Trump could have chosen the deal. He could have chosen retrenchment. But he could not choose both.

Christians recognize the power of speech; after all, God brought the world into being with a Word. What we say has the ability to shape reality. Sometimes harsh language says it best.

Ultimately, why Americans see the world through one theological lens or another has a lot to do with whether they identify more closely with a Hebraic or Hellenic kind of Christianity. Put another way, American Christians view the world differently depending on how much they read the Bible, believe the Bible is divinely inspired, and accept the Bible as authoritative in their lives.

Syria is one set-piece in a larger debate about US foreign policy after the Iraq War. Does the Middle East matter? What are the biggest threats to our future? Should America intervene to halt humanitarian disasters, or do principles of sovereignty and self-interest prevail?

Chaos (fauda) isn’t limited to the Middle East. Every part of the world is reeling amidst an unprecedented era of political, sociological, and technological disruption. No one is quite sure how to react, and Christians, despite their dogmatic certainty on so many things, feel just as confused as the rest.

So far, the United States has failed to articulate any clear strategy in Syria. It is not even clear who our allies are anymore.

For now, the border between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights remains the most important border in the Middle East—a veritable dam holding back the tidal wave of Iranian ambition.

Considering principles and values as well prudential considerations of the volatile region’s political realities, how ought Christians to evaluate recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital?

The Palestinian national movement is an illusory empire. Constructed on poetry and prejudice and generations of fantasy, it too must come crashing down so that it can be rebuilt, this time on a more solid basis.