Written by Jason Montoya. Posted in Society.

Political Visions & Illusions: A Survey & Christian Critique of Contemporary Ideologies — With Author David T. Koyzis

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Political Visions and Illusions book cover

In this book discussion on the Share Life podcast, I'm speaking with David Koyzis, author of Political Visions & Illusions: A Survey and Christian Critique of Contemporary Ideologies. David holds a PhD in government and international studies from the University of Notre Dame and taught undergraduate political science for thirty years.

David argues in his book that what we believe about politics matters. In a unique and overarching way, David synthesizes the ideologies, and what he also calls the idolatries of liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, democratism, and socialism into a larger meta-story. He explains these ideologies' points of view, where they aim to provide a redemptive human story, and how their redemptive story fails to recognize the deeper problem and achieve their political ambitions.

The book is a fabulous framework for navigating politics while also transcending the emotional pull that comes with political crises or deeply rooted political belief-based discussions. We're often driven by these ideologies without recognizing how they're fueling our point of view and behavior.

Conversation Starter Questions

As a way to explain some of the ideologies you treat in the book and present relevant applications, would you survey the issue of [college education, its costs, the recent student loan forgiveness program, and its criticisms ] through a handful of the different ideologies? How would they each see it? And then, would you demonstrate how we could wisely approach the issue in a non-ideological-centric way?
One big takeaway for me after reading the book was your framework for understanding conservative and progressive phrasing as two sides of the same ideological spectrum. Meaning that there are conservative liberals and progressive liberals and conservative socialists and progressive socialists. Share with us why that framing is important and how it can help us navigate confusing language around politics.
- “Modern systematic politics, whether liberal, conservative, radical, or socialist, simply has to be rejected from a standpoint that owes genuine allegiance to the tradition of the virtues; for modern politics itself expresses in its institutional forms a systematic rejection of that tradition.” — Alasdair MacIntyre
Alasdair Macintyre called the enlightenment a failed project but it’s also a project that gave birth to the ideology of liberalism. Is America's (and more broadly, western countries) founding based on flawed assumptions and ideologies which need to be rectified? Or is the west broader than a single ideology, paving a way for the type of pluriformity you advocate for in the book? And, how would you differentiate pluriformity versus liberal pluralism?
From where or who is sovereignty derived?
You published the second edition of your book in 2019. In the last 3-4 years, is there anything you’d emphasize or expand upon if you were publishing another version now?

Watch or listen to our conversation below.

Connect With David Koyzis

Connect with David | Website, Blog, & Newsletter - Linkedin - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
Buy Political Visions & Illusions | IVP Press | Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle)
Consider supporting David Koyzis through Global Scholars Canada >>

Listen To This Discussion

Click here to listen in on Anchor directly, or click play below to immediately begin streaming.

You can also find this discussion on Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Itunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts under the name, Share Life: Systems and Stories to Live Better & Work Smarter or Jason Scott Montoya.