Faith and public service with Asa Hutchinson
Plus, some recommended readings
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of hosting and moderating a conversation with Asa Hutchinson, who served as the Governor of Arkansas from 2015-2023. Hutchinson is a quintessential Reagan Republican, coming of political age during the 1970s and 80s, serving three terms in Congress during the Clinton administration, and holding various appointments during the George W. Bush administration in the early days of the War on Terror. He spent the latter part of his career in state politics, culminating with two terms as Arkansas’s 46th governor.1
I was certainly interested in Hutchinson’s thoughts on where the Republican Party of his earlier political career has gone, and he did not hold back on airing his frustrations. But I was more interested in hearing his reflections on the relationship between faith and public service. So that’s what he talked about, at least during his prepared remarks.
You can watch the full event below, which included quite a few interesting questions from the audience.
Recommended Readings
Why Are Christian Colleges Fighting Culture Wars? Fear (Sojourners)
John Hawthorne has seen the good and bad of Christian higher education up close for many decades. Since starting a job as a teacher at a Christian college in the 1980s and moving into administration in the ’90s, he’s watched the logic and incentives clash between what’s best for students, faculty, administrators, trustees, and donors.
At its heart, Hawthorne believes the conflict is the result of Christian universities allowing fear to drive their decision making, whether that be fear of losing funds, fear of mission drift, or fear of being accused of mission drift.
Can Religious Higher Education Save Itself? (Current)
As in all other spheres of higher education, religious colleges and universities today are experiencing a transformation. These schools must chart a path forward in a complex environment marred by a growing mistrust of the academy, increased skepticism about the value of a college degree, and a decline in financial resources available to ensure their future.
Is Religious Freedom for Liberals, Too? (Arc Magazine)
“The Trump administration threatens to violate sacred places of worship from living out their commandments to welcome ‘the stranger’ as instructed by our scriptures,” says noted religious progressive Jim Wallis, who directs the Georgetown Center for Faith and Justice, which is leading the current charge. “To do so is an egregious assault on free exercise of religion in violation of both the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The filing of this lawsuit … marks a new chapter in the historic legacy of faith communities standing up for their scriptural obligations in defense of religious liberty and justice for the most marginalized.”
Why Can’t We Be Friends? (Front Porch Republic)
In the modern state, especially as articulated by Carl Schmitt, a friend is merely someone who is not your enemy…yet. The positing of competition and self-interest as the essential human condition leaves us open to the Schmittian “friend-enemy” distinction. We can see this in our contemporary politics as coalitions seem to form mostly based on hating the same people.
Hutchinson also ran for president in 2024, positioning himself as a pre-Trump Republican in a party that had, by then, gone all-in for the former president in his third campaign. He suspended his campaign following the Iowa Caucuses, which saw him finish with less than one percent of the vote.