Aside from being the namesake of Nashville’s neighboring university, David Lipscomb was one of the central theologians of the Restoration movement during his lifetime. This volume collects three of his most important works regarding Christians’ relationship to the world. Yet the writings in this volume have long been out of print and people are no longer familiar with his ideas—including his belief that Christians should not participate in secular politics.

In the early decades of the Restoration movement, believers argued their positions in person and in print and the direction of the movement was decided by these wide-ranging theological discussions. Dissent was built into the discourse and considered a part of the spiritual well-being of the movement. Followers were expected to read and have opinions on all these discussions. And now most of these books and articles are out of print—not just Lipscomb's but many, many of the Campbellite theologians' writings.

In their introduction, Stringham and Horn explain how Lipscomb’s own writings came to be disregarded by the movement he was so prominent in.

David Lipscomb (1831–1917) was a leader in the Restoration movement, an influential editor of the Gospel Advocate, and one of the founders of the Nashville Bible College, now known as Lipscomb University.

Edward Peter Stringham is the Davis Professor of Economic Innovation at Trinity College, Connecticut.

Norman Horn is the founder and president of the Libertarian Christian Institute. Dr. Horn holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MA in theological studies from Lipscomb University. He is one of the four co-authors of Faith Seeking Freedom: Libertarian Christian Answers to Tough Questions.

Introduction: The Importance of Lipscomb’s Political Theology, by Edward Peter Stringham and Norman R. Horn

Part I. Civil Government, by David Lipscomb

Part II. Commentaries on Romans 13, by David Lipscomb

Part III. Church of Christ and World Powers, by David Lipscomb

Part IV. Worldly and Political Entries from Queries and Answers, by David Lipscomb

Part V. Epilogue: Lipscomb’s Ideas Informing the World Today, by Edward Peter Stringham and Norman R. Horn

Part VI. Timeline

Acknowledgments

References

Notes