Journal: Global Journal of Classical Theology
Volume: GJCT 12:1 (Oct 2014)
Article: Religious Freedom And The Twofold Work Of God In The World
Author: Thomas K. Johnson

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Religious Freedom And The Twofold Work Of God In The World1

Thomas K. Johnson

Abstract: In light of the high level of documentation of the contribution of freedom of religion to societal well-being, and in view of the extraordinary levels of religiously motivated violence and oppression, it would be worthwhile for evangelicals to reformulate the Reformation “Two Kingdoms” theory of social ethics in a manner that can be appropriated throughout the Body of Christ and perhaps be contributed from the Christian community into the broader global political culture. As a small step in this direction, we can begin to talk about the “Twofold Work of God in the World” and make this theme a standard part of Christian ethics.

There are two overarching truths about our world that should influence our discussions about religion and public life. The first is that religious persecution does not only hurt or kill individuals, disrupt families, and decimate religious communities; the lack of religious freedom is closely associated with and contributes to a wide range of social maladies, whereas practiced freedom of religion is associated with and contributes to many aspects of a healthy society and to the entirety of the well-being of a society.2 This is well-documented social science.

The second overarching truth is that the repression of religious freedom, including religiously motivated violence, is extremely high today, perhaps higher than in most previous millennia, even if such historical generalizations are hard to document. And the problem is almost certainly increasing in intensity.3

From these two truths arises an important question: why is it that there are pockets in the world that have enjoyed significant levels of freedom of religion for decades if not centuries? My great grandparents, grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren have had the distinct, really extraordinary privilege of living in one of those relatively small pockets in the world which enjoy the wide-ranging benefits of freedom of religion. Why do those pockets exist? And what can be done to expand them to include more people?

To be sure, one commonly hears that freedom of religion in the West arose out of a social compromise or even a vague social contract among religions and the western Enlightenment or between religions and secularism, such that secularism or a secular Enlightenment becomes the guarantor of religious freedom.4But this description assumes that most or all religions have an inherent drive toward a theocracy and ignores many crucial facts of re...

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