America fought a civil war so that “government of the people, by the people, for the people should not perish from the earth.” In these words, President Abraham Lincoln made “democracy” the cause for which the United States must survive. Now, over a third of the world’s people live in recognized democracies. But democracy’s advance is faltering. Three-quarters of Americans think their democracy is under threat. Just a third of British people think theirs is working well. What has gone wrong? We have a problem. We have forgotten where today’s democracy came from. We no longer know what it means. The first modern democracy was a system “held by consent.” It meant individual self-government according to conscience. It was a political idea designed to replace Christendom and eliminate religious persecution. In this “democracy after Christendom,” American Christianity and American democracy both flourished. Now, “cultural war” is fought over demands for a new Christendom. In this war against democracy, freedom suffers. The evangelical founder of modern democracy did not call for consensus, nor for majority rule. He called for “mere civility.” It is time for a new generation to rediscover these roots, and to reinvent democracy. "Democracy is under assault, not least from white evangelical Christians nostalgic for a full-blown theocracy. In Democracy after Christendom , James Paul Lusk provides an unapologetic and timely justification for a religiously pluralist democracy. His argument draws heavily on the much-neglected political theology of Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. Lusk's retrieval of Williams in defense of democracy is worth the price of admission." --Douglas Hynd, Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture "In Democracy After Christendom , Paul Lusk tackles a subject central to the debates of our age. Taking as a definition of democracy that draws on Roger Williams of Rhode Island fame, a system of rule 'held by consent, ' and insisting on the religious freedoms that the First Amendment calls 'non-establishment' and 'free exercise, ' Paul traces the history of democracy after Christendom, principally in the UK and US. His analyses of the various definitions and forms of democracy are informative and stimulating, as is his discussion of the current malaise of democracy in the West. To commend a book is not necessarily to agree with all of it, and I do not agree with some of Paul's interpretations and assertions, but I have benefited from this book and will turn to it again. Be assured that you will gain from it too." --Mostyn Roberts, author of The Subversive Puritan: Roger Williams and Freedom of Conscience "In this intriguing book, Paul Lusk explores the connections between the development of modern western democracy and the unravelling of Christendom. In a time when democracy is under attack in its modern backyard, Christians who recognize they are in the minority need a coherent political stance that guarantees religious freedom. This is a major contribution!" --Jeremy Thomson, author of Interpreting the Old Testament After Christendom "Who knew that the blueprint for modern democracy came from Rhode Island, the smallest colony of North America? And who has ever heard of Roger Williams? It's good to be reminded of how democracy arose and to refocus our attention on the functions of church and state in a modern nation. I found this book to bring real clarity to these issues and helpful in understanding how to navigate today's society." --Richard Barrett, Partner, Emmanuel Church Canterbury, United Kingdom "A very carefully argued work that weaves history, political theory, and theology and integrates UK and US examples seamlessly toward the goal of reviewing and re-laying the post-Christendom foundations of democracy. Lusk rejects Christian nationalism as the primary diagnostic category and identifies problems on both the culture war left and right. A brisk, straight-talking, and significant contribution to current Christian thinking about democracy in these troubled times." --David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer University "Democracy and two world wars, it turns out, did not achieve the 'end of history.' In our day, democracy is threatened in ways that two decades ago would have been inconceivable. In this book the masterful Paul Lusk sets out a vision for a democratic nation that does not require a 'sacred canopy' to unite it--a vision that is theologically-informed but non-coercive. It is an urgent and important book for our time." --Helen Paynter, Director, Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence As a child, James Paul Lusk learnt of his grandparents' fate--killed by the state, just because of their race. "What sort of government does that?" he wondered. He went on to be a prize-winning Oxford politics scholar, UN aid worker, teacher, journalist, and community organizer. He is the author of The Jesus C