Christian Extremism

The True Path to Peace

By: Jason Korol

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The problem with Christianity, Chesterton once said, isn't that it's been tried and found wanting but that it's been found difficult and left untried. In "Christian Extremism: the True Path to Peace," author Jason Korol takes this point seriously. He shows that by taking the Great Commission seriously, we realize amazing things about the world and our place in it. Far from being a danger to non-christians, real Christians - extremists - are gospel saturated people learning to love and serve their neighbor, not rule over them. If there's one area today that desperately needs to be addressed it's this one.

Naturally, the idea of Christian extremism conjures up for many the image (or memory!) of a moral bully. But that's totally antithetical to the real thing. The true principles of Christ lead to a logical and peaceful separation of powers (family, church, and state), not to a religious tyranny. A Christian “theocracy” is one in which the church is completely separate from the state…and this is by God’s design, not man’s. And the goal of this, in God’s wisdom, is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a peaceful society in which the state is ordained (again: by God) to punish criminals. The church is voluntary. No one can be forced into righteousness because salvation is by grace and faith alone. This seemingly simple truth has massive ramifications. It means that the church, and individual believers, should not - repeat not - be advocating for "Christian laws" to be enforced by the civil magistrate. Observances of the faith are matters of the local church, not the state. The "path to peace" is, therefore, the correct understanding of God's order of life in the gospel age. It means that the state is ordained by God to punish crime. It must not try and make people obey the gospel, nor some other ethical system. It must obey God, yes, but this means that it merely protects all citizens from force and fraud.


The wisdom of the Lord always shocks and amazes! This means that the church and state both take their separation seriously. It is Scripture that’s done this, not Thomas Jefferson, by the way and that’s important. After Christ rose from the dead He issued the Great Commission and declared absolute authority over everything in life - including church and state. The church has the divine order to go and make disciples of all nations. It’s not to do this by hijacking the state and trying to outlaw sin. If that approach worked, Israel would have been a paradise of righteousness rather than a hot Pharisaical mess (Romans 10:1-4). Only through faith can men and women by saved and this means that the church must preach and teach with zeal. It must also tell the civil magistrate to stay in its lane, which is to punish criminals and that’s it. The mess we have today is due to the wholesale rejection of this basic societal template given us by Scripture. The church tries to drive in the state’s lane and vice versa. What we need instead is true Christian extremism - a robust and comprehensive faith in, understanding of, and consequent practice of the great principles of Christ. Complete separation of the church and state is an absolute necessity because faith cannot be forced and yet crime (immoral aggression/fraud against a neighbor) must be countered.

In all, the truth of the gospel leads to (for lack of a better title) a Christian libertarianism that avoids the twin terrors of anarchy and tyranny. It recognizes the true dignity and freedom before the law of all people - believers and unbelievers alike. It recognizes no authority of the church to “help the gospel along” by using the power of the state and, likewise, it demands that the state remain but a referee only, calling balls and strikes. The church militant is Paul preaching to the philosophers in Athens, not politicking and demanding that they tear down the idolatrous statues there.