When I was a teenager (1990s), I loved going to the local chain buffet. Whether it was Piccadilly, Morrison’s, Ryan’s, Golden Corral, or the classic Old Country Buffet, my sixteen-year-old-self loved to pile up the plates and partake of whatever seed-oil saturated stir fry was available. I can think of cross country banquets held at Old Country Buffet where we emptied the ice cream machine. And then there were the weeknights where my dad “cooked” by taking us to the Golden Corral.

With great nostalgia, I can think back to the meals enjoyed next to the steaming trays of food delivered by Sysco Systems. And I can remember seeing the workers on the food line, who three minutes earlier, were smoking by the front door. Just ask your closest Boomer and Gen Xer, and it is likely they know exactly what I’m talking about.

In America, chain buffets had a certain vibe, and if you can’t tell that vibe included loads of calories, lots of options, and little to no concern about “clean” eating. I will leave up to you to discuss the legacy of chain buffets, but these restaurants have largely become a thing of the past.

As many consumers’ reports attest, the COVID pandemic effectively killed all but a few chain buffets. Golden Corral is still hanging on, but Old Country Buffet, Ryan’s, and others are not. Thin profit margins and other cultural pressures saw to it that chain buffets are not the place to invest your money going forward. And for those self-conscious about seed oils or afflicted by celiac or allergic to processed food, they may feel little sadness for the buffet’s demise.

Still, there is something impressive about being able to eat steak, then salad, followed by spaghetti, seafood, and then seven kinds of pie. As my wife has said, when we dine at such fine establishments—there’s still an Amish buffet we visit every summer—“I just want a taste.” And so, in dedication to those who “just want a taste” of seventeen types of food, we offer this month to you.

As an homage to the glories of chain buffets, Christ Over All is bringing you a month filled with many different delicacies. It will begin with some of the leftovers from November and our inducement to read old books about political theology. But far from just reheating dishes, these opening essays provide fresh introductions to Augustine, Pierre de La Place, and more (Lord willing). Then, after clearing the political plates, we will have essays on leisure, immigration, medieval mysteries, biblical exegesis, and more. This month will even include poetry and one short story that will call for more fiction in 2026. Finally, as we draw near to Christmas, we will finish the month with a handful of advent devotions.

In short, this month is a Christmas buffet. And we hope that you will sit down and eat, regardless of what plate comes next. I can assure you that we have cooked our fries in the purest lard, have removed all GMO starches, and refused any protein that grew up in a lab. In short, we believe the assortment of meats and sweets this month will be wholesome and edifying, and we are excited to spread the table for you.

And more, we are excited to share a few important announcements as 2025 rolls over into 2026. Check those out below.

Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology

Before making those announcements, be sure to consider the selections of political theology offered here. From Brad Green’s overview to Marc Minter’s retrieval of Baptist political theology, we have wide variety of books you need to know and read. We also have individual essays on important works by Augustine, Calvin, Luther, and Hodge—with a few more promised in the days ahead. These older works have been coupled with more contemporary works on religious liberty, the failure of evangelical leaders, and more.

Of note, you won’t want to miss Timon Cline’s introduction to the life and work of Huguenot martyr, Pierre de La Place. While political theology often focused on the magistrates and the ministers of the state and the church, it really should include the very person in the polis. And importantly, La Place widens our vision to see the way various vocations build up the city and inform our views of politics. So take time to read this essay, as well as all the essays listed below.

• Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology by Brad Green • Longform Essay • A curated survey of ten seminal works in Christian political theology—from Justin Martyr and Augustine to Calvin, Rutherford, and Oliver O’Donovan—highlighting the development of theological reflection on church, state, and authority across the centuries.
• 4.51 “Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology” by Brad Green • Longform Reading • A curated survey of ten seminal works in Christian political theology—from Justin Martyr and Augustine to Calvin, Rutherford, and Oliver O’Donovan—highlighting the development of theological reflection on church, state, and authority across the centuries.
• Calvin’s Political Thought by David W. Hall • Concise Article • Explore how John Calvin’s theology shaped modern democracy. This essay by David Hall traces Calvin’s influence on limited government, decentralized authority, and republican liberty—ideas that helped form the foundation of Western political thought.
• Can Christian Politicians Reform the Church? Martin Luther’s Address to the German Nobility (1520) by Nathan Parsons • Concise Article • Martin Luther was a paradigm-shifting theologian, but his thought did not remain in the ivory tower. Instead, he had much to say about how authority in the civil realm was to be used. Read on as Nathan Parsons expounds Luther’s ideas and applies them to our lives today.
• 4.52 “Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology” by Brad Green, David Schrock & Stephen Wellum • Interview • Listen in as David Schrock and Stephen Wellum interview Brad Green on his Longform Essay “Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology”
• The Political Thought of Charles Hodge by James Baird • Concise Article • Who today argues for a “masculine piety in the public square,” businesses to be closed on the Sabbath, and distinctly Christian instruction in public schools? Charles Hodge, the great systematic theologian of the nineteenth century.
• The Myth of Neutrality: Carl F.H. Henry’s Case for Prayer in Public School by Caleb Morell • Concise Article • We have been told to keep religion out of schools: the Ten Commandments were taken down and prayer was removed. Read on as Caleb Morell draws from Carl F.H. Henry to show that the school is no neutral ground; it will either recognize the authority of Christ or reject it.
• Liberty, Not Separation: The Historic Development of Baptist Perspectives on Church and State by Marc Minter • Longform Essay • A historical exploration showing that Baptists long affirmed religious liberty without requiring a separation of church and state, tracing the shift in the 20th century.
• 4.53 “Liberty, Not Separation: The Historic Development of Baptist Perspectives on Church and State” by Marc Minter • Podcast Reading • A historical exploration showing that Baptists long affirmed religious liberty without requiring a separation of church and state, tracing the shift in the 20th century.
• Encouragement and Admonition from Tocqueville’s Democracy in America by Chris Brauns • Concise Article • Few books have left their mark on American Political thinking like Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. Not allowing de Tocqueville’s chronicle of his time in the US to be merely descriptive, read as Chris Brauns shows how Democracy in America offers guidance for us to heed today.
• Tim Keller, Andy Stanley, Francis Collins, and Other Christian Leaders: The Sheep Who Made Friends with the Wolves by Joshua Parcha • Concise Article • Have some Christian leaders developed Stockholm Syndrome, identifying with the church’s critics against believers? Read on as Joshua Parcha details how John G. West’s book Stockholm Syndrome Christianity sheds light on some church leaders’ questionable allegiances.
• Machen on Public Education by Douglas Wilson • Concise Article • A concise, compelling exposition of J. Gresham Machen’s vision for Christian education, liberty, and the urgent need for faithful Christian schools.
• 4.54 “Liberty, Not Separation: The Historic Development of Baptist Perspectives on Church and State” by Marc Minter, David Schrock & Stephen Wellum • Interview • Listen in as David Schrock & Stephen Wellum interview Marc Minter on his Longform essay, “Liberty Not Separation: The Historic Development of Baptist Perspectives on Church and State”
• Five Myths Secularism Wants You to Believe About America’s Religious Freedom by Marc Minter • Concise Article • Religious freedom in America is often misunderstood as religion having no bearing on the state. But is that what our founders intended? Read on as pastor Marc Minter reviews Steven Douglas Smith’s The Rise and Decline of American Religious Freedom, showing how a right understanding of America’s history of religious freedom can help guide her future.
• City of God: A Primer by Daniel Strand • Concise Article • Augustine’s City of God has withstood the test of time, exerting influence on political thought for nearly 1,600-years. In this article, scholar Daniel Strand provides an overview of Augustine’s magnum opus, discussing its background, literary genre, structure, and key themes.
• Vocation Politics: The Discourses of Pierre de La Place by Timon Cline • Concise Article • Martyred Huguenot Pierre de la Place saw politics as the harmony of all vocations. This essay uncovers his rich vision for public life, calling, and the common good.

News and Notes

First, please help us match a $25,000 gift.

In the Lord’s kindness, Christ Over All received a $25,000 matching gift, which means that for every dollar you give to our ministry this month, it will be doubled.

As we finish 2025, we at Christ Over All have come to see that this ministry is in need of finding like-minded partners who would be interested and able to support this work. Currently, our monthly operations is around $10,000/ month. This covers the cost of our editing team and all the other publishing work we are doing. And throughout 2025, our monthly support has been consistently below that amount.

For 2026, we are looking to raise $150,000 to account for these needs and the added expenses of advertising, publishing, and beginning new projects. Finishing 2025 with a strong December helps us to do that.

So please consider making a one-time end of year gift. But also, if you know someone who would be interested in supporting this work on a monthly basis, let us know, and please share this need with them. Every dollar given goes toward helping Christians to think with a consistently biblical worldview across all of life. So we appreciate any gift you can make.

Second, the Christ Over All Swag Store is here

If you haven’t seen it yet, you should! Christ Over All now has a Merch store for all who are interested. If you are looking to get Christ Over All shirts, mugs, hoodies, stickers, and hats, our apparel store is up and running.

And for those who have asked for print-friendly versions of our articles, we believe (Lord willing) those might be ready as soon as this month. We are grateful for your patience and your prayers as our editors continue to put final touches on this project.

Third, be aware of our upcoming months.

We receive submissions from faithful Christians who have thought deeply about our topics. If you have interest in one of the following topics in bold and are interested in writing for us (in line with our doctrinal distinctives), feel free to shoot us an e-mail to tell us what you are thinking. We are still taking submissions for the months in bold below:

January: Abolishing Abortion, Advocating for Life

February: God Is . . . Engaging the Doctrine of God

March: Can the Center Hold? The SBC in the Twenty First Century

April: The Resurrection in the Old Testament

May: Critiquing Eastern Orthodoxy

June: Opposing Islam

July: Celebrating America’s 250^th Anniversary

August: A Sabbath Rest

September: The Ten Commandments

Fourth, we’d love to see you face-to-face in the next few months.

In 2026, we will be visiting Southwest Florida to join the Founders National Conference in Fort Myers on January 22–24. That week, David Schrock will be one of the speakers, and we will have a booth. Sign up here to join us.

Join Trent Hunter, David Helm, and Ryan Kelly in Greenville, SC, from January 28–30, 2026, for a Simeon Trust Workshop on Leviticus. If you are a pastor, preacher, or aspiring minister of the gospel, this hands-on workshop is well worth the time.

That’s all for this month. Until next time, let’s remember that because Christ is Lord over all, we ought exalt Christ in all things.