Book Announcement: David Lipscomb's "Civil Government"
I am pleased to announce that David Lipscomb's book Civil Government: Its Origin, Mission, and Destiny, and the Christian's Relation to It has now been reprinted as No. 117 of my Classic Reprints series. Here is a brief description:
Originally published as a series of articles in the Gospel Advocate from 1866 to 1867, this is a very significant work on the Christian's relation to civil government by the prominent Church of Christ minister, David Lipscomb (1831-1917). Anticipating the arguments of modern libertarian political philosophers, Lipscomb presents a biblical view of a voluntary society. He questions the idea that governments are created for the public good, and argues that peaceful civilization is not dependent on the state. Christians should not participate in politics, but should attempt to persuade people to follow the laws of God rather than using force. This reprint edition includes a foreword by Professor Edward P. Stringham of San Jose State University.
Those who attended the 2006 Austrian Scholars Conference might remember that Professor Stringham had a very informative lecture about David Lipscomb. You can read his foreword to the book here. Although Lipscomb’s book is online here, please contact me if you are interested in a hardcover reprint edition of this important work.
Comments (5)
While obviously an intelligent man, Mr. Lipscomb violates most of the principles of hermeneutics in his interpretations of Biblical passages. Still his conclusion is correct: If all people would submit to the rule of God in their lives, there would be no need for human government. That principle is not too different from the libertarian view that if all people would respect the property of others, we would need no government. That's the problem, isn't it? Few people allow God to rule their lives, plus there's the problem of who's God, who's interpretation of what God says, and who represents God? And few people respect the property of others.
Also, Mr. Lipscomb forgets to mention that God chose to bless the human government of Israel when the king followed God's principles. Later, God blessed the human government of Babylon after it destroyed Judah, and he blessed the human government of Persia.
Published: June 1, 2006 10:34 AM
And few people respect the property of others.
Is that so?
This morning at the local coffee shop, I witnessed firsthand 5 people in front of me wait patiently in line to exchange their property for the property of the coffee shop owner. Nobody attempted to deface or cheat the coffee shop owner out of his property.
Then, when I left the coffee shop, I witnessed at least a hundred drivers observe the property rights of others and stay on the designated driving surfaces.
Those are just two examples of people respecting the property rights of others. I'm sure we can all sit around here and name off hundreds of examples we can see around us right this minute.
Perhaps it's so commonplace you've grown accustomed to such things?
Stefan Molyneaux has an insightful article at Lew Rockwell today along the same lines.
Published: June 1, 2006 1:06 PM
Certainly David Lipscomb is one of the more interesting ministers of the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement's figures from a libertarian standpoint. American Christianity split into a wide range of approaches, often merging and diverging, as you know, and many broached libertarian causes and views. I often enjoy reading Hicksite Quakers as well as Reformed Presbyterians like J.H. Boggs as well. I think that you can find many good, hard-core libertarian writings sprinkled about here and there amongst religious writers throughout American History. I tend not to venture too far into spiritualist/New Age or Jewish traditions, although I have read a great number of freethought works written in America and Britain, and have found many libertarian writings there, and am sure that you can find them in American Jewish and Spiritualism as well.
It's a life-long process for all of us to look into ourselves and uncover our familial roots in our ideals as well as our ancestors. History is made up of these experiences and ideas as well as in the "big picture" political currents.
Just a thought.
Just Ken
CLASSical Liberalism
Published: June 1, 2006 4:08 PM
Lipscomb's interpretation of the Christians relation to civil governments is most easily summerized by one scripture.(Col. 1:13) Who (God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath traslated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:
God allows Satin, by restraint, to rule everything outside of "the kingdom of His dear Son". (Eph. 2:2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
We are called to be obediant to all civil government, in so much as they do not transgress the law of Christ. However we are not to participate in them, as by doing so we participate in the power of darkness.
Published: July 22, 2008 1:44 PM
Lipscomb's interpretation of the Christians relation to civil governments is most easily summerized by one scripture.(Col. 1:13) Who (God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath traslated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:
God allows Satin, by restraint, to rule everything outside of "the kingdom of His dear Son". (Eph. 2:2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
We are called to be obediant to all civil government, in so much as they do not transgress the law of Christ. However we are not to participate in them, as by doing so we participate in the power of darkness.
Published: July 22, 2008 1:46 PM