John Shelton

John Shelton is the policy director for Advancing American Freedom. He received degrees from Duke Divinity School and the University of Virginia, and lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Katelyn, and their children. He is also a Contributing Editor with Providence.

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How Tolkien’s Frenemy, Charles Williams, Indirectly Saved Lord of the Rings

Though Tolkien was not a fan of Charles Williams’ work, the latter would prove to have an enormous influence on the former

Reinhold Niebuhr, T. S. Eliot, and The Year of Our Lord 1943

Alan Jacobs’ 2018 book “The Year of Our Lord 1943” presents a caricature of Reinhold Niebuhr

From Defense to Offense: Review of “Countering China’s Great Game” 

Michael Sobolik lays out his blueprint for transitioning from defense to offense in the new Cold War against China

Stories After Virtue: Reading As A Moral Enterprise

Alasdair MacIntyre argued that we can only answer the question ‘what am I to do?’ by answering the prior question ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?’

Navigating the Scylla and Charybdis: Paul Ramsey and Contemporary Political Theology

Paul Ramsey was among the greatest theologians of the 20th century and we are in sore need of his ideas today

Theology and Border Walls
Theology and Border Walls

While the just war tradition has typically focused on international conflict, just war logic has rarely been used to analyze the ethics of border security and border walls. This failure is to our detriment.