For multiple reasons, I am writing this Intermission a few days late. Among those reasons are the recent election in Virginia, where Jay Jones was elected Attorney General. If you are not familiar with Jones, he was the Democratic nominee who threatened to urinate on his opponents’ graves and shoot Republican Todd Gilbert over Hitler and Pol Pot. (I’m not joking!) And if this were not enough, he also fantasized about seeing Gilbert’s children shot dead, so that Gilbert’s wife could watch them bleed out.
On Tuesday, this is the man my neighbors elected to the highest legal seat in the state. Not encouraging!
At the same time, the state of Virginia also elected Abigail Spanberger to be governor, even as she refused to condemn Jones vile fantasies. Instead, she ran on a commitment, among other things, to increase access for abortion and to “codify Roe v Wade” into law. And third, Virginia also elected as Lieutenant Governor an Indian woman named Ghazala Hashmi who worships Allah and the god of LGBT equality.
In all, Tuesday’s elections in Virginia made me do some thinking, praying, and evaluating about the state of politics in the Old Dominion. It certainly made me grieve the fact that my state decided to give these three the sword to exercise justice—a point I made in my last sermon. In all, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching, and I suspect you have been doing the same.
After all, what does it mean for America that our premier financial city, New York City, will be led by an avowed Marxist and Muslim? Less than twenty-five years after Muslim terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers, that city will now governed by someone who thanked voters from every country but America. How did that happen? And what does that mean going forward?
As we approach the two-hundred and fiftieth anniversary of our founding next year, are these elections signs of God’s judgment on America? Should we see them as hands writing on the wall, indicating our nation’s downfall? Or might the Lord permit his church to rise up, cry out for mercy, and see his hand of blessing once again? These are questions we need to be asking and prayers we need to be praying.
And for Christ Over All this month, there are books we need to be reading, if we are going to be prepared for what comes next.
Learning in War-Time: Two Thoughts from C. S. Lewis
When Britain entered World War II, C. S. Lewis stayed home. While he had served in the first world war, he was too old for the second. And so, he with his Oxford dons, remained home and taught the students who did not go to the front lines. Understandably, learning during war time needed some explanation. And ever the apologist, Lewis gave a lecture on that very subject.
In 1939, when Britain declared war against Germany, Lewis delivered his lecture “Learning in War-Time.” In it, he commended the labors of men who did not go to war. As a loyal son of England, Lewis supported the war effort to fight Hitler, but he knew that not all men could muster for battle. And more philosophically, he reminded his audience that whoever “surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs God: himself.”[1]
1. C. S. Lewis, “Learning in War-Time,” in The Weight of Glory (New York: HarperOne, 1980), 53.
In this caution of living entirely for any earthly cause, Lewis reminds us that the wars that go on around us are worth fighting. They are even worth losing our lives. But they cannot be the raison d’être of our living. To apply it today, we cannot give our lives always and only fighting the political foes around us—as wicked as they might be. Instead, we must have wisdom to know where to fight and when, how to engage the battle and why we might need to withdraw.
Taking our cues from Lewis, we also need to learn that running to the front lines is not the only option when war breaks out. Applied to our country, for all those who need to take a stand publicly, there are just as many (if not more) who need to do a bit of learning in war-time.
For in fact, there are many ethical, cultural, and political battles that many eager soldiers are not equipped to engage. And therefore, the first step for many who are willing to speak is to not speak, but do the reading instead. For, unless the voices who speak for Christ in public have spent the time with the great minds and the great books of those who have fought these battles before us, they will likely sound as whiny as Eustace Scrubb, who had only read the wrong books.
To borrow another thought from Lewis, he reminds us that human beings who go to war are still human beings, who must think and read and enjoy the world God made. He writes,
If you attempted, in either case, to suspend your whole intellectual and aesthetic activity, you would only succeed in substituting a worse cultural life for a better. You are not, in fact, going to read nothing, either in the Church or in the line: if you don’t read good books, you will read bad ones. If you don’t go on thinking rationally, you will think irrationally. If you reject aesthetic satisfactions, you will fall into sensual satisfactions.[2]
2. Lewis, “Learning in War-Time,” 52.
As always, Lewis has the ability to unearth a profound point from a simple truth. Human are made in the image of their Speaking God, the one who wrote a book, and the one who demands his creatures to think in order to act. And thus, in times of warfare when volunteers are needed to step up and act, it is impossible to not read books, articles, or tweets. Yet, it is all too common to spend our time reading or listening to works that have no weight or enduring wisdom.
Returning to the Doorstep of Christian Nationalism
For the last decade or more, evangelicals have been in a tug of war with one another about politics and political theology. As I have said elsewhere, “Few things have revealed the fault lines in evangelical churches like the presence of Donald Trump.” Like him or not, Trump has been used as an acid test to discover what evangelical leaders are really like. And what the last decade has shown is that many leaders, the ones who have been identified as Big Eva, have been unprepared to engage in public theology.
