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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Hamas’s Last American Hostage and the Desire of the Nations

The return of Edan Alexander, the last American citizen held hostage by Hamas, speaks to the broader biblical themes of deliverance and homecoming

Putting Natural Law to Work: Review of Hopeful Realism

A trio of Protestant Christian political science professors argue that evangelicals should be more aware of and attuned to the natural law tradition

“Nightmare Before Christmas” is Absolutely a Christmas Movie

Tim Burton’s “Nightmare Before Christmas” is ultimately about the unavoidable enchantment that comes with the story of God choosing to dwell among men

“Digital Cliques in Search of Political Power”: A Review of Kevin Vallier’s All The Kingdoms of the World

Although integralism specifically and postliberalism generally seem to be declining as philosophical projects, Kevin Vallier’s “All the Kingdoms of the World” still urges us to ask why these ideas were so popular in the first place

American Dominance in Space Isn’t Inevitable 

While the United States won the Space Race in the 1960s against Russia, today we are in danger of losing the longer Space Marathon to China

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