Christian Civility and Worldly Civility: Twelve Theses
Civility is not “the great need” of the moment. Civility is a virtue to be sought, but it is the product of other virtues which must first hold back barbarism. The pearls of civility before the dogs and pigs who hate it tear all the virtues into pieces. Therefore it is necessary to distinguish between the true and the false.
Thesis 1. Christian civility is simply the Pauline call to truth in love applied to the civil sphere. Worldly civility is Ahab’s call to Elijah, “You troubler of Israel,” and to cower before it.
Thesis 2. Christian civility draws lines and names names. It can do this without trashing the image of God. Worldly civility knows this brings wickedness to light, so it calls light darkness and darkness light.
Thesis 3. Christian civility asks, “What does this say about God?” and “What will King Jesus say to me on that Day that never ends?” Worldly civility asks, “What will this immediately prove about my heart to all?” “Will this work to keep the mob off my back for another day?”
Thesis 4. Christian civility discerns moderation as a Trojan horse carrying seven other spirits more wicked than the initial error. Worldly civility refashions moderation as humility, and the middle ground as maturity.
Thesis 5. Christian civility is eager to welcome defectors from the world, but only on the King’s terms. Worldly civility may pay lip service to the King’s business, but only on the world’s terms.
Thesis 6. Christian civility is moved with zeal to uphold, even with sinful hands, what is profaned. Worldly civility is moved with shame to blur the lines that help us blame.
Thesis 7. Christian civility is unimpressed by the piety police, as their subtleties about tone and motive are known to be uneasiness with content. Worldly civility is the boring effeminacy that did the appointing.
Thesis 8. Christian civility subjects the city of man to the City of God by placing the city of man under the City of God. Worldly civility subjects the inhabitants of the City of God to an expert class in the city of man, so that to question them is as uncivil as it is unspiritual.
Thesis 9. Christian civility has all its chips on the table, as it knows enough history to know who best conforms to the eternal law. Worldly civility hedges its bets, because the man doesn’t know how things will turn out. He must be squeaky clean with the next regime.
Thesis 10. Christian civility defines decency up to that admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies in Christ. Worldly civility defines decency down to that cacophony of the virtues gone mad and running loose in culture.
Thesis 11. Christian civility must put its hands and feet to rescue where its tongue has laid waste. Charity must move in where slavery was driven out, lest a new hypocrite move in. Worldly civility must use the power of the state to prevent the church from doing that.
Thesis 12. Christian civility uses academic jargon outside of the academy only to clarify terms and silence trolling elitism. Worldly civility conflates academic nuance, which has a narrow, distinguishing place, with the essence of profundity in every place. It perfects the art of saying nothing.
