Entries by Admin

The Spirit of the Parties

/0 Comments/in /by
American political parties are making a mess of democracy – or at least many citizens seem to think so. The percentage of Americans who view both major parties unfavorably has risen steadily for nearly two decades. Today, only a third say that the two parties adequately represent the public; sixty percent suggest a third party is a needed corrective. Public evaluations of party leadership in the U.S. Congress have reached record lows. As many as one-in-three party members have serious reservations about their own team.

On Becoming a Democrat

/0 Comments/in /by

It’s an honor to be part of this eCircle about party politics. Seventeen years in local, partisan elected office, over the past twenty-five years (with an eight-year break in the middle), has given me a lot to reflect on.

I enjoy hearing stories. I also like to tell them. I’ve found that personal stories are a great way to begin and develop discussions about intensely personal topics. Many people have strong feelings about politics and stories can sometimes help moderate them. So to open this discussion I want to share personal stories that give insight into how my political thinking and action have been shaped.

Subtopic 5: Party Politics and Beyond (January 2018)

/0 Comments/in /by

Leading Questions: What are the political priorities and values of the Republican and Democratic parties in the early 21 st century? How well do these values and priorities comport, or not, with Christian values? If not, what changes in priorities and values need to be made? Should Republicans and Democrats transcend their particular ideologies?  If […]

Citizen Empowerment, Cultural Democratism

/1 Comment/in /by

I appreciate the spirit in which Harry Boyt responded to my first post and further clarified his own approach to “the notion of politics.” In addition, he sent me his third piece well before the deadline, so I have also been able to consider it in preparing this final response of mine.

            In all three of your pieces, Harry, you have presented a substantial introduction to citizen education and community organizing as it has developed over decades and as you are contributing to it today. I have learned a great deal from you and thank you for it. You have opened many lines of thought and avenues of action for all of us to consider.

            In continuing our conversation now I want to focus on three things: 1) what I perceive to be your misunderstanding of my argument; 2) your way of answering my basic question about “what citizens are citizens of”; and 3) the expansion of your own argument for civic work, civic ecclesiology, and civic science.

A response to Jim Skillen — Civic co-creation and civic science

/1 Comment/in /by
Jim Skillen’s second essay moves the conversation forward. I appreciate his questions about what I mean by “citizen” and his probing the sufficiency of “technocracy” to diagnose civic erosion. In the following I elaborate the meaning of citizen in the public work framework — the idea of citizens as co-creators — giving a short genealogy. I also point to common ground: We need to dethrone the default positivism – the culture of detachment from a common civic life — which has taken hold in professional systems and institutions across all modern societies. “Civic science,” a concept based on citizens (including scientists understanding themselves as citizens) as co-creators, is a workable alternative.

Citizens and Political Culture

/3 Comments/in /by

            Harry Boyte’s initial contribution to our conversation is intriguing and certainly addresses “the notion of politics” from a different angle than my piece did. So I look forward to the conversation that now follows.

            APPRECIATIVE AGREEMENT—I couldn’t agree more that practical training of citizens is urgently needed in the United States. To encourage people to realize that citizenship requires more than passive acquiescence in the decisions of others is crucial. To gain a sense of agency—the acceptance of active responsibility—in public life is necessary if there is to be a change in our society and culture toward greater humility, justice, and public love.

Toward a Civic Ecclesiology — A response to Jim Skillen

/0 Comments/in /by
In his essay, “Overlooking the polity, Idealizing the nation,” Jim Skillen identifies a core problem in our politics: the liberal framework which holds individual freedom to be ultimate goal of politics.  To address this problem he explores the relationship between citizens and government; biblical narratives; and the role of Christianity in public life. I agree with Jim about the problem and we have disagreements about the solutions.

Overlooking the Polity, Idealizing the Nation

/1 Comment/in /by
The word “politics” (of Greek derivation) is used in the United States today to mean many things: political life in general, the political system, government and citizenship (of Latin derivation), lobbying, campaigning for elections, and much more. The word is also used to refer to bargaining for power and dirty tricks in any area of life. For some Christians, politics is the devil’s playground. For others it’s the means of protecting life, liberty, and property, and in some circles a vehicle for promoting policies to help those in need.

Harry Boyte Reframing politics, developing agency, and growing hope

/0 Comments/in /by

I welcome the questions in this Colossian Forum, “What is politics?” and “What are the aims of politics?” In this piece, I propose a “Copernican Revolution” in the way we think about politics, shifting from politicians and parties at the center to citizens at the center. To develop this argument requires adding several elements to the discussion.

Today people in every group feel devalued, victimized, and powerless. Such sense of diminishment grows from what Pope Francis calls “the technocratic paradigm,” a way of thinking which priviledges a narrow understanding of science and scientifically trained experts as the authoritative decision makers and problem solvers.