Ramesh Ponnuru has pointed out some of the similarities (which he carefully points out does not mean the identity ) between the political impacts of Obamacare and the Iraq War. Over on twitter, liberal writer Jamelle Bouie has argued that voters will largely judge President Obama based on economic . . . . Continue Reading »
O’Donovan and O’Donovan offer an insightful summary of the contribution of northern European Humanists (More, Erasmus) to early modern political theory ( From Irenaeus to Grotius: A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought , 554-5). Their principles sound proto-Hauerwasian: . . . . Continue Reading »
Explaining how spiritual lordship exceeds natural, Giles of Rome argues that the church makes kings through baptism and penance: “Though the sacrament of baptism, which is the direct remedy against original sin, and through the sacrament of penance, which is the remedy against actual sin, you . . . . Continue Reading »
Christian political thought has historically gotten off on the wrong foot through misinterpretation of Genesis 1-2. Adam and Eve are taken as “family,” and hence the family becomes a “natural” institution. Families band together and soon there are cities and kingdoms, also . . . . Continue Reading »
In his commentary on Psalm 72 , Calvin gives this convincing explanation for the Psalm’s focus on the king’s duty to protect of the poor: “As God had promised to extend his care to the poor and afflicted among his people, David, as an argument to enforce the prayer which he . . . . Continue Reading »
According to Thomas in his treatise de Regno ( Aquinas: Political Writings , 23-4), “dangerous evils arise from the desire for glory.” It is dangerous because it causes rulers to over-extend: “For manyhave brought the liberty of their fatherland under the power of an enemywhen . . . . Continue Reading »
“It was a celebrated thesis of the Reformation,” writes Oliver O’Donovan in his Brampton Lectures, The Ways of Judgement , “that the political judgment we enact are Mosaic and not evangelical .” Earlier Christian legal theory “from Gratian to Grotius” . . . . Continue Reading »
Phillip Wynn’s Augustine on War and Military Service offers the revisionist these that Augustine is not the source of the just war tradition. Even the medievals didn’t consider him to be such. Though they quoted Augustine’s various writings on war frequently, it wasn’t until . . . . Continue Reading »
“Dangerous criminals dont turn violent. They just stay that way.” That’s the conclusion of Richard Tremblay of University College Dublin. Gangs of teens and twenties act like toddlers, only with stronger bodies and working weapons. Normally toddler violence peaks at 24 months, but . . . . Continue Reading »
Charlie Cooke has a good article about the madhouse that is MSNBC. Hardball with Chris Matthews used to a be an interesting show. In earlier incarnations of the show, Matthews was a unapologetic but slightly idiosyncratic liberal host who was not entirely a cheerleader for the liberal side. He had . . . . Continue Reading »
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