Contrary to Yoder’s theology of authorities, the governmental role of violent judgment does not make them inherently evil. While it is clear that Christians should not participate in war, it would be wrong to conclude that Christians could therefore not participate or support any part of government that implicitly supports such actions. For example, taxes clearly provide material support for government’s wars. However, Christians are clearly commanded to pay them. Somewhere between these two extremes lies the level of involvement appropriate for Christians, and it will be different in different circumstances. Daniel’s example might be of value: he worked hard to serve an empire that was almost certainly committing atrocities. The line he drew was refusing to perform an act that directly contravened God’s laws.
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October 30th, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Hi Mike,
I’m wondering if you’ll release a copy of your project once it’s marked, or send me a private electronic copy, if that would be okay with you. I am quite keen to read it in its entirety.