The Libertarian Christian Podcast

What distinguishes Christian libertarianism from secular (or other) forms of libertarianism? Is it mostly a question of motivation, or are there also differences in policy application? Do Christian libertarians sometimes even disagree with one another on policy? In this round table discussion, we explore these and other questions pertaining to what may be considered unique about a Christian perspe...

LCI recommends a lot of books for libertarians. Many of our regular readers or listeners may already be familiar with some of the most influential books amongst libertarian Christians, but in this episode, we're going to discuss some other, perhaps lesser-known books (as well as some of the obvious ones), and explain what relevance they have for understanding political and economic theory in light...

It's not the Old Testament that a Christian often goes to for their theological defense of non-violence. Our guest, Matthew Curtis Fleischer, believes that the Old Testament not only sets the stage for a non-violent Jesus, but also believes Christians will find in its pages the foundations for an ethic of non-violence. A lawyer and a libertarian, Fleischer's approach will feel familiar to a libert...

You don't have to become a radical Christian to begin changing the world. Our guest, psychologist Richard Beck, has written Stranger God to deal directly with what a Christian is to do when they know they should reach out to strangers – those on the margins. In an effort to get away from mere academic discussions of hospitality and overcoming our personal barriers, Beck sought out ministry opportu...

Constitutions are a divisive topic even amongst libertarians, with the debate often centered on the anarchism v. minarchism issue. But as stateless projects like the Seasteading Institute and others gain more traction, even anarchists and voluntaryists are asking: is there a place for “constitutions” in a fully privatized society? Joining us to discuss is political commentator and author Trey Goff...

About a year and a half in the making, the Libertarian Christian Institute is now blessed to present our inaugural volume of Christian Libertarian Review: our new scholarly journal dedicated to the intersection of Christianity and libertarian thought. On this episode, General Editor Jamin Hübner and Assistant Editor Ruth Ryder join us to discuss the mission and vision of the journal, what readers...

Most people, including most libertarians, have a very negative perception of lobbyists, often because lobbyists seem to represent those who loot the rest of us on behalf of special interests. While this is often the case, there are also some lobbyists who represent liberty. How does someone go about lobbying for more freedom in a formal political capacity, and what does it look like as a career? I...

One year ago, it was widely acknowledged and discussed that for good or bad, 2016 had been truly extraordinary. As we now reflect on 2017, what are we to make of it? In this episode, LCI contributor and Mimetic Theory expert David Gornoski returns to give a Girardian take on some of the top stories from 2017. Mixing theology, philosophy, sociology and anthropology, David helps us to interpret the...

As we celebrate the Advent, economist and friend of LCI Bob Murphy returns to the show to tell us about his Christian testimony. Once a staunch atheist who planned to write (in his words) “the definitive refutation of Christianity,” Bob was converted to Christ in the early 2000’s and has become a leading voice in the libertarian Christian movement. How did he come to know the Lord? Unwrap this epi...

Doug and Norman talk about the birth stories of Christ and how Matthew and Luke both use language and employ storytelling techniques that provide a clear anti-Roman and anti-empire story. This is good news for all because the message of liberation is not only about our personal liberation from the captivity of sin, but the cosmic liberation of captivity from slavery and oppression. ★ Support this...

Parabolic interpretation has been seen through many lenses throughout Christian history. While the deepest theological meaning of the parables carry the greatest importance, there are also important lessons which can be gleaned from the historical context in which the parables occur. In this episode, Jeffrey Tucker returns to discuss principles of economics in the parables of Jesus. By stepping in...

Jared Byas does theology and business, and he integrates the two in this episode about what it means to do business with a kingdom perspective. Jared has experience with launching businesses as well as organizational planning and family business consulting. He is also the co-host of The Bible for Normal People podcast, where he gets to work with one of his other passions: theology. Jared rarely ge...

