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Micah Watson

Micah Watson is Associate Professor of political science at Calvin University.

Prison

No Porches in Prison: God, Civility, and Redemption

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Civility is an important but secondary virtue. It cannot sustain itself. We can find hope for a healthier culture in a rather surprising place. 
old cracked wall and cross

Losing Our Religion­ and the Fracturing of American Evangelicalism

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Moore’s writing is something of a memoir and a testimony, in good evangelical fashion, taking us back to the heartfelt and fervent faith of his youth and through what can only be described as a painful and poignant break-up with the religious tradition that nurtured and raised him.
Photo of Ryan Anderson and Micah Watson

Ryan Anderson on a Decade of Debates, the Future of Conservatism, and a Time to Grow

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Micah Watson and Ryan Anderson look back on his Piers Morgan interview, how the debate on same-sex marriage played out, what that might mean for our debates on transgender ideology, the nature of political discourse in America today, the future of the conservative movement, and what to look for in the next decade.
Photo of interior of a protestant church—pulpit with three crosses behind it

Hopeful Realism: Renewing Evangelical Political Morality

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Throughout the twentieth century, American evangelicals have neglected the natural law tradition, leaving us without a serious and coherent grounding for our political deliberations and judgments. We need a theologically grounded framework that articulates our principled and prudential convictions, provides us the language with which to deliberate about them amid disagreement, and helps find commonality around real goods. We believe that a revitalized Augustinian natural law theory can help provide such a framework for evangelical Christians.
Library of Congress

Public Discourse and the Need for Reason, Good Government, and Moral Realism

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The texts I reflect on illuminate core themes of Public Discourse’s work: cultivating a proper understanding of reason, appreciating the indispensability of moral formation, and framing law around eternal moral truths. I was deeply honored and delighted when R. J. Snell and the current editorial team invited me to join them as a contributing editor, and I look forward to more conversations to come.
Two people looking at the Bible

How Do Christians Know When Their Understanding of Scriptural Teaching Needs to Change? Ten Questions to Consider.

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We should be very wary of changing our minds about a teaching or practice that has been taught clearly, continuously, and authoritatively on the basis of scripture throughout the history and breadth of the Church. The following ten considerations can help us think carefully when friends inside or outside the Church ask us to reconsider what the Bible teaches.
Public Discourse

The Best Defense Is a Good Offense: C.S. Lewis’s Abolition of Man

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A new critical commentary on Lewis’s classic 1943 work provides a treasure trove of interpretation and supplementary material. Lewis’s warnings about the consequences of jettisoning natural law—what he referred to as the Tao—remain as trenchant today as they were when delivered during the Second World War.

C.S. Lewis and Aristotle on Civic Friendship

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Aristotle described three types of friendship. In a season of increased polarization and even calls for incivility from national political leaders, perhaps we need a fourth.

Prisoners in the American Cave

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Patrick Deneen’s Why Liberalism Failed is a provocative attempt to explain what’s wrong with our culture, how this came to be, and what might be done about it. Although his historical account of liberalism is unpersuasive, he offers a prescient analysis of the current moment and insightful prescriptions for constructive action.

To Defend or Defund? Evangelicals Go Wobbly on Planned Parenthood, Public Justice, and Moral Judgment

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Despite arguments to the contrary, pro-lifers simply cannot support federal funding for Planned Parenthood. If the price for a seat at the public justice table is taxpayer funding for the nation’s leading abortion provider, it may be time to think about another table.
Public Discourse

“Conservative” Judicial Activism for Gay Marriage: With Amici Like These, Who Needs Enemies?

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A group of distinguished conservative public servants, policy makers, and political operatives has signed an amicus brief saying the US Constitution requires the states to redefine marriage. They argue that this is the truly conservative position—but it takes quite a bit of logical contortion to accept their argument.
Public Discourse

Neo vs. the Karate Kid

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The Matrix and The Karate Kid offer two competing views of the relationship between how we learn and how we understand human nature.
Public Discourse

John Locke and the Evangelical Retreat from Marriage

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John Locke’s philosophy gives no support to those who would seek to endorse same-sex civil marriage.
Public Discourse

Health, Safety, and Morals

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Whether the case involves pornography or genocide, there are times when authorities must intervene to protect human interests.
Public Discourse

Why We Can’t Help But Legislate Morality

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All legislation is moral. The sooner we recognize this fact, the better.
Public Discourse

Making Men Moral

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Earlier this year scholars gathered at Union University for a conference considering the work of Robert P. George in his 1994 book Making Men Moral: Civil Liberties and Public Morality. One theme of the conference was how religion and reason can help us understand and promote the common good.
Public Discourse

Is the Abortion Debate Over?

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The philosophical debate about abortion has reached a welcome level of clarity. The pro-life movement must capitalize on recent gains in public policy and opinion by equipping their grass-roots supporters with winsome arguments and effective strategies to continue to cultivate a culture of life.
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