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Citizenship Without Illusions By David Koyzis

Written by Jason Montoya. Posted in Society.

Navigating Political Chaos: Citizenship Without Illusions By David Koyzis

Welcome to a listen to a book discussion of the Share Life podcast. In this conversation, I'm speaking with David Koyzis about his new book, Citizenship Without Illusions: A Christian Guide to Political Engagement (affiliate link). 

About David's Book, Citizenship Without Illusions

citizenship without illusions book cover, david koyzisHow can Christians live as citizens of God's kingdom while also fulfilling their responsibilities as citizens of political communities? David Koyzis, author of Political Visions and Illusions, offers a brief, practical guide on political engagement and citizenship.

During numerous conversations with students and readers of his books in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Chile, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, Koyzis has heard the same questions repeated. Can Christians participate in the public square without buying in to political illusions―ideologies that become idolatrous? Is it better to avoid politics than risk ethical compromise or division among believers? In Citizenship Without Illusions, Koyzis presents a case for political engagement as a way to love our neighbors that doesn't require our full devotion to parties or ideologies.

Conversation Questions & Highlights

"God desires order in governance." - David Koyzis

The last time David and I spoke, we discussed the essential values and virtues of our political leaders and since then, America, Republicans, and Christians have chosen someone who does not adhere to the standards. To start our conversation off, I speak with David about my busted illusion of hoping America would align with America's core values but has instead gone a different direction.

As the conversations progressed, I asked the following questions to guide the interview.

  • As we move deeper into the current era of politics, I believe it makes your book much more relevant for us Christians. Before we dive into my specific questions about the book, tell us how you're seeing these first few months of Trump's second administration. Should we be concerned? And, is Canada accepting new citizens?
  • Tell us about how you came to write the book.
  • Let's jump into specifics from the book. One of the main thrusts of your book is to wrestle with the idea of faithfulness to Christ and our calling while also engaging politically in a connected and appropriate way. Tell us more about that idea.
  • You mention on page 32, that "contempt for the law is a precursor to tyranny". A few pages later you say, "Those who think we would be better off without a uniform political order need only remind themselves of the sad fate of people in countries where such order has broken down." If those statements are the dashboard lights on the America car, they seem to be blinking bright red right now. Talk to us about this idea and how relevant or not it is to our current situation.
  • On page 39, you say, "If we genuinely seek the truth of a given issue or event, we can't cut corners and go for what we find agreeable." Tell us more.
  • On page 55, you say the following about Martin Luther King Jr., "disobeying an unjust law and accepting the personal consequences of so doing, an individual raises awareness of injustice and therefore is actually 'expressing the highest respect for the law." How is this the case? And how does it contrast to Trump's recent Napoleon comments about how someone who saves their country, does not break the law?
  • In your chapter on how to vote, you talk about making it a priority to speak with people who vote and see things differently. Why is community and conversation with our rivals a vital habit to live out?
  • I was excited to see you expand on your conservative and progressive framework from Political Visions and Illusions. In that chapter on page 107, you say the following, "Recognizing the effects of change has prompted people to sort themselves into progressives and conservative groupings, with progressives pushing for innovation across a wide spectrum of human life and conservatives more skeptical of proposals for reform..." and quote GK Chesterton, "The business of progressives it to go on making mistakes. The business of conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected." Talk to us more about this dynamic.
  • You talk about the idea of incremental and steady improvements over massive earth-shaking ones. Talk to us about that directive.
  • Towards the end of the book, you state the following, "God wants the world to be governed by laws and policies so that human lawlessness may be restrained and that everything may be conducted in good order among human beings." Tell us more about this.

    Connect With David

    Watch This Conversation

    Click here to watch this discussion on YouTube directly, or click play on the embedded video below to begin streaming the interview.

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    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, Itunes, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts under the name, Share Life: Systems and Stories to Live Better & Work Smarter or Jason Scott Montoya.

    Podcast - Book Discussion, David T Koyzis

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