"The Myth of a Christian Nation"

I'm now a little over halfway through Gregory Boyd's book "The Myth of a Christian Nation" and I've really been impressed with his ideas. I would encourage everybody to read it though I suspect some readers would be incensed by his ideas. Still, these are things I've been thinking about for a while, the crux of the matter being what is and should be the relationship between the church and state? Why are so many Christians convinced that their zeal to create laws is supported by the Bible. Actually, I've been seeing that this isn't really anywhere in Scripture.

I really appreciate Boyd's emphasis on the central theology of Jesus' message as the "power under" kingdom of God in contrast to the "power over" kingdom of the world. By "power under" he means that the church's primary focus should be the presentation of the gospel through self-sacrificial love that does not force external conformity but seeks the inward transformation of the soul by God's doing. Whenever the church uses the "power over" method of the world, that is, coercion to regulate behavior, it betrays Jesus' message.

Indeed, before I read this book I was wondering about Jesus' apparent indifference to the politics of his day because the kingdom he came to set up was not of that nature. I also find other things I was thinking about in this book, such as the nature of one of the temptations of Jesus. Satan offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and Jesus could have truly been ruling over the world without having to go to the cross. But the Messiah wanted to do his Father's will and did not take the external, political path, but one which would transform hearts and ultimately make the kingdom of the world obsolete.

The early Christians got this right when, as a minority in a persecuting world, they saw suffering as the way to imitate their Lord. They did not really fathom regulating many things in the government because it was just not their circumstance. Then the church - and this is where Boyd really opened my eyes - when given the "power of the sword" became even worse than the kingdom of the world. The mentality then focused upon how to force others to do "in the name of the Lord" - yet it was all horrendously blasphemous.

Of course, being involved in politics today cannot even be compared to the church's atrocities in history. But Jesus' message and theology really does make me pause. I cannot think of the practicality of this yet however, and I'm hoping Boyd does clarify many things by the end of the book. This may all strike a chord with some readers so let me know what you think.