Review: The Christian Prince

reviewed by  T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                                    Vol. XXII, No. 1, January 2009

Subtitled Putting “Civil” Back into Civil Government, Buddy Hanson’s latest book addresses the non-Christian worldview common to our culture. He contrasts the ten principles of Machiavelli’s The Prince with God’s principles set forth in the Bible. Briefly put, humans are not just the most evolved animal operating on our own. We are special creations of God subject to and blessed by His authority, not only in our personal lives, but also in our government.

The Christian Prince is arranged under five headings which move from the general to the specific: What is “Government?”, The Citizen’s Role, Living Large (with a Christian Worldview), Can Culture Be Changed?, and Becoming the Change We Seek.

Early on Buddy cites a quotation by Theodore Roosevelt which summarizes the basis of the book:

    There are those who believe that a new modernity demands a new morality. What they fail to consider is the harsh reality that there is no such thing as a new morality. There is only one morality. All else is immorality. There is only true Christian ethics over against which stands the whole of paganism. If we are to fulfill our great destiny as a people, then we must return to the old morality, the sole morality.

This is an insightful book which critiques the “man at the helm” religion so common among our governors. Having read it, you will be much better prepared to be a responsible citizen. ISBN 0-9771773-6-X.