That is to say, after living off the inheritance of religious liberty that was purchased by Founding Era pastors in America, we who have assumed the right to worship, assemble, and speak freely have often done so with little understanding of where those freedoms came from or, more likely, what it will take to keep them. Among Baptists, we have preached the separation of church and state so much that many have moved that separation to be our first principle. But is it?
Historically, it is better to understand the good and necessary division between church and state to be an appropriate corrective measure within Christendom, but it was never intended to separate God and state, or better Christ and state. Denying Christ his place over the state or in politics is never a Christian option. For in fact, Jesus is ruler of all kings (Rev. 1:5) and the one to whom all nations owe their existence. Thus, a far better first principle begins with Christ’s universal Lordship.
Yet, such a willingness to say “Christ is Lord” in matters of political engagement is where things get dicey. Some will say that Christ’s place is only in the church and that pressing Christ on the state actually works against the personal opportunity to share Christ with unbelievers. Others will say that it is fine for a Christian politician to confess his own faith in public, but that faith should never become the driving force for the policies he makes. And still others will make the claim, as I would, that because Christ is Lord over all, that his Lordship—revealed in nature and Scripture—should inform the way Christians govern.
At this point, it is obvious that this discussion brings us to the doorstep of Christian Nationalism. (For all who weren’t with us in the Fall of 2023, you can find a host of essays and interviews engaging that subject). For today, I simply want to make the point that whatever debates we are having within Evangelicalism on politics and public theology, most who do the talking about political theology need to do the reading. And that is why we come to this month.
Reading Old Books
There are many reasons why evangelicals talk about politics. For starters, every human being is political by nature, and thus to censor this speech is to cut off a part of our humanity. Likewise, in America, the election cycle is a constant cause of conversation and culture, and thus American Christians have always been deeply political. But most of all—at least recently—is that the leadership class of American evangelicals (what Carl Trueman labeled Big Eva) has been complacent or complicit in their politics.
Without imputing any ill intent, the softness that Big Eva pastors showed toward wokeness, the tyrannies of COVID, and the embrace of Third Wayism has led many to assume that they need to find new voices for cultural engagement and political wisdom. And I would not disagree, but I would encourage this nugget from Lewis: Read old books!
In the absence of consistent, conservative voices there have risen countless online personalities and ministries (including our own) to fill in the gap. And this is both good and challenging. While we need to new voices and help making applications to the world today, one wonders if we would not just do better to read the right old books.
As we know, social media (especially X, formerly Twitter) is more than a place for news and views, it is a place where the real world is shaped and amplified. And so, I am not suggesting that one quit the virtual world. But I am saying that wisdom for discerning and debating political theology requires reading older writers whose thought has stood the test of time. And that is the point of this month, where we will be considering the books that have been most formative for doing political theology.
As Protestants, we always affirm the priority of Scripture. It is our norming norm and our standard for all disputations about everything in life. Yet, as we learned recently with the debates about the Trinity, pure biblical scholarship that ignores classical concepts can easily lead us into distortions of the truth—even unintentionally. And I believe the same is true for political theology. For those who aspire to bring the best of biblical theology and natural law into the public square—and we need Christian voices to do that—we must do so in conversation with the past. We must learn from their erudition and their errors; we must incorporate and improve the former and avoid the latter.
So, taking seriously the need to learn from the best of Church history, we want to help you avoid the mindless clichés of our day (e.g., “Jesus does not ride an elephant or a donkey!”) and the temptation to speak dogmatically without historical awareness. Instead, we want to introduce a selection of books that will fill the soul and sharpen the mind to bring the Lordship of Christ into the public square. To that end, we ask you to join us for this month, so that wherever you live and whatever magistrates you have, you will be prepared to speak with boldness if and when the Lord calls you to stand for truth in the public square.
Biblical Theology
While the month ahead promises to help us think about political theology, the last month provided a solid foundation in biblical theology. Indeed, from defining the term and considering some of its tools (like typology), to learning the history of two of its most important purveyors (Geerhardus Vos and Graeme Goldsowrthy), to distinguishing it from other forms of theological interpretation, to affirming its ongoing relevance in the face of theologians calling for its dismissal, this theme offered a helpful introduce to biblical theology and an appraisal of its current status. Below you can find a list of all the longform essays, concise articles, and podcasts too.
- A Redemptive-Historical, Christocentric Approach by Jason S. DeRouchie • Concise Article • The only Bible Jesus had was what we call the Old Testament, and he believed many of its elements concerned him. Christ’s followers should aim to properly magnify Jesus where he is evident in the Scriptures through a multi-faceted approach that accounts for the central role Jesus plays in redemptive history.
