The Libertarian Christian Podcast

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 opportunities that put him directly in the presence of those on the margins. In this episode, Beck discusses how important it is to take personal responsibility for one's own actions regarding others and how understanding the main principle of comedy improv helped him say yes to strangers in his midst. He even talks with LCI about how we can relate to those who are our “political enemies” (ideologically speaking). ★ Support this podcast ★

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, who recently wrote a model constitution intended for a privatized, stateless society. We cover some of the various strengths and weaknesses of the concept, how it may be improved or altered, and what role it may have in the developing landscape of stateless society projects. ★ Support this podcast ★

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 can expect to find in Volume 1, and some plans for the journal's future. ★ Support this podcast ★

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? In this episode, libertarian Christian lobbyist Aaron Day joins us to discuss his take, as well as other potential career paths for those who want to work full-time in the liberty movement.  ★ Support this podcast ★

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 past year and prepare for what may await in 2018. ★ Support this podcast ★

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 episode to find out. ★ Support this podcast ★

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 podcast ★

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 into first century Israel and looking at the parables as stories which, on their surfaces, resonated with the life and times of Second Temple Jews, we can see that Jesus assumes a world of just property rights, freedom of contract, and economic liberty. ★ Support this podcast ★

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 gets to talk about how he integrates the two, so listen in to hear some insightful advice and stories from a businessman and theologian. ★ Support this podcast ★

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, connecting our Christianity with our 'secular' work lives. We also see how a right understanding of free markets fits within the Christian worldview and orients us to better promote human flourishing.   ★ Support this podcast ★