David P. Gushee

It cannot be taken for granted that Christians will or even should support democratic government. The Bible offers many different paradigms for political rule, none of them democratic. The majority of church history took place in non-democratic eras and cultures. Liberal democracy, with rule-of-law, separation of powers, checks and balances, civil and human rights protections, and so on, is a relatively recent innovation in human history. I am among those who believe liberal democracy needs and deserves full Christian support; but in the US and around the world there is plenty of evidence of Christians being attracted to illiberal democracy or outright undemocratic governance. This talk reflects on this evidence and offers a Christian defense of democracy—using central Christian theological and moral convictions—for these perilous times.