Government & Civics Resources

While political science conjures a sense of action and practicality, and philosophy is usually understood to be a wholly cranial activity pursued by tweedy old men in rooms normally reserved for captured princesses, the two studies are essentially inseparable. Both political science and philosophy are concerned with understanding human nature.

The difference is that, whereas the answers philosophers supply simply raise more questions, the goal of political scientists is to formulate solutions to real problems and use their knowledge of humans to suggest usable models of government for keeping them in line. Their success depends entirely on their assessment of human nature, and the extent to which God enters their hypotheses and theories.

Karl Marx believed humans were aspiritual material beings, and he didn't believe in God--Marxist Communism as a political theory, therefore, is fundamentally flawed. Thomas Hobbes believed in God, but he also denied the spirituality of man (it was more nuanced than that) and believed all men were driven by nothing more than fear of a violent death. Even further back, Niccolo Machiavelli may or may not have believed in God, may have been satirizing popular views of mankind rather than presenting his own, but certainly presented a model for government that is un-Christian at best.

Navigating political theories can be a difficult business. Writers like Marx, Paine and Rousseau frequently make excellent points and sometimes even seem to be expressing biblically-consistent ideas. Even worse, too many commentators don't understand the historical progression of political thought and believe some writers and theorists are expressing Christian views when in fact they're only presenting Enlightenment or humanist principles.

Sometimes those thinkers are expressing biblical concepts, at least partly. That's why (and this is true of any study) Christians need to be more familiar with their Bibles than with secular thinkers when studying government and political science. Yet this is in no way to suggest that political theorists, secular or Christian, can't help us considerably either in understanding how governments should operate, or why they operate the way they do.

When it comes to secular thinkers, most of our resources are classics; few modern thinkers are particularly innovative, usually doing little more than re-hashing the work of writers like Rousseau, Marx, Hobbes and Jefferson. So we have a lot of de Tocqueville, Thomas Paine, The Federalist Papers and The Anti-Federalist Papers, scribblings and essays by the Founding Fathers, some Rousseau, etc.

We also carry several books of the "this is what it does" variety--primarily educational books for younger students that describe the three branches of the U.S. government, or the duties of the president, or the F.B.I. and why you don't need to be afraid of it if you aren't breaking the law, etc. Overviews for adults or high school students tend to focus on the overall history and structure of American government.

Then there's the whole other type of book that kind of makes our selection unique. Part of our goal at Exodus is to provide books that reflect a Christian worldview and apply it directly to every aspect of life. We carry titles like Christianity and the Constitution by John Eidsmoe, Christianity and the State by Rousas John Rushdoony, This Independent Republic by the same, and several more with specifically this goal in mind. If we don't understand how we ought to think about government and politics as Christians, what use can we possibly be on a cultural level?

You'll also find a lot of the really old foundational texts, like Aristotle's Politics, Plato's Republic, and Cicero's speeches and writings, all of them instrumental in shaping the current debates and policies. Government is not born or maintained in a vacuum, and it would be a very good thing if more citizens and leaders accepted that fact and behaved accordingly. Have a great idea for putting everything on the right track? It's probably been done before, and it probably failed.

Unless, of course, it was spiritual revival. At the end of the day, while we definitely believe there are biblical and unbiblical systems of government that either promote or discourage adherence to God's Law, it's only the turning of a people's hearts to Jesus Christ that will bring about lasting reform. It is possible to legislate morality; but it isn't possible to legislate changed hearts.

Peruse our Government Resources to supplement a civics course, write a paper, or simply to help shape your views. Study any book, whether it's by a Christian author or not, prayerfully, comparing every statement to God's Word. Follow the Bible, logic, and your convictions. Most importantly, when you reach a conclusion don't overanalyze and intellectualize it—political thought is intended to motivate to action, and by God's grace we live in a society wherepolitical involvement is still allowed and encouraged. Let's keep it that way.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.