God created a world in which our work matters. Often we fall into the mindset of compartmentalizing our lives into sacred or secular categories, but in the Christian life, everything is sacred and eternally valuable (including our work). In this episode, we are joined by pastor, author and ministry leader Tom Nelson to discuss how we can and must bridge the gap between Sunday and Monday, connectin...

It seems that people are no longer able to have a decent conversation with each other about politics or other controversial topics. Social media exacerbates our tribal tendencies and often we get entrenched in our own beliefs. It often takes the wisdom of one who has had years of experience talking to and discussing hot-button topics. There's no better person for to talk to about this than EconTal...

No matter where we are in the world, Silicon Valley plays a big role in most of our lives. Much of the technology that we have come to rely on for daily use is either designed in, managed from, or otherwise largely affected by the engineers, developers, programmers and executives who live in the Bay Area. Over the years --- and especially within the last two or three --- Silicon Valley has been in...

The popular perception of libertarianism is often skewed. While those on the left tend to think of libertarians as greedy and self-absorbed with no concern for the poor, those on the right --- and particularly the Christian right --- often conflate libertarianism with libertinism. What's worse, many libertarians have contributed to this error by mixing libertarianism with other elements of their e...

What is the biblical portrayal of the state? The Libertarian Christian Institute frequently discusses this question; it has bery important ramifications for how we think about political philosophy. In this episode, we continue our interview series with the authors of Called to Freedom as we are joined by Jason Hughey, author of the chapter on the Bible and government. Jason walks us through the na...

Mass shootings, gun control Protest with a football North Korea, South Korea, Rajoy as Franco No, it’s not a new Billy Joel song; it’s a discussion of some very important current events in culture, domestic and foreign policy, and international news which have happened during the last couple of months. 2017 has seen a lot of extraordinary developments --- some good, some bad, and some downright ev...

The Diocese of South Carolina, once part of the Episcopal Church, seceded from the denomination in 2012 after a complex dispute, and in 2017 joined another Anglican denomination, the Anglican Church in North America. However, the Episcopal Church claims ownership of the diocese's real estate, as well as certain trademarks and intellectual property rights pertaining to its name and branding. What h...

The War on Drugs is one of the most frequently-cited policy issues in modern politics, and it also serves as a clear foil of libertarianism. Whether or not one supports inflicting legislative violence to stop non-violent activity, as happens routinely in the Drug War, is perhaps the most important litmus test of a libertarian. Where one stands on the Drug War also often serves as a firm dividing l...

Sociology, psychology and anthropology can bring us many important insights into our theology, and 20th century scholar René Girard is a testament to that fact. Diving deep into the root causes of sin and social conflict, Girard helps us to see that much of human strife occurs because of our misshapen 'mimetic' desires to imitate our neighbors (including by destroying them to take what is theirs)...

The subject of theonomy (rule by the Old Testament law) and Christian Reconstructionism (rebuilding society with the Old Testament as a blueprint) is sometimes raised in discussions of Christian political theology, particularly from those in the Reformed tradition. Most Reformed Christians would not identify as theonomists, yet interestingly, many who do are also associated with the libertarian mo...

The Libertarian Christian Institute was a big supporter of the book Called to Freedom , released in February of this year and featuring a foreword written by our own Norman Horn. Doug and Nick were joined at the Young Americans for Liberty National Convention (YALCON) in July by two of the authors, Elise Daniel and Jacqueline Isaacs, and conducted this impromptu interview in the hallway. We discus...

Today is the sixteenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Over the last couple of months, we've interviewed three leading foreign policy experts about what has transpired in U.S. foreign policy since that fateful day, what lessons were learned (or not learned), current issues in U.S. foreign policy, and the outlook for contemporary foreign affairs. In this episode, we are joined by: Robert...

In July, Doug Stuart and Nick Gausling attended the Young Americans for Liberty 2017 National Convention on behalf of LCI. This episode is our talk from the LCI breakout session, plus some additional Q&A recorded at the LCI booth. We cover some key points in how to engage and reach Christians with the message of liberty, and also answer some common (and some not so common) questions. Though or...