About

Mission

To challenge and rethink our paradigms for understanding society, by applying reformed theology and philosophy to politics, religion, and culture, in order to encourage individual freedom and responsibility within our own spheres of influence.

About Mere Liberty

We are at an interesting point in history; most of us know something of the American experiment – this idea that mankind can and should live in a free society. But our history is also riddled with instances where we’ve acted against the principles of freedom. Today, we are approaching an interesting crossroads.

And what about Christians? Evangelicalism in America are under pressure as they abandon orthodoxy; mainline denominations are disappearing; doctrine is a dirty word, and theology is seen as purely academic.

What is it that we’ve lost? How do we find it again? Did we ever have it right? What were we right about? What were we wrong about? What contemporary relevance do our past ideas and history have for today?

Mere Liberty is about liberty at its most fundamental core. It’s stripping away the rhetoric that we’ve become accustomed to hearing, and challenging the paradigms that face us today. The negative effect of these paradigms are also polarizing and we need to find a way past the stalemate.

Mere Liberty is not about politics per se, rather it’s about the philosophies (and theology) behind the problems presented in politics and culture. Challenging the manner in which we see these problems will push us to think beyond mere political solutions that in effect isolate us from own responsibility, and eschewing responsibility means relinquishing our associated freedoms.

Applied Philosophy

Just as it sounds, applied philosophy takes a philosophical system (ethics, for example) and addresses real world issues, questions, and scenarios. This means far more than dealing with abstractions – although this is necessary – this means dealing with real life issues in concrete ways based on philosophical ideas that we believe represent the truth of reality. Mere Liberty is not exclusive neutral in its philosophy; genuine neutrality is impossible. Though there is opportunity to discuss the merits and demerits of any given philosophy, I take a distinctly libertarian approach to philosophy.

Practical Theology

In much the same way as applied philosophy, practical theology is about applying theology to everyday lives. Here it’s not good enough to simply say something like, “our identity is in Christ;” but rather we delve deeper into what that means on a practical level. How can you see this identity manifested in a tangible way? On theological matters, you’ll notice that I take a historic reformed (Calvinist) perspective.

Of course, not all of philosophy or all of theology can be applied practically. The cerebral and abstract sides of these things are highly important and sometimes we’ll discuss these issues, but with Mere Liberty, we don’t want to simply leave them there.

Community Guidelines

Please respect the following community guidelines to maintain an enjoyable environment:

• Keep conversation respectful, without personal attacks
• Don’t blow up other members’ feeds. If someone isn’t responding to you, let it be
• No pornography
• Keep out behavior that could be seen as trolling/spamming
• Relax, be yourself, and enjoy