your practices.
Hey my brother. Sorry you had to read through my post. I enjoyed the book but my post was weak. The fact that you enjoyed it shows how mature you are.
Yeah, man, as you know, it is so important and challenging to live in peace despite our differences. I’m sure trying to create this type of environment.
“Confident Pluralism argues that we can and must live together peaceably despite deep and sometimes irresolvable differences over politics, religion, sexuality, and other important matters.” I appreciate how you defined each topic, and especially this one!
Todd,
Thank your explanation of “Liberal Democracy” and “Confident Pluralism”. Your conclusion really summarized what I was thinking. You wrote, “Confident Pluralism suggests it is often better to tolerate than to protest, better to project humility than defensiveness, and better to wait patiently for the fruits of persuasion than to force the consequences of coercion. Confident Pluralism will not give us the American Dream. But it might help avoid the American Nightmare.” What a powerful conclusion! I appreciate your voice and your presence in our cohort.
Thank you Jonita for your kind words and that’s definitely a compliment, if I summarized what you were thinking. Much respect to you my friend.