I am excited and honored to take over as Editor in Chief of American Reformer at this crucial moment for Christians in America and for the country as a whole. Timon Cline has done an excellent job of building a journal that makes the riches of Christian social and political thought accessible and relevant to Christians from all walks of life. As the journal moves forward, we intend to continue the work of Protestant ressourcement and incisive social and political commentary from an unapologetically Christian viewpoint. American Reformer is built on the belief that Christianity is an essential part of America’s DNA, and that for America to be renewed, it must recover its distinctively Christian character.
As I have read through the first two volumes of Rick Atkinson’s trilogy on the Revolutionary War this summer, I have been reminded of the spirit, ingenuity, and determination of our forefathers. Victory was far from a foregone conclusion; the odds of winning the war were stacked against the Continental Army and the revolutionary movement. Undersupplied, often barefoot, and armed with inferior weapons, George Washington’s ragtag army fought with cunning and raw determination against a foe that was superior in every way.
The challenges America faces today may appear similarly daunting. They loom large on every side: ballooning debt, political corruption, failing public education, an immigration crisis, a destabilizing world order, a collapsing birth rate, a rapidly changing labor market, new technologies poised to remake society, and increasingly difficult paths to family formation. But like our forefathers, we believe we can address these issues if we summon the courage and energy to champion the ideas that have made us a free, prosperous, and virtuous people. Now is not the time to shrink back. Our Christian faith supplies the courage and creativity to meet our challenges.
American Reformer will be a voice and a forum for Christians charting a course to renew our society and build an America that reflects the best of our Christian tradition. Reinhold Niebuhr, the great Protestant public intellectual of the 20th century, founded his journal Christianity and Crisis to address the immense challenges the US faced at the onset of World War II. The global order had collapsed, and fresh vision and leadership were required. Niebuhr provided that vision, both through the crisis and long afterward. We likewise intend to offer wisdom to guide our country as it sails into uncharted waters.
We will champion a positive, concrete vision centered on the well-being of American cities, families, and institutions. The Christian vision of flourishing is good for all people, not just Christians. But that vision must be advocated, adopted, institutionalized, built, and passed on to the next generation. Ideas matter to the extent that we implement them. Too often, Christians react to events rather than set the agenda. Instead of reacting to the latest progressive policy or idea, we intend to focus relentlessly on advancing the best of what is being accomplished in America that aligns with our historic political and moral convictions. We must not only say what we are for; we must also be willing to advance that vision across all domains of American life.
This is a time to build. Christians must build businesses, families, and institutions, but they must also return to the institutions they have abandoned. We will champion Christians who want to participate in and lead reform efforts to revive the many great institutions that have been captured by people who are opposed to American values and Christianity.
The information revolution being ushered in by artificial intelligence and digital technologies is transforming our way of life. In the mid-19th century, most families lived on farms in small rural communities. By the end of the century, the Industrial Revolution had transformed the American economy and way of life. The coming revolution will be even more disruptive and transformative.
The question confronting Christians is how we will respond to this revolution. Will we be leaders? Will we seek to shape these disruptive technologies to serve the well-being and prosperity of the American people, or will we become critics who sit passively by while others develop them according to their own values?
We at American Reformer believe that Christians should be at the forefront of developing and implementing these technologies, but to do that, we must see them as a great opportunity and not merely a threat to our way of life. For this reason, we will make this an expanding area of focus across our articles and all our endeavors, seeking to lead this conversation and to offer a constructive voice that guides how Americans engage the challenges ahead.
Another area of emphasis will be questions of international order and America’s role within it. The global order is entering a period of instability. Questions about America’s place in the world boil down to value choices: how to weigh competing goods. We do not intend to offer foreign policy analysis per se, but rather to make the case for America’s global involvement in terms of our fundamental interests and values.
Our transition to Substack will enable us to take advantage of the broader reach of this platform and provide a better experience for our readers.
American Christianity has always been concrete and solution-oriented, improving life for Americans and seeking to address our collective challenges with confidence and sobriety. We intend to carry that spirit forward in all our efforts in the coming years.
America is at an inflection point. The country is unsettled. What has long been considered fixed is now fluid. As much as this instability may seem undesirable, it is precisely in times like these that change—significant change—is possible. Americans have never shied away from such moments. In fact, because we are a people who trust in a God who transcends history, we can act with boldness, knowing that He providentially guides history according to His good will.
Daniel Strand, Editor in Chief
Niebuhr? No. Thin soup.