Paul Kingsnorth, C.S. Lewis, and the Problem with ‘Saving Christian Civilization’

It’s easy to be discouraged in this time of confusion, but abandoning Christian love is not the answer.

Caravaggio’s 1601 Baroque masterpiece The Crucifixion of Saint Peter, located in Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.

A few months ago, I started watching Paul Kingsnorth’s speech “Against Christian Civilization,” which was delivered at the First Things 2024 Erasmus Lecture.

The speech was fantastic, but challenging. (You can read the text for yourself below.)

Against Christian Civilisation

Kingsnorth’s grasp of history and ideas is impressive. Though some of his remarks on social justice strike me as obtuse, his speech as a whole is brilliant—posing several important and unsettling questions.

The most challenging among them is this: Are Christianity and modern civilization opposed and irreconcilable?

Many readers might find the question absurd on its face. Yet Kingsnorth makes a compelling case that they are. He also acknowledges he’s not the first to suggest it.

Charles Alexander Eastman (1858–1939), a physician, writer, and social reformer, made a similar claim nearly a century ago.

Born Ohiyesa, he was a member of the Santee Dakota. After the 1862 U.S.–Dakota War, he was separated from his family and raised by his grandmother and uncle. He later converted to Christianity, placing him at the intersection of two worlds—Indigenous and American.

Image Credit: Public Domain

Throughout his life, Ohiyesa (depicted above) sought to reconcile his Christian faith with the world around him, observing that Americans “are anxious to pass on their religion to all other races, but keep little of it for themselves.”

Though he never renounced Christianity, he arrived at a sobering conclusion:

“It is my personal belief that there is no such thing as ‘Christian civilisation.’ I believe that Christianity and modern civilisation are opposed and irreconcilable, and the spirit of Christianity and of our ancient religion is essentially the same.”

I disagree with parts of Ohiyesa’s reflection. Yet something in it rings true, and this brings me back to Kingsnorth.

The English author believes efforts to “save Christianity” will not just fail but be counterproductive. I think he’s right.

Many people around the world are trying to save “Christian culture.” This includes not just Christians but non-Christians who see “utility” in Christianity.

Kingsnorth is dubious of this strategy and so am I—and not just because I see some believers saying Christians must embrace hate to save Western culture.

To be clear, I’m not saying that Christians should ignore culture or support bad or evil ideas. Rather, I’m saying they should focus on being good Christians, and practice the teachings of the Gospels.

I could offer my own reasons why this is imperative, but instead I’ll highlight a C.S. Lewis quote Kingsnorth referenced in his speech.

Religions devised for a social purpose [he wrote, more than seventy years ago], like Roman emperor-worship or modern attempts to ‘sell Christianity as a means of saving civilisation’, do not come to much. The little knots of Friends who turn their backs on the ‘World’ are those who really transform it.’

Kingsnorth notes that this might sound paradoxical, and he’s right. But Christianity is filled with such paradoxes.

It was Jesus who told us, "Whoever wants to save their life will lose it.” That “the last will be first, and the first will be last." That “whoever loses their life for me will find it." Who was it that said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth"?

It’s easy to be discouraged in this time of spiritual decline and confusion. In some ways, it feels like we’ve returned to Ancient Rome. But I agree with Kingsnorth that we’ll save nothing—not Christian civilization and certainly not our souls—by attacking our enemies or embracing hatred. Our instructions on this front are clear.

“I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” the Carpenter from Nazareth said in the Sermon on the Mount.

That’s not an easy task, but Christianity has never been about doing the easy thing. Just ask Saint Peter. Ask Saint Paul. Or ask any Christian who has earnestly and honestly attempted to live up to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

In his closing statement, Kingsnorth asks, “Do we want war - or repentance? Do we want civilisation - or do we want Christ?”

Like all things in life, I believe people must choose for themselves. But speaking for myself, I believe the choice is clear—even if it’s not easy.