Faith and Politics: Dr. Eric Schansberg, Professor of Economics at Indiana University Southeast
Written by Emily Runge
On February 24th, Dr. Eric Schansberg delivered a lecture about libertarian politics and Christianity. The lecture was hosted by Praxis, a student club focused on political economy. Dr. Schansberg is a professor of economics at Indiana University Southeast and the author of Poor Policy: How Government Harms the Poor – a popular book throughout Hillsdale’s economic department. His other book, Turn Neither to the Right nor to the Left: A Thinking Christian’s Guide to Politics and Public Policy served as the basis of his lecture.
The relationship between religion and politics is both a major part of the conversation in the Western Heritage classes and also a significant part of Hillsdale College students’ search for truth. The lecture hall in Lane was full of students and faculty eager to hear Dr. Schansberg contribute to this conversation.
According to Savannah Tibbetts, president of Praxis,
“Faith informs many Hillsdale students’ politics – including my own – and it often leads students to conservatism. Praxis does not want to promote a certain way to incorporate one’s faith into politics. Yet, much like the college, we are devoted to promoting liberty. We want to discuss the foundations upon which we form our views on government and political economy and their consequences.”
In his lecture, Dr. Schansberg explained that reconciling our Christian faith with political principles is very challenging because of several factors: political issues are inherently complex, individuals are rationally ignorant on most political matters, and we receive our information from those with an interest in a particular outcome. Overcoming these obstacles is difficult and, as Dr. Schansberg articulated, requires a significant investment of time.
According to Dr. Schansberg, libertarianism may be the political philosophy most consistent with the Bible. Defining libertarianism as freedom to act unless these actions impose costs on others, he proposed that the purpose of government is to intervene when harm is inflicted on others. However, he warned Christians against making the mistake of instituting laws in favor of our particular moral views.
As a student interested in politics and libertarianism, I found that Dr. Schansberg’s lecture gave the clearest articulation of the compatibility between Christianity and libertarianism. Furthermore, he explained major tenants of libertarianism and shed light on a political belief that is often misunderstood and dismissed as being amoral. While his lecture may not have converted many of the listeners, he certainly has enriched the ongoing conversation about libertarianism and conservatism here at Hillsdale.
Emily Runge is a sophomore at Hillsdale College who is majoring in Politics and minoring in History. She is a George Washington Fellow, a member of Pi Beta Phi women’s fraternity, a member of the Hillsdale College Honors Program, and a volunteer at Will Carleton Academy.