Turn Neither to the Right Nor to the Left (Christian Life and Public Policy Series) [Paperback]

Eric D. Schansberg (Author)

Book Description

Series: Christian Life and Public Policy Series | Publication Date: October 2003

Schansberg establishes a frame work for discussing public policy and turns to issues of social morality, then economic justice, and finally, abortion. The analysis is thorough and his conclusions may be suprising. You will never look at politics and public policy the same way again!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A clear message comes through: we should not over-emphasize action through the civil government..." -- Timothy Terrell, director of the Center for Biblical Law and Economics

"Schansberg provides [Christians] with an evangelical political philosophy, a more cogent framework for the discussion of Christian political practice." -- T. Craig Ladwig, Indiana Policy Review; letter to author

...Schansberg should be praised for his ambitious attempt to synthesize a Christian worldview with a political philosophy of freedom. -- Markets & Morality, Fall 2004, Acton Institute

could learn much from [the book]...its accurately descriptive subtitle [A Thinking Christian's Guide to Politics & Public Policy]. -- Marvin Olasky, World Magazine, December 20, 2003

About the Author

D. Eric Schansberg (Ph.D. Economics, Texas A&M University) is Professor of Economics at Indiana University (New Albany). Eric is the author of numerous academic articles and popular press essays—as well as two other books: Poor Policy: How Government Harms the Poor (Westview Press, 1996) and Inheriting Our Promised Land: Lessons in Victorious Christian Living from the Book of Joshua (Alertness Books, 2003). He is also the co-author (with Kurt Sauder) of a 21-month Discipleship Curriculum for Men. He is active in teaching at his church and has led expository Bible studies for more than ten years. Eric and his wife, Tonia, have three children (so far!) and live in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Alertness Books; 1 edition (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972975454
• ISBN-13: 978-0972975452
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking and insightful, April 27, 2006

By 

John M. Cobin "John Cobin, Ph.D." (Greenville, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Turn Neither to the Right Nor to the Left (Christian Life and Public Policy Series) (Paperback)

So many times today we find Christians joining causes that exemplify authoritarianism (the Regligious Right) or left-liberalism (Christian environmentalism and Liberation Theology). In this bold work, Dr. Schansberg shows how both of these extremes are wrong. A Christian's duty should not comprise the harnassing of state power to force God's will and morality on otherwise unwilling subjects. The church shuld not look to the state to make the world more just. On the contrary the church and Christians should be leery of state power, its threat to the church and God's people, and its corupting influence on us personally and corporately. After reading this book there was no doubt in my mind that legislating morality and legislating justice should not be the policy focus of thinking Christians. Dr. Schansberg also does an eminent job of dealing with other issues like gambling. If there is any defect in the book it is small, such as some (likely unintended) brief exegetical foibles regarding Romans 13 on two or three pages of this extensive volume. Dr. Schansberg (an economist not a theologian) unwittingly adopts in those few places the popular but errant "divine right of kings" view of Romans 13 which leaves room for a beneficial proactive state policy that Christians can support and the idea that the state characteristically punishes those malefactors that reject God's way. History and the Bible evince the opposite when it comes to the state. Nevertheless the vast majority of the book is marvelous and belongs on the shelf of every thinking Christian. It is obvious from the lion's share of the book that Dr. Schansberg in fact rejects the divine right of kings view and holds strongly to a biblical liberty of conscience perspective. In fine scholarly style, he makes a strong case for freedom and a radical change in contemporary Christian thought. I highly recommend the book for your next piece of eye candy.