The Good and Dangerous Gift of Authority with Jonathan Leeman

Research and common sense say most of us are suspicious of our authorities. The American way is to be ruggedly individual and totally autonomous. As a people, we don’t like anyone meddling in our own goals and dreams and how we plan to reach them. Making matters worse, examples of terrible authority abound. Daily news headlines reveal bad authorities in our government, police forces, schools, and even churches. Should we do away with authority altogether?

Author Jonathan Leeman says that authority, done biblically, is not only good, but essential to human flourishing. Hey says Jesus is our ultimate model.

On this episode Jen Oshman and Jonathan Leeman discuss the difference between power and authority, how to identify good authority, how to help our kids flourish under good authority, and how to cultivate Christlike authority. The answer to abusive authority is not to do way with it altogether but to understand how God created authority and bestows it for our good.

Special thanks to our sponsor:

Crossway - crossway.org/plus

Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing by Jonathan Leeman: https://www.crossway.org/books/authority-tpb/

Keep up with Jonathan Leeman:

https://www.9marks.org/about/jonathan-leeman/

https://twitter.com/JonathanLeeman

Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing by Jonathan Leeman: https://www.crossway.org/books/authority-tpb/

Resources for this episode:

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/06/06/americans-views-of-government-decades-of-distrust-enduring-support-for-its-role/

https://news.gallup.com/poll/403124/majority-continues-say-government-powerful.aspx

https://www.benefitnews.com/news/25-of-workers-dont-trust-their-employers