Charles Colson
Zondervan, 2007.
Topic: Church and State

God & Government is an updated version of Chuck Colson’s 1987 Kingdoms in Conflict. Subtitled “an insider’s view on the boundaries between faith and politics,” it is an interesting and generally centrist evaluation of the complex relationship between religion and the state.

The book is a worthwhile read for a military Christian for several reasons. First, Colson adequately addresses both sides of the “church/state controversy,” an issue that is constantly cited in arguments against Christian activity in the military. He acknowledges that there are some Christians who would like nothing more than to elect a President-Pastor, and some secularists who would like nothing more than to eliminate the public existence of religion. He maintains that

Both extremes–those who want to eliminate religion from political life as well as those who want religion to dominate politics–have overreacted and overreached. (p51)

Colson argues against Christian citizens who have implied, perhaps innocently, that they would elect a person purely based on religious affiliation. Colson also rebuts the critics who think religion should be left out of politics. He does a reasonable job of explaining the proper roles of the state and the church, a discussion from which both sides could benefit. Importantly, he notes that the phrase “separation of church and state”

…applied to institutions of church and state, not religious and political values…Separation of church and state does not mean that America was to be free of religious influence. (p136)

The book is not a quick read. It is nearly 500 pages long, and there are entire chapters written in a dramatized non-fiction biographical format on Neville Chamberlain, William Wilberforce, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Benigno Aquino, and others. While educational, the narratives often seem like a diversion.

For the average Christian fighter pilot looking for guidance on how to live a Christ-centered life in the military, this book offers little practical advice. For those who are interested in the larger issues of religion in the military, secularist attacks on public Christianity, and “separation of church and state,” the book is a worthwhile (if long) read.

Recommended for those interested in governmental and Constitutional issues regarding the role of religion in government (and thus the military).

This book is available from Christian Book Distributors and Amazon. (This site is an Amazon Associate and may earn from qualifying purchases made through Amazon referrals.)

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