The role of Christianity in democratic societies

Decisive Democracy:
The Way of Life for All

Harmen Boersma
FriesenPress, 2023.

When Harmen Boersma asked if I’d be interested in reviewing his book, I gladly embraced the opportunity to engage with his thoughts on the popular topic of democracy. Thanks to the political upheaval that seems to be gripping many parts of the world, bookstore shelves are flooded with books on democracy. Although Harmen Boersma’s book would appear to fit in with this myriad of democratic books, it is actually in a class by itself.

Instead of viewing democracy strictly as a political system, Boersma views democracy as a way of life that needs to be integrated with Christianity to be successful. This perspective led to the term ‘decisive democracy’ which Boersma defines as “how the Creator moves inspired people in their institutions to serve responsibly in civil society on earth toward a flourishing life of contentment.” Based on my understanding of this book, I would suggest that a more generic description could be a Creator founded democracy that we consciously decide to follow over the human derived, wealth focused alternative.

Boersma uses his Christian perspective, along with supporting biblical passages, to argue for a Creator founded societal system. His arguments for this system are diverse and interspersed with interesting insights including his thoughts on the meaning of being created in God’s image. Boersma devotes one of the chapters to the history of Canada, where he touches on the traditional cultures and beliefs of North America’s Indigenous Peoples. He describes an Indigenous belief system that is centered on a dependence and appreciation of the Creator’s gifts, which seems to come close to reflecting Boersma’s definition of a decisive democracy. The disruption of this Creator focused worldview by the hierarchical systems that accompanied European settlers is also chronicled.

Boersma argues that a number of things need to change before we can hope to adopt a decisive democracy. He suggests that we should start by infusing the Creator in all our family relationships which include marriages and the schooling of our children. We should also reprioritize our occupations by making them much more than just a means to a paycheque. Decisive democracy sees work, as well as play and relaxation, as a way to serve God and our fellow human beings. Boersma also sees church and our place in local communities as essential parts of a decisive democracy. He proposes that churches provide essential guidance to the relationships within our communities, as we collectively struggle with worldly temptations.

Boersma starts wrapping up his examination of decisive democracy by looking at its development in the Netherlands, Canada and Hungary. He suggests that the Netherlands and Canada had a history of Christian inspired governments before both countries succumbed to the lure of secular based leaders. Hungary, on the other hand, is presented as an example of one country that has successfully embraced a Christian democracy and is enjoying its benefits.

Boersma’s extensive research, along with his personal experiences in Canada and the Netherlands, are clearly reflected in his book. While he presents solid arguments for adopting a decisive democracy, I found that some sections of the book tended to wander from the core topic. These wanderings had a tendency to break the flow of some of Boersma’s points. One reason for this may be the difficulty of balancing such a myriad of questions and topics. I felt some of these topics could have been expanded on – but that, of course, would have resulted in a much longer book.

Boersma has given us a book that bravely examines the role of Christianity in democratic societies and he deserves credit for tackling this often-overlooked topic.