Our recent event “Is the Good Book Good Enough?” discussed recent and future evangelical engagement with public policy. We’ve continued the conversation online, focusing especially on Michael Cromartie’s call for an “Augustinian sensibility,” in what he described as the current “now, but not yet” phase of history. The event was also covered here on Real Clear Politics, here in The Christian Post and in several other outlets.
Now, But Not Yet: Augustinian Sensibility in the City of Man by Luke Holladay
The truth is, we all struggle with the temptation to ignore the “not yet” of this present age. Whether it takes shape in instant gratification or even good intentions promoting bad policies, our entire culture seems bent on the rallying cry of “now!” We should desire to fix our broken systems, but we must temper this ambition by thinking seriously about how to live in the tension of the City of God and the City of Man.Evangelicals in Political Society by Wesley Gant
Four out of five people in the United States identify as Christians, yet Christianity is marginalized in mainstream culture. Somehow, many Americans have become convinced that their faith is something to hide. The entertainment industry and academia, in particular, have sent a clear message that Christianity is an oppressive superstition that is outdated, uneducated and very uncool. And the loudest of disapproving voices are aimed at anyone caught using a “religious” belief to take a political position.Two Kingdoms: Millennials in the City of God and City of Man by Tyler Castle
The earthly battle will never be fully won until Christ returns. This understanding should keep us from trying to “immanentize the eschaton”—attempting to bring heaven to earth. Many Christian social activists fall victim to this mistake by pursuing utopian dreams which are inspiring, but ultimately foolish. Such a mindset does nothing but leave us disillusioned and hopeless—and any of us with an accurate biblical vision of reality should know better. Instead, our posture should be one of Christian realism.
