Can Christian civilization thrive without community?
Joseph D’Souza2025-04-03T15:22:28+00:00Read on Christian Today. For over a decade, I’ve sounded a call as a non-Western church leader: Christian civilization, the bedrock of democracy and human flourishing, needs defending—not just for the West, but for the world. The West’s retreat from its Christian roots, worn down by progressive ideologies and colonial guilt, risks unravelling a legacy built on the belief that every person bears God’s image and is redeemed by Christ’s sacrifice. From Asia, Africa and beyond, I’ve watched this erosion with alarm, wondering if the West still has the voice to reclaim its heritage. Then came the ARC (Alliance for Responsible Citizenship), led by Jordan Peterson. This movement of unapologetic thinkers stirred hope. I followed their early talks and, in February 2025, attended their London conference. Peterson’s unpacking of sacrifice as Christianity’s core thread—echoing Christ’s cross—resonated deeply. Sessions on human dignity, family, and practical energy solutions, paired with a rejection of divisive ideologies, felt like a clarion call. Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s incisive voice and the British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, added welcome breadth. Yet I left unsettled. ARC could easily become a white-majority echo chamber, a peril for a civilization that’s never been bound by race. The early church spread from Jerusalem to Rome and Africa, defying ethnic lines. Today, most Christians live outside the West, wrestling with secularism while building faith-rooted societies. If ARC wants global impact—think Nigeria’s vibrant churches or India’s persecuted believers—it must elevate non-Western leaders and their thought. Otherwise, it risks being dismissed as a ‘Christian right’ relic, irrelevant to the Majority World. The conference nailed essentials: humans aren’t cosmic accidents but bear divine purpose; families anchor society; sacrifice blesses beyond self. Peterson’s riff on Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac hinted [...]