Why Christians Should Be Leftists
Phil Christman. Eerdmans, $23.99 (230p) ISBN 978-0-80288-405-3
In this astute if occasionally meandering treatise, Christman (How to Be Normal), an English professor at the University of Michigan, advocates for abandoning “the old covenant between Christians and conservatism” and adopting leftist values closer to the ones Jesus espoused. Diverging from the liberalism of today’s Democratic party, he outlines a leftist politics that seeks to build a society where “the meek, the peacemaker, the person on the bottom of things is abundantly blessed.” Doing so would entail dismantling capitalism—which provides too many opportunities for individuals to accumulate “enough wealth and capital” to “fund the destruction” of a fair society—in favor of something closer to a socialist democracy, Christman acknowledges. More practically, readers can enact leftist values by giving to charity; joining or starting a union; opposing nativism; and supporting climate change initiatives. While the author’s digressive, footnotes-heavy style can frustrate, curious readers will appreciate his careful attention to moral nuance and clear points about the insufficiency of good intentions. Simply believing the “right” things, he notes, “shows me a lot of ways in which the strength of my intentions is not enough to change... social structures that my actions are embedded within.” Christians seeking a stimulating political discourse should pick this up. (Sept.)
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Reviewed on: 06/09/2025
Genre: Religion