Journal: Journal of Ministry and Theology
Volume: JMAT 26:1 (Spring 2022)
Article: The Royal Psalms: Their Unique Contribution To A Christian Understanding Of Political Science
Author: Bruce A. Baker

JMAT 26:1 (Spring 2022) p. 3

The Royal Psalms: Their Unique Contribution To A Christian Understanding Of Political Science

Bruce A. Baker

Key Words: Royal Psalm, Political Science, David, King, Citizen

*****

Introduction

Recently I received an appeal email that included the following:

Of course, America was not born as a perfect nation. And it’s not a perfect nation now. But Americans like you understand that our nation was founded on important and unique principles:

All men are created equal.

We are endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights.

Just governments are based on the consent of the governed.

These principles are worth living up to. And they are worth protecting. (Alliance Defending Freedom, June 30, 2021)

Within this appeal there are at least two foundational questions that deserve examination before one writes their check.

Asking The Right Questions

First, is it true that the United States was founded upon these principles? This is an historical question. Answering this question requires a search of the relevant historical documents from the period of the founding fathers. This paper will not

JMAT 26:1 (Spring 2022) p. 4

quibble with the truthfulness of this assertion, for I am ill- equipped to examine this question properly.

The second question, in contrast, is not historical but theological. Specifically, are these enumerated principles themselves true? These three statements are theological in that they ponder the nature of creation, whether God has given rights to the individual, and the proper foundation of righteous government. Determining the accuracy of these statements requires an entirely different approach. In this case, answers must be sought from divine revelation.

Unfortunately, honest biblical examinations of these types of questions are difficult to find. Ever since the rise of the Moral Majority and the Christian Right,2 most white evangelicals reflexively accept the theology expressed above without a second thought.3 But this should not be. As Christians we must be quick

JMAT 26:1 (Spring 2022) p. 5

to recognize that any philosophy eagerly accepted by the world in general must be thoroughly examined in light of God’s word. For those things that so often “sound right,” regularly run afoul of divine revelation. Statement three, listed above, is a textbook example, for if the only just government is one foun...