Koyzis, Political Visions and Illusions

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David. P. Koyzis, Political Visions and Illusions: A Survey and Christian Critique of Contemporary Ideologies. IVP Academic, 2003.

Referenced in: Christian Political Theory, Church and State Relations

LifeandLeadership.com Summary

For those active in ministries of social justice and compassion, the relationship of Christianity and politics is a given. Not all agree with this. For those who come from a tradition of non-involvement, someone needs to make the case for engagement. Koyzis contributes well to this discussion alongside other resources listed in the guide to Christian Political Theory.

Koyzis begins by providing history and definitions of political ideology. This is followed by separate chapters that give a balanced historical and theoretical overview of five predominant ideologies:

Liberalism – the sovereignty of the individual
Conservatism – history as a source of norms
Nationalism – the nation deified
Democracy – Vox populi vox dei, “the voice of the people is the voice of God”
Socialism – common ownership as salvific

This is followed by Koyzis’ proposal to transcend all these ideologies by affirming societal pluriformity (not to be confused with a creed of pluralism). He points out where each of the five systems reflects or fails to reflect biblical theology. This is a very insightful section, sufficient to create pause in anyone who aligns too closely with a particular ideology. He goes so far as to label such alignment as idolatry: “Indeed, if God is sovereign, then any attempt to locate an earthly sovereign, that is, a person or community invested with final authority in all walks of life, is rooted in nothing less than a false religion.” (202) He follows this with a nonideological alternative, aided by two historic approaches, Catholic social teaching and the Reformation (through Groen, Kuyper, and Dooyeweerd).

I highly recommend this text for those who want a better understanding of political ideologies.

From the Publisher

Named Best Book (Culture) in the 2004 Word Guild Canadian Writing Awards!

The end of the Cold War has brought about more than the triumph of some political ideologies and the disappearance of others. In fact, the collapse of communism has created a vacuum quickly being filled by various alternative visions, ranging from ethnic nationalism to individualistic liberalism. But political ideologies are not merely a matter of governmental efficacy. Rather, political ideologies are intrinsically and inescapably religious – each carries certain assumptions about the nature of reality, individuals and society, as well as a particular vision for the common good. These fundamental beliefs transcend the political sphere, and the astute Christian observer should thus discern the subtle ways in which ideologies are rooted in idolatrous worldviews.

In this comprehensive study, political scientist David Koyzis surveys the key political ideologies of our era, including liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, democracy and socialism. Each philosophy is given careful analysis and fair critique, unpacking the worldview issues inherent to each and pointing out essential strengths and weaknesses. Koyzis concludes by proposing alternative models that flow out of Christianity’s historic engagement with the public square, retrieving approaches that hold promise for the complex political realities of the twenty-first century.

Writing with broad, international perspective and keen analytical insight, Koyzis offers a sound guide for Christians working in the public square, culture watchers, political pundits and all students of modern political thought.

About the Author

David Koyzis (Ph.D., University of Notre Dame) is professor of political science at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario.

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Church and Culture, Church and State, Political Theology, Social Ministry