OTTAWA, ON—Lloyd Mackey, veteran Christian journalist and retired editor of ChristianCurrent Ottawa, is creating a stir in the Canadian political scene with his new book The Pilgrimage of Stephen Harper.

While mainstream media attention has focused on Mackey’s criticism of advocacy groups within the Conservative party, Mackey says he does not see radical conservative factions as a detriment to party unity, if both sides work towards communication and mutual understanding.

Instead, he says the focus of the book is on Harper’s achievements in building unity within the new Conservative party.

“The task of Stephen [has been] to respond to faith-based social conservatism, to encourage [social conservatives] towards incrementalism,” Mackey says. He suggests that Harper’s gradual approach to advancing party standing has greater potential for the future of the party than the stand-and-defend approach of the radical conservatives.

“There’s a better way to gain influence than in alienating each other,” Mackey says.

In a second book, to be released in September, he offers a message of hope to Christians disillusioned by the secularism that appears to have an unbreakable grip on Canadian politics. More Faithful than We Think: Stories of Canadian Leaders Doing Politics Christianly tells the stories of actively Christian politicians whose work is little known in the wider community.

“You find God and Jesus and relating to the gospel in surprising places around [Parliament] Hill,” Mackey says. He believes there is more Christian influence at work in Canadian politics than it appears on the outside.

He objects to the idea of an ongoing culture war in Canadian society between Christians and secularists, which he thinks is not as great a reality as many Christians believe. “Christians see the world as out there, and all we can do is come out and fight the world occasionally and then retreat.”

Mackey believes that non-confrontational discussion is essential in building understanding. He is interested in biblical approaches to conflict resolution within political relationships. Language and the art of civil discourse are important tools towards building unity, Mackey says, and people need to learn how to communicate “without demonizing the other side.”

Freedom of speech, he says, does not necessarily mean absence of self-discipline in speech.

Potential influence

Mackey believes Harper has the potential to profoundly affect the direction of Canadian politics, but says advocacy groups within the Conservative party (outside the Caucus) who are not solidly supportive of Harper’s leadership undermine the party’s unity. He hopes his work will encourage communication between party factions, building understanding and allowing the party to work towards common goals.

Evangelical Christians “need to be encouraged to remain in the Conservative party,” Mackey says, “and to bring their views to the table along with other conservative issues.”

Mackey, 65, has lived in Ottawa for the past seven years. Originally from B.C., he was founding editor of Canada’s first community Christian newspaper, the B.C. Christian News, in the Fraser Valley in 1985. The paper is still in publication 22 years later.

Mackey came to Ottawa in 1998 to work as founding editor for the Ottawa Christian Times, which became ChristianCurrent Ottawa in 2002. Now retired, he continues to contribute to the Christian political scene through articles and books.

Catalysts for thought

“I would like to see these books become catalysts for Christians within politics, to help them keep aware, keep thinking about interacting with the world.”

The Pilgrimage of Stephen Harper, published by ECW Press, is available at major bookstores across Canada. More Faithful than We Think: Stories of Canadian Leaders Doing Politics Christianly, published by BayRidge Books, will be available at select Christian bookstores.