Two Cities, Two Loves: Christian Responsibility in a Crumbling Culture (P&R) by James Montgomery Boice
In A.D. 410, barbarian hordes attacked Rome, besieging it for months, ruthlessly sacking it and ultimately ending the Roman Empire. Losing the empire to the Goths would be like the New York Yankees losing to a 12-year-old travel team. Roman leaders put the blame squarely on Christians; they had forsaken the ancient Roman gods and now the Empire was under their wrath.
Enter Augustine of Hippo, perhaps the greatest church father. He wrote a massively important response, a work titled City of God. In that incredibly vital tome, Augustine argued that Christians — because they are God’s people — would not have burned down the city because their God calls them to be the best citizens.
In City of God, he reminded followers of Christ that they are simultaneously citizens of two cities, the city of God and
the city of man. Further, he showed that the two cities are driven by two loves: love of God (city of God) and love of self (city of man). City of God was the first attempt of any Christian writer to produce a philosophy of history and civil obedience.
Boice draws on Augustine’s famous work and brings it to bear on modern-day society, particularly as it relates to Christian citizenship. If I could require every Christian in the U.S. to read one book during this election season, it would be Boice’s (supplemented with a little side reading from my book about taming the tongue). Boice offers compelling practical wisdom for navigating citizenship in the city of man while maintaining an ultimate commitment to the city of God.
Politics According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Crossway) by Wayne A. Grudem
This comprehensive and readable book presents a political philosophy from the perspective that the gospel pertains to all of life, including politics. Politics According to the Bible is an in-depth analysis of conservative and liberal plans to do good for the nation, evaluated in light of the Bible and common sense.
How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics in a Divided Age (Thomas Nelson) by Jonathan Leeman
As Christians, we’ve felt pushed to the outskirts of national public life, yet even within our congregations we are divided about how to respond. Some want to strengthen the evangelical voting bloc. Others focus on social justice causes, and still others would abandon the public square altogether. What do we do when brothers and sisters in Christ sit next to each other in the pews but feel divided and angry? Is there a way forward? Pastor and author Jonathan Leeman challenges Christians from across the spectrum to hit the restart button and shows us how.
Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture (Crossway) by David Van Drunen
Modern movements such as neo-Calvinism, the New Perspective on Paul, and the emerging church have popularized a view of Christianity and culture that calls for the redemption of earthly society and institutions.
Van Drunen illustrates how a two-kingdoms model of Christianity and culture affirms much of what is compelling in these transformationist movements while remaining faithful to the whole counsel of Scripture. By focusing on God’s response to each kingdom — his preservation of the civil society and his redemption of the spiritual kingdom — this work teaches readers how to live faithfully in each sphere.