How Christians Should Respond to the Global Decline in Democracy [Video]

Thank you for having me. I’m delighted to follow my colleague Paul and I’m also delighted to follow someone who was called more provocative. So it can only go up.  

So the world is facing its 13th straight year of democratic recession. After decades, arguably a century, of global progress and of democratization, that trend is reversing. Countries that democratized toward the end of the last century are facing populist leaders that divide societies, raise doubt about their democratic values and institutions. Democracies in Latin America, Asia, and Africa struggle with violence, weak institutions, and public confidence deficits.  

Authoritarian leaders from Russia to China, Saudia Arabia to Venezuela continue to repress their own citizens and have expanded their illiberal reach throughout the globe. And they undermine democratic values at home and now recently abroad. And established democracies are facing significant challenges from populism, extremist political parties, and waning confidence in the democratic institution. I probably don’t have …