2002 Kuyper Lecture

Papers from the 2002 Kuyper Lecture

Lecture: "Christians Organizing for Political Service in Global Context" (PDF, 16 pages) by Paul Freston, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil

Response by Harry Kits, Citizens for Public Justice, Canada (PDF, 7 pages)

Response by Joan Rosenhauer, United States Catholic Conference (PDF, 5 pages)

Response by Timothy Sherratt, Gordon College (PDF, 6 pages)

The context

In the 25th anniversary year of the Center for Public Justice, Dr. Paul Freston and three panelists addressed central questions about the purpose and methods of Christian involvement in politics. Should Christians organize interest groups or political parties? Should they seek to hold public office, and if so, on what terms? Should Christians adopt a primarily critical, prophetic stance over against political authorities? Today, American politics is almost totally under the sway of interest-group pressure groups. In Europe and Latin America the Christian Democratic parties have weakened. Liberation efforts in many parts of the Third World have given way to new modes of Christian involvement in--and even control of--governments. Islam, more than communism, now represents the greatest challenge in many parts of the world. The world has changed in the last 25 years. How then should Christians organize or otherwise encourage one another to fulfill their political responsibilities today?

The 2002 Kuyper Lecture took place at Central Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, MD, on November 1, 2002.

The lecturer 

Dr. Paul Freston is Lecturer in Sociology at the Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil, and a leading expert on modes of Christian political engagement throughout the world. He is the author of many articles and books, including most recently Evangelicals and Politics in Asia, Africa, and Latin America (Cambridge University Press, 2001) and "Evangelicals and Politics in the Third World," in Christians and Politics Beyond the Culture Wars; David P. Gushee, ed., (Baker Books, 2000).

Panelists

Harry Kits, Executive Director of Citizens for Public Justice (Canada). CPJ Canada is a Christian action organization that for 35 years has engaged in issues ranging from economic and education reform to the just treatment of Canada's native peoples.

Joan Rosenhauer, Special Projects Coordinator in the Department of Social Development and World Peace at the United States Catholic Conference. Ms. Rosenhauer directs Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium, a program to inspire and prepare lay people for political involvement based on Catholic social teaching.

Timothy R. Sherratt, Professor of Political Studies at Gordon College, Wenham, MA. Dr. Sherratt pays close attention to both American politics and Christian Democratic parties and movements in Europe. He is co-author of Saints as Citizens: A Guide to Public Responsibilities for Christians (Baker Books, 1995).