- Biblical Theology and Theological Interpretation of Scripture by Colin Smothers • Longform Essay • Biblical Theology and Theological Interpretation of Scripture (TIS) are two dominant ways of reading the Bible. In this article, Colin Smothers compares and contrasts both exegetical methods, showing how readers should be cautious of TIS.
- 4.45 “Biblical Theology and Theological Interpretation of Scripture by Colin Smothers • Reading • Biblical Theology and Theological Interpretation of Scripture (TIS) are two dominant ways of reading the Bible. In this article, Colin Smothers compares and contrasts both exegetical methods, showing how readers should be cautious of TIS.
- Has Biblical Theology Had Its Day? by Peter Nesbitt • Concise Article • Emergency measures are not good for long-term care. Theologian Michael Allen argued that biblical theology has been a necessary emergency measure but may no longer be helpful. This essay offers an alternative, constructive vision showing that biblical theology can and should play an ongoing role in biblical interpretation.
- Postmoderns Don’t Care About Your Resurrection Evidence: A Call for Biblical-Theological Apologetics by Chris Prosser • Concise Article • A call for biblical-theological apologetics that addresses postmodern concerns by demonstrating how the resurrection fits within Scripture’s overarching redemptive-historical narrative.
- Geerhardus Vos: The Recovery of Biblical Theology from Its Corruptors (Part 1) by Ardel Caneday • Concise Article • Every now and again God raises up a deliverer. Vos was one such man, and he delivered biblical theology from the clutches of those who would have poisoned it.
- 4.46 “Biblical Theology and Theological Interpretation of Scripture” by Colin Smothers, Brad Green, and Trent Hunter • Interview • Listen in as Trent Hunter and Brad Green interview Colin Smothers on his Christ Over All Longform Essay, “Biblical Theology and Theological Interpretation of Scripture”.
- Geerhardus Vos’s Biblical Theology: Four Features, Four Insights, Four Errors (Part 2) by Ardel Caneday • Concise Article • An examination of Geerhardus Vos’s biblical theology, analyzing its distinctive features, valuable insights, and areas where it requires correction or development.
- What is the Relationship Between Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology? by Stephen Wellum • Concise Article • For systematic theology to be biblical, it must draw its conclusions from the entire canon of Scripture “on its own terms,” which is the discipline of biblical theology. Otherwise, our theological conclusions will not be warranted by Scripture, and if they are not warranted by Scripture, they do not command our faith and obedience.
- What is Typology? by David Schrock • Longform Essay • “Typology” comes up frequently in discussions of Biblical Theology, but what does it mean? David Schrock explains that typology is not merely another method of reading, but an organic structure of escalation and progression arising from God’s redemptive work.
- 4.47 “What is Typology?” by David Shrock • Reading • Typology” comes up frequently in discussions of Biblical Theology, but what does it mean? Read how David Schrock explains that typology is not merely another method of reading, but an organic structure of escalation and progression arising from God’s redemptive work.
- 4.48 “The State of Biblical Theology Today” by Brad Green • Reading • Green provides an orientation to the discipline of Biblical Theology, offering a brief historical overview through the most important books and articles that have shaped the field.
- When the Lights Came On: An Appreciation of Graeme Goldsworthy by Scott Polender • Concise Article • We should never neglect to recognize and appreciate our mentors in the faith. Some of them have taught us to read the Bible like never before. Read as Scott Polender recounts how Graeme Goldsworthy impacted his view of the Scriptures.
- 4.49 “The CSB Connecting Scripture Study Bible” by Benjamin Gladd, David Schrock and Stephen Wellum • Interview • An interview discussing the CSB Connecting Scripture Study Bible and how it helps readers trace biblical-theological connections throughout Scripture.
- Major Works in Evangelical Biblical Theology: An Overview by Brad Green • Concise Article • An orientation to the discipline of Biblical Theology through a historical overview of the most important books and articles. The historical trajectory represents the stream that has proven most fruitful and faithful to Scripture for the church.
- Seeing Christ in the Letter: A Review of Kevin J. Vanhoozer’s Mere Christian Hermeneutics by Michael Pereira and Knox Brown • Concise Article • A review examining Kevin Vanhoozer’s Mere Christian Hermeneutics and his argument that all Spirit-illumined readers share a common orientation towards Scripture as the Word of God in which Christ is revealed.
- 4.50 “The State of Biblical Theology Today” by Brad Green, Trent Hunter, & David Shrock • Interview • Brad Green, Trent Hunter, and David Schrock discuss the current state of biblical theology, its development, and its ongoing importance for faithful biblical interpretation.
News and Notes
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December 2025: Christmas Buffet
January 2026: Abolishing Abortion
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April 2026: The Cross, Resurrection, Ascension
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That’s all for this month. Until next time, let’s remember that because Christ is Lord over all, we ought to exalt Christ in all things.
