Bible and Government: Public Policy from a Christian Perspective [Paperback]

John M. Cobin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003

Goverment is not reason, it is not eloquence. It is force. Like it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. George Washington

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a book that every serious Christian should read. I especially liked [his] dismantling of...Christian involvement in the public school. -- Franklin López, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, University of New Orleans and Adjunct Professor at Tulane University.

Dr. Cobin is effective in explaining what the Bible says about the relationship between Christians and government. -- D. Eric Schansburg, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Indiana University (New Albany) School of Business.

Dr. Cobin provides a valuable paradigm for analyzing public policy and understanding the state from a stridently Calvinistic worldview. -- Carl Robbins, Senior Pastor, Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church, Simpsonville, SC.

About the Author

Dr. John Cobin is an Investment Adviser and Registered Principal in Greenville, South Carolina. He also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in economics and public policy at North Greenville College and other universities on occasion. He has previously taught in Chile and California, and retains the title of Visiting Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala. He is active in public policy research and writing, and has completed projects for Centro de Estudios Públicos in Santiago. Dr. Cobin received his BA in Business Economics from California State University, Long Beach (1985), his MA in Business Economics from University of California, Santa Barbara (1987), his MA in Economics from George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia (1995), and his PhD in Public Policy also from George Mason University (1996). Dr. Cobin’s research has focused on evaluating urban public policies such as zoning, building and fire safety regulation, and highway construction, as well as theoretical ways to reduce economic problems associated with them (e.g., his book Building Regulation, Market Alternatives, and Allodial Policy, London: Avebury 1997 and Alertness Books 2003.) He has also written on applied microeconomic topics, policy issues such as abortion, and this introductory text A Primer on Modern Themes in Free Market Economics and Policy (Parkland, Florida: Universal Publishers 1999 and Alertness Books 2003) covering public choice, Austrian economics, law and economics, and public policy themes—also published in Spanish as Ensayos Sobre Temas Modernos de la Economía de Mercado (Universidad Finis Terrae 1999 and Alertness Books 2003). Dr. Cobin has also written Pro-Life Policy: A Per-spective for Liberty and Human Rights (Alertness Books 2003). In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Cobin has been a successful entrepreneur and consultant, having started and operated several small businesses. Dr. Cobin is a member of a Founder's Conference Southern Baptist Church in Greer, South Carolina. He is married with six children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Alertness Ltd.; Revised edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972541802
• ISBN-13: 978-0972541800
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #565,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sharply written, critical account, March 11, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bible and Government: Public Policy from a Christian Perspective (Paperback)

Bible And Government: Public Policy From A Christian Perspective by John M. Cobin (a devout Evangelical Christian, father of six homeschooled children, and Visiting Professor of Economics and Public Policy, George Mason University) is a sharply written, critical account of the expansion of American governmental power and the threatening implication said power has for Christians and the Christian community in particular. Professor Cobin offers noteworthy and insightful evaluations on public policies ranging from speed limits to food stamps, all with an eye to what Christianity demands in terms of obeying the government. Bible And Government is a thoughtful and thought-provoking read with ideas imminently worthy of serious consideration by students of Public Policy, Political Economy, and Christian Social Issues Studies.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It started off well, October 28, 2007

By 

Douglas J. Douma "Douglas J. Douma" (WInston Salem, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bible and Government: Public Policy from a Christian Perspective (Paperback)

As a student of classicl liberal Economics and traditional Christianity I was extremely pleased to find a book that crosses the gap between Biblical thought and Government policy. The first half of the book was provocative and would be hugely beneficial for Christians and non-Christians alike to read. However, suddenly, on Pg 102, Dr. Cobin makes a ridiculous and shocking claim (with no evidence to back it up) that Greek Orthodox Christians belong to the Satan's Kingdom. Although it may be true that certain doctrines in any church have strayed from Biblical Christianity, it is going way to far to declare the entire Greek Orthodox Faith to be under the domain of Satan. With statements such as this, which try to rip apart denominations from Christainity, I question whether Dr. Cobin is in fact himself under the domain of Satan.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and insightful book, February 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Bible and Government: Public Policy from a Christian Perspective (Paperback)

A novel approach that should have been obvious to Evangelicals long ago. Few books have an opportunity to change the way people think about such an important mattter as public policy. This is one such book. You will think about its implications for weeks after reading it. Dr. Lesle Long, Greenville, SC