 

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Government & Civics Resources
74 Items found Print
American Cause
for Adult
in Law & Political Theory (Location: GOV-LAW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Rome
by Richard Maybury
2nd edition from Bluestocking Press
for 9th-Adult
in Uncle Eric books (Location: ECON-ERIC)
$11.95
Are We to Be a Nation?
by Richard B. Bernstein, with Kym S. Rice
from Harvard University Press
for 10th-Adult
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Are You Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused?
by Richard Maybury
2nd edition from Bluestocking Press
for 9th-Adult
in Uncle Eric books (Location: ECON-ERIC)
$12.95 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Bill of Rights
by Lucia Raatma
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Butch Elects a Mayor
by Helene Hanff, illustrated by Judith Gwyn Brown
from Parents Magazine Press
for 1st-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
Christianity and the State
by R. J. Rushdoony
from Chalcedon / Ross House Books
in Christianity and the State (Location: XWV-STA)
$18.00
Common Sense
Dover Thrift Editions
by Thomas Paine
from Dover Publications
Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18)
$4.00
Common Sense
Dover Thrift Editions
by Thomas Paine
from Living Book Press
Political Philosophy for 9th-Adult
in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18)
Communist Manifesto
Penguin Classics
by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
from Penguin Classics
Political Philosophy for 10th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$8.00
Communist Manifesto
Penguin Classics
by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
from Penguin Classics
Political Philosophy for 10th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
Complete Idiot's Guide to U.S. Government and Politics
by Franco Scardino
from Alpha Books
for 9th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
Complete Idiot's Guide to U.S. Government and Politics
by Franco Scardino
2nd edition from Alpha Books
for 9th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
Congress For Dummies
by David Silverberg
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 9th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$19.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Congressperson
by Louis Sabin, illustrated by Bob Dole
from Troll Associates
for 2nd-4th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Constitution
American Symbols and their Meanings
by Hal Marcovitz
from Mason Crest Publishers
for 5th-9th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Constitution Translated for Kids
for 5th-8th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Constitutional Puzzlers
by Jeanne & Arnold Cheyney
from Mark Twain Media
for 4th-8th grade
in Miscellaneous History Curriculum (Location: HISCUR-MISC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Crisis and Leviathan
25th Anniversary Edtition from Independent Institute
for 11th-Adult
in Economics Resources (Location: ECON-REF)
Emergence of Liberty in the Modern World
by Douglas Kelly
from P&R Publishing
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
First Book of Local Government
by James A. Eichner; illustrated by Bruce Bacon
from Franklin Watts
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
God & Government
by Charles Colson
from Zondervan
for Adult
in Christianity and the State (Location: XWV-STA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
God in the Dock
by C. S. Lewis
from Eerdmans
Religion/Philosophy for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$18.00
Gorgias
Penguin Classics
by Plato
from Penguin Classics
Ancient Philosophy for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$10.00
Gorgias
Oxford World's Classics
by Plato
from Oxford University
Ancient Philosophy for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$8.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
How Would a Patriot Act?
by Glen Greenwald
from Working Assets Publishing
for Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Keys to Good Government
by David Barton
2nd edition from WallBuilder Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Law & Political Theory (Location: GOV-LAW)
$4.95
Kids' Guide to America's Bill of Rights
by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Anna DiVito
2nd edition from HarperCollins
for 3rd-8th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$9.99
Law and Liberty
by R. J. Rushdoony
2nd edition from Chalcedon / Ross House Books
for 10th-Adult
in Biblical Law (Location: XTH-LAW)
$9.00
Leviathan
Penguin Classics
by Thomas Hobbes
from Penguin Classics
Political Philosophy for 11th-Adult
in 17th Century Literature (Location: LIT4-17)
$13.00
Local Governments
by Barbara Silberdick Feinberg
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
Making of America
by W. Cleon Skousen
from National Center for Constitutional Studies
for 10th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse
by Peter W. Barnes and Cheryl Shaw Barnes
from VSP Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Mini Page Guide to the Constitution
by Betty Debnam in Collaboration with the National Archives
from Andrews McMeel
for 3rd-6th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
National Government
by Barbara Silberdick Feinberg
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Patriot's Handbook
by George Grant
2nd edition from Cumberland House
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$10.00 (2 in stock)
President's Cabinet and How it Grew
by Nancy Winslow Parker
from Parents Magazine Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Prince, The
Penguin Classics
by Niccolò Machiavelli
from Penguin Classics
Political Philosophy for 11th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$8.00
Prince, The
by Niccolò Machiavelli (translation by Harvey C. Mansfield)
from University of Chicago
Political Philosophy for 11th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Read About the Postman
by Louis Slobodkin
from Franklin Watts
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$13.00 (1 in stock)
Real Citizenship
by Tim G. Echols
from Brunson Publishing
for Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Roots of American Order
by Russell Kirk
4th edition from Intercollegiate OOO
for 10th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$11.00 (2 in stock)
Selected Works of Cicero
Penguin Classics
by Cicero
from Penguin Classics
Ancient Roman Philosophy for 10th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$17.00
Selected Works of Cicero
by Cicero
from Walter J. Black, Inc.
Ancient Roman Philosophy for 10th-Adult
in Walter J. Black Classics Club (Location: VIN-LITWJB)
Selecting a President
Fundamentals of American Government
by Eleanor Clift, Matthew Spieler
from Thomas Dunne Books
for 9th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$29.99
Social Contract
Penguin Classics
by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
from Penguin Classics
Philosophy/Politics for 10th-Adult
in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18)
$11.00
Socrates Meets Marx
by Peter Kreeft
from Ignatius Press
for 11th-Adult
in Philosophy (Location: XWV-PHI)
Speakers of the House
by Judith Bentley
from Franklin Watts
for 9th-Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Story of the Supreme Court
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Story of the Supreme Court
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Kenneth Richards
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Supreme Court
by Rae Bains, illustrated by Bob Dole
from Troll Associates
for 2nd-4th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
The President
by Keith Brandt, illustrated by Bob Dole
from Troll Associates
for 2nd-4th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
This is Our Constitution
by Khizr Khan
from Yearling
for 5th-10th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$8.99
True Book: The Bill of Rights
by Patricia Ryon Quiri
from Children's Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
True Book: The Constitution of the United States
by Patricia Ryon Quiri
from Children's Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
U. S. Constitution
Know Your Government
by Donald A. Ritchie, introduction by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
from Chelsea House Publishing
for 9th-12th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
U.S. Constitution Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
U.S. Elections Lap-Pak
by Amy Pak
from Home School in the Woods
for 3rd-8th grade
in Hands-On History Activity-Paks (Location: HISRF-HOH)
U.S. Government
from Remedia Publications
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
U.S. Government Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
U.S. Supreme Court
by Linda Greenhouse
from Oxford University
for 9th-Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$11.95
Utopia
Dover Thrift Editions
by Sir Thomas More
from Dover Publications
Utopian/Dystopian Literature for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$5.00
Utopia
by Sir Thomas More
from Cricket House Books
Utopian/Dystopian Literature for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
We Are the Government
by Mary Elting and Margaret Gossett, illustrated by Angie Culfogienis
from Doubleday & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
We the People
by Peter Spier
from Doubleday & Company
for 2nd-6th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$17.99
We the People
by Lynne Cheney
Reprint from Simon and Schuster
for 4th-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$9.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
We the People
by Peter Spier
from Doubleday & Company
for 2nd-6th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$10.99
Wealth of Nations
by Adam Smith
from Bantam Books
for 10th-Adult
in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18)
$9.99
Wealth of Nations
by Adam Smith, introduction by Robert Reich, notes by Edwin Cannan
from Modern Library
for 10th-Adult
in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18)
What Would the Founders Do?
by Richard Brookhiser
from Basic Books
for 10th-Adult
in Law & Political Theory (Location: GOV-LAW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
You Decide!
by George Bundy Smith & Alene L. Smith
from Critical Thinking Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Government & Civics Curriculum (Location: GOV-CUR)
$26.99
You Decide! - Instruction/Answer Guide
by George Bundy Smith & Alene L. Smith
from Critical Thinking Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Government & Civics Curriculum (Location: GOV-CUR)
$16.99 $9.00 (3 in stock)
Your Freedoms: The Bill of Rights
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
Your Rugged Constitution
American Ideals Series
by Bruce & Esther Findlay
from Stanford University Press
for 4th-7th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)