Good, concise, helpful. Dever begins by noting that a friend once commented that the Christian faith has no vision for the state. This book is largely his response, revealing how Christianity actually has much to say.

Dever's operating thesis revolves around Jesus words in Mark 12:13-17. The well known exchange here is between Jesus and the Pharisees who came in attempt to trap him in his words about paying taxes to Caesar or not. Dever notes that there is much more than Jesus's verbal dexterity on display. "The first things we should note from this is that Christians are good citizens, or at least we should be...Even a pagan state is a legitimate state" (17-18). On the flip side, rendering to God what is his, Dever asserts, means, "Christians are finally accountable to God...Jesus' followers would obey the state but they wouldn't worship the state" (37). ( )

I was disappointed by this book. It's not really about God and politics; but rather an exposition of Mark 12:13-17. It is basically a sermon in booklet form. ( )

This brief work by Mark Dever walks the reader through Mark 12:13-17, helping the reader think through a biblical worldview of government. This book reads like a sermon; I'm sure it was just transcribed for print purposes. This book is a good primer for those wanting to understand how a Christian can live in a world where dissonance exists between his faith and the prevailing political environment. Weighing in at on 55 brief pages only improves its mass appeal. ( )