Kerry Baldwin was a guest on this particular episode to discuss the Reformed Libertarian View on Abortion—specifically, how Christians, especially those in the reformed tradition, can reconcile libertarian principles with a consistently pro-life stance on abortion.
Drawing from her contributions to the book Faith Seeking Freedom: Libertarian Christian Answers to Tough Questions (co-authored with others at the Libertarian Christian Institute), the conversation addresses key distinctions such as government (monopolized coercion) versus governing (God-ordained administration of civil justice), legitimate versus illegitimate authority, biblical civil governance focused on restitution and non-aggression, and market-based (polycentric/voluntary) approaches to reducing abortion demand by addressing root causes like poverty and relational brokenness through freedom, resources, and support for women—rather than relying on state force.
This aligns with reformed theology’s emphasis on limited, God-defined authority and the harmony between Christian faith and libertarianism, as explored in reformedlibertarians.com materials on these intersections.
The Biblical Anarchy Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute, hosted by Jacob Winograd. It makes the case for a free society and decentralized governance grounded in biblical principles—particularly limited authority, the imitation of Christ’s servant-leadership model, and the rejection of coercive state power in favor of voluntary cooperation, peace, and true justice. Episodes explore connections between Scripture, anarchist theory, Austrian economics, and related topics like Romans 13 interpretations, sphere sovereignty, self-ownership, and how following the Bible consistently leads to opposing monopolistic government while affirming God’s ordained role for just governance (as discussed in resources aligned with reformedlibertarians.com perspectives on biblical civil order versus statism).
Reformed Libertarian View on Abortion
The video discusses the new book “Faith Seeking Freedom” (1:45) and delves into the Reformed Libertarian View on Abortion, showing how Christians can reconcile libertarianism with being pro-life.. It also explores how reformed theology strongly supports Christian Libertarianism. Here’s a breakdown of the key topics:
- Understanding Government vs. Governing (3:54): The discussion clarifies the distinction between “government” as a monopolized entity and “governing” as the act of administering civil justice. It emphasizes that while the former can be problematic, the latter is ordained by God and is essentially a service.
- Legitimate vs. Illegitimate Authority (8:05): The podcast highlights that legitimate authority is highly respected in the reformed view as it’s ordained by God. However, this respect also implies that such authority must be limited to its God-ordained scope; exceeding these bounds delegitimizes it.
- Biblical Civil Governance (9:17): The conversation defines biblical civil governance primarily as administering civil justice, including adjudicating disputes, seeking restitution for rights violations (like theft and murder), and upholding principles like non-aggression and property rights.
- Anarchism and Market Solutions (11:28): The video explores the anarchist view of civil governance, where a polycentric legal order with multiple agencies provides civil justice services, fostering competition and potentially leading to better quality and more affordable services.
- Abortion and Market Forces (31:31): A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the Reformed Libertarian View on Abortion, arguing that market forces can address abortion by tackling root causes (poverty and bad relationships) through free market mechanisms, empowering women with support and resources, significantly reducing demand for abortions, and making the abortion industry obsolete—without state coercion.