Abstracts

Abstract: Origen’s Interpretation of Violence in the Book of Joshua (Chenoweth)

Title: Origen’s Interpretation of Violence in the Book of Joshua

Author: Mark Chenoweth

Abstract: If libertarians advocate for a highly restricted use of violence in society, it is incumbent upon Christian libertarians to offer a hermeneutic approach to scripture that is at least compatible with this ethic. Origen of Alexandria’s exegetical method, although very strange from a modern perspective, is a consistent biblical hermeneutic compatible with the libertarian restriction on violence. This article examines Origen’s interpretation of violence in the book of Joshua. I begin by looking at his exegetical method as a whole, which he describes in his On First Principles and then move on to his allegorical interpretation of Joshua. Although I do not intend to offer a systematic defense of Origen’s approach, simply introducing the Christian libertarian to Origen’s take on the violence opens up the current Christian debate on the interpretation of the conquest narratives to a hermeneutic world that goes far beyond (without negating) the findings of historical criticism.

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Abstract: The Constitution of Economic Expertise (Salter)

Title: The Constitute of Economic Expertise: Social Science in the Public Square, Past, and Present

Author: Alexander Salter

Abstract: Why are the institutions that constitute scholarly economics the way they are? What determines the kinds of questions economists ask and the answers they find convincing? This article answers these questions by positing that within the modern economics profession, economic ideas compete on margins unrelated to the pursuit of truth. The adaptive value of certain kinds of economics can explain the prevalence of the economics that is currently practiced. The article questions the claim that modern economics has “passed the market test.” Ultimately, the mutual network between Academy and State supports economics that promote the managerial-administrative state and discourages economics that do not. The result of this unfortunate dynamic is the kind of skewed economic practice that has frequently plagued the discipline.

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Abstract: Understanding the Anti-Suffragists as Christians (Tharp)

Title: Understanding the Anti-Suffragists as Christians: Understanding the Men and Women Opposed to Women’s Suffrage from a Religious Point of View

Authors: Angela Tharp

Abstract: This article analyzes the anti-suffrage movement from a Christian point of view. Most analyses of this movement have looked to its political aspects and the class interests of the anti-suffragists for answers; indeed, many historians have drawn the conclusion that anti-suffragists’ motivations were largely class-based. If historians mention religion at all, it normally occupies a very marginal role in their analysis. This article illustrates the fact that many of the anti-suffragists’ opinions concerning men’s and women’s roles, the nature of the family unit, and even economics may be traced to Christian traditions and were common to Christians during the time period in which most organized anti-suffragist activity occurred (which was roughly from 1880-1920). The article specifically looks at Catholic, Presbyterian, and Episcopalian anti-suffragists.

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Abstract: An Extended Review of Boyd’s Crucifixion of The Warrior God (Gausling)

Title: An Extended Review of Boyd’s Crucifixion of the Warrior God 

Author: Nick Gausling

Abstract: Gregory Boyd’s Crucifixion of the Warrior God presents an insightful, thoroughly-researched and historically-grounded thesis regarding how Christians should understand the violence attributed to Yahweh in the Old Testament. Drawing on extensive exegetical and theological considerations in dialogue with the historic and ecumenical Church, Boyd presents a treatise that is both academically rigorous and pastorally conversational. While at times he unnecessarily conflates his thesis with other elements of his theology, Boyd’s book constitutes a very important monograph in the study of hermeneutics and theology proper at this crucial time in Church history when many Christians around the world are reconnecting with the practices and interpretive example set by the ancient Church.

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Abstract: Contextualizing C. S. Lewis’ Christian Libertarianism (Urban)

Title: Contextualizing C. S. Lewis’ Christian Libertarianism: Engaging Dyer and Watson and Beyond

Author: David V. Urban

Abstract: Analyzes C. S. Lewis’ Christian libertarianism by engaging important recent scholarship on Lewis’ natural law-based political thought and by considering both Lewis’ place within Christian classical liberal/libertarian thought since the late eighteenth century and how his insights are germane to contemporary political and ethical controversies.

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Abstract: Christian Libertarianism (Hubner)

Title: Christian Libertarianism: An Introduction and Signposts for the Road Ahead

Author: Jamin Hübner

Abstract: Explicit discourse about “Christian libertarianism” is a relatively recent phenomenon. While relevant concepts have been elucidated throughout scattered publications and private initiatives in the past century, there remains little by way of coherent summary. There are also a number of related subject areas needing clarification and development. This article seeks to ameliorate the situation by attempting to define “Christian libertarianism” and then exploring a number of relevant topics that might need fresh attention